Modes and impact of coercive inpatient treatment for drug-related conditions in Switzerland.
BACKGROUND
Two forms of institutionalized pressure to treatment can be distinguished in Switzerland: civil commitment and court referral. In court referral, the referred patient has the right to refuse treatment.


OBJECTIVE
To compare court referrals for inpatient treatment to voluntary therapy.


METHODS
Comparison of interviews at treatment entry and discharge records.


RESULTS
There were few systematic differences at entry except for voluntary subjects having had less contact with the legal system before treatment, independently of the specific court referral. At discharge, voluntary patients had a better social integration and fewer legal problems.


CONCLUSIONS
Legal problems waiting for court referrals at discharge may be a significant handicap for reintegration. Otherwise, voluntary patients and court referrals showed few systematic differences in inpatient treatment.
Grichting
Esther
E
Addiction Research Institute, Zurich, Switzerland. egricht@isf.unizh.ch
Uchtenhagen
Ambros
A
Rehm
Jürgen
J
D003068:Coercion; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D008297:Male; D010343:Patient Admission; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D013557:Switzerland