Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25720809›Full record

ArticleSocial psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology2015

Informal coercion in psychiatry: a focus group study of attitudes and experiences of mental health professionals in ten countries.

Emanuele Valenti, Ciara Banks, Alfredo Calcedo-Barba, Cécile M Bensimon, Karin-Maria Hoffmann, Veikko Pelto-Piri, Tanja Jurin, Octavio Márquez Mendoza, Adrian P Mundt, Jorun Rugkåsa and 2 more

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 30 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
30citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

30 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Exploring Routine Practices of Coercion in Acute Child and Adolescent Psychiatry - Reflections for Practice.Journal of child and adolescent psychiatric nursing : official publication of the Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nurses, Inc · 2026
    Article
  4. The perception of judges regarding compulsory admission of people with severe mental illness in Portugal: a qualitative study.Psychiatry, psychology, and law : an interdisciplinary journal of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychiatry, Psychology and Law · 2026
    Article
  5. Psychiatric hospitalisation; transitioning from consenting to involuntarily admitting-re-conceptualisation and a procedural framework.Psychiatry, psychology, and law : an interdisciplinary journal of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychiatry, Psychology and Law · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Emanuele ValentiDepartment of Medical Specialties, Psychology and Pedagogy Applied, School of Biomedical Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Campus Villaviciosa de Odón, Madrid, Spain.
Ciara Banks
Alfredo Calcedo-Barba
Cécile M Bensimon
Karin-Maria Hoffmann
Veikko Pelto-Piri
Tanja Jurin
Octavio Márquez Mendoza
Adrian P Mundt
Jorun Rugkåsa
Jacopo Tubini
Stefan Priebe

Funding

Training Program in Research Ethics in the AmericasR25TW001605 · FIC · YESHIVA UNIVERSITY · PI LUNA, FLORENCIA · 2000 to 2025
$6.7M
FIC NIH HHS R25 TW001605
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeWhilst formal coercion in psychiatry is regulated by legislation, other interventions that are often referred to as informal coercion are less regulated. It remains unclear to what extent these interventions are, and how they are used, in mental healthcare. This paper aims to identify the attitudes and experiences of mental health professionals towards the use of informal coercion across countries with differing sociocultural contexts.

methodFocus groups with mental health professionals were conducted in ten countries with different sociocultural contexts (Canada, Chile, Croatia, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom).

resultsFive common themes were identified: (a) a belief that informal coercion is effective; (b) an often uncomfortable feeling using it; (c) an explicit as well as (d) implicit dissonance between attitudes and practice-with wider use of informal coercion than is thought right in theory; (e) a link to principles of paternalism and responsibility versus respect for the patient's autonomy.

conclusionsA disapproval of informal coercion in theory is often overridden in practice. This dissonance occurs across different sociocultural contexts, tends to make professionals feel uneasy, and requires more debate and guidance.

Indexed as

CoercionHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticePaternalismAdultCanadaChileEuropeFemaleFocus GroupsHealth PersonnelHumansInternationalityLongitudinal StudiesMaleMental Health ServicesMexico

Identifiers

PMID25720809
PMCPMC7521205

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.