Coercion and trust in psychiatry: the ultimate contradiction

The purpose of this paper is to present a focused viewpoint of coercion in psychiatry from the perspective of a survivor and activist.

This paper takes elements from and builds on three recent conference and seminar presentations presented in France and the UK in 2014: International Congress on Clinical Ethics Consultation 2014, Paris: Comité Européen Droit Ethique et Psychiatrie, June 2014, Perpignan and Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Annual Congress, London 2014.

Coercion in psychiatry runs counter to the highest human rights standards, rules out genuine care and profoundly undermines trust.

Additional research from a user and survivor experience would offer a different and more grounded perspective of how coercion is actually exerted and experienced through, for instance, a narrative approach.

The paper is proposed from the viewpoint of a survivor of psychiatry and human rights activist. It is a contribution towards a more user/survivor oriented discourse in this area.