[Use and registration of coercion in psychiatry in the new millennium].
BACKGROUND
The Danish Mental Health Act of 1989 emphasized that the use of coercion should be recorded. The National Board of Health has published statistics on this issue since 1990. This study investigates the use of coercive measures at all Danish psychiatric departments from 1990 to 1998.


METHODS
The official statistics published by The National Board of Health was collected and analyzed.


RESULTS
There was an increase in the use of forced medication and mechanical restraint. No increase was found in the use of involuntary commitment or detention.


CONCLUSIONS
Some of the increase found as regards forced medication and mechanical restraint could be due to problems in recording the correct number of episodes. The Mental Health Act does not take into account problems concerning elderly with dementia. Extralegal coercion or hidden coercion can take place outside a psychiatric ward, for instance in nursing homes or somatic departments. More empirical studies in this area are needed before the decision to record extralegal coercion is taken.
Poulsen
Henrik Day
HD
H:S Rigshospitalet, Neurocentret, psykiatrisk klinik O. henrikdaypoulsen@hotmail.com
Olsen
Carsten Emil
CE
D003068:Coercion; D003134:Commitment of Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003718:Denmark; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012042:Registries; D012149:Restraint, Physical / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*