TY - JOUR
T1 - Coercion and pressure in psychiatry
T2 - Lessons from Ulysses
AU - Widdershoven, Guy
AU - Berghmans, Ron
PY - 2007/10/1
Y1 - 2007/10/1
N2 - Coercion and pressure in mental healthcare raise moral questions. This article focuses on moral questions raised by the everyday practice of pressure and coercion in the care for the mentally ill. In view of an example from literature - the story of Ulysses and the Sirens - several ethical issues surrounding this practice of care are discussed. Care giver and patient should be able to express feelings such as frustration, fear and powerlessness, and attention must be paid to those feelings. In order to be able to evaluate the intervention, one has to be aware of the variety of goals the intervention can aim at. One also has to be aware of the variety of methods of intervention, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. Finally, an intervention requires a context of care and resposibility, along with good communication and fair treatment before, during and after the use of coercion and pressure.
AB - Coercion and pressure in mental healthcare raise moral questions. This article focuses on moral questions raised by the everyday practice of pressure and coercion in the care for the mentally ill. In view of an example from literature - the story of Ulysses and the Sirens - several ethical issues surrounding this practice of care are discussed. Care giver and patient should be able to express feelings such as frustration, fear and powerlessness, and attention must be paid to those feelings. In order to be able to evaluate the intervention, one has to be aware of the variety of goals the intervention can aim at. One also has to be aware of the variety of methods of intervention, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. Finally, an intervention requires a context of care and resposibility, along with good communication and fair treatment before, during and after the use of coercion and pressure.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=35349020915&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1136/jme.2005.015545
DO - https://doi.org/10.1136/jme.2005.015545
M3 - Article
C2 - 17906050
SN - 0306-6800
VL - 33
SP - 560
EP - 563
JO - Journal of medical ethics
JF - Journal of medical ethics
IS - 10
ER -