Patients' attitudes toward having been forcibly medicated

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Medical Ethics

Background:

• Forced antipsychotic medication is a necessary but intrusive treatment.
• Previous studies interviewed patients during hospitalization, potentially biasing results.
• Patient attitudes towards involuntary treatment require further investigation in community settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess attitudes of forcibly medicated inpatients towards their treatment after discharge.
• To explore patient recall and retrospective agreement with involuntary medication procedures.
• To understand the long-term psychological impact of forced antipsychotic medication.

Main Methods:

• Telephone interviews conducted post-discharge with English-speaking acute-care inpatients.
• Clinician interviews were independent of patient treatment.
• Data collected from 30 successfully interviewed patients regarding their experiences and feelings.

Main Results:

• 47% received forced injections; others accepted oral medication under duress.
• Common fears included side effects (57%), addiction (17%), and loss of control (17%).
• Despite negative emotions (anger, helplessness), 60% retrospectively agreed with coercion, and 53% were more likely to take medication voluntarily.

Conclusions:

• A significant portion of forcibly medicated patients, when interviewed post-discharge, retrospectively supported their involuntary treatment.
• Patient outcomes varied, with those experiencing poorer outcomes potentially holding more negative views.
• Findings suggest that post-discharge perspectives on forced antipsychotic medication may differ from in-hospital accounts.