Coercive measures in psychiatry: consensus and controversy in Swiss professional discourse - Summary - MDSpire

Coercive measures in psychiatry: consensus and controversy in Swiss professional discourse

  • By

  • Matthias Jaeger

  • Anastasia Theodoridou

  • May 29, 2026

  • 0 min

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Objective:

To provide a comparative analysis of five key Swiss documents addressing coercive measures in psychiatry, focusing on their formal characteristics, thematic priorities, and underlying normative assumptions.

Key Findings:
  • Broad consensus on the ethical problem of coercion and the importance of prevention and voluntary treatment.
  • Differences in normative goals, attribution of responsibility, interpretation of clinical risk, and framing of coercion.
Interpretation:

The Swiss debate on coercive measures reflects different normative and discursive rationalities.

Limitations:
  • The documents analyzed are not legally binding.
  • Differences in implementation at cantonal level may affect the applicability of findings.
  • Potential biases in document selection may influence the review's conclusions.
Conclusion:

Future developments may benefit from integrating various approaches aimed at reducing coercion.

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