title: The role of coercion in the treatment of women with co-occurring disorders and histories of abuse.
abstract: Debate continues on issues of involuntary treatment for individuals with behavioral healthcare problems. Women with co-occurring disorders and histories of abuse are an especially vulnerable population. This study seeks to increase our knowledge about the experiences of coercion for women in the behavioral healthcare system. Patterns of coercion are explored. This study did not find the predicted relationship between high levels of interpersonal violence and frequent involuntary treatment experiences. The results do offer support for the hypothesis that women are more likely to be currently mandated to treatment if they have been recently arrested, and that being mandated to treatment does not appear to be related to clinical issues such as recidivism and acute symptoms. As expected, women currently required to be in treatment report having less choice in other aspects of their care. Implications for future research in the current climate of increasingly coercive policies are presented.
authors.affiliation: University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA. cclark@fmhi.usf.edu
authors.forename: Colleen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Julienne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Giard
authors.forename: Ruta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mazelis
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Savage
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Vogel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018585:Battered Women / Q000523:psychology*; D001524:Behavioral Medicine; D003068:Coercion; D003134:Commitment of Persons with Psychiatric Disorders; D017831:Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry); D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services; D008875:Middle Aged; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States