The impact of coercion on treatment outcome: one-year follow-up survey.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined whether coercive measures or perceived coercion experienced by mentally disabled patients in the hospitalization process could be justified under paternalism. To find out whether coercion can be justified by paternalism, a year of follow-up research was conducted to examine the impact of coercive measures and perceived coercion experienced during hospitalization on the patients' therapeutic benefit.


METHODS
A 6-month period and a 1-year period of follow-up research was conducted with 266 patients to assess whether the coercion they experienced during hospitalization (coercive measures and perceived coercion) had an effect on changing the patients' mental symptoms and insight.


RESULTS
The results showed a decrease in both mental symptoms and insight over time. However, it was found that neither coercive measures nor perceived coercion had a significant effect on the change of mental symptoms and that, thus, coercion had little contribution to the declining of symptoms. Coercive measures had no effect on the change of insight but perceived coercion was shown to have a positive effect on a change in insight. Patient insight was shown to improve with increased perceived coercion.


CONCLUSIONS
Paternalism provides a partial explanation to serve as a basis for justifying perceived coercion. Limitations and suggestions for further study are discussed.
Department of Psychology, Gyeongsang National University, South Korea.
Mi Kyung
MK
Seo
Seung Hyun
SH
Kim
Minkyu
M
Rhee
D000328:Adult; D001364:Awareness; D003068:Coercion; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006306:Health Surveys; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D026706:Paternalism; D019989:Persons with Intellectual Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012938:Social Perception; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome