TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2014//
TI  - Impact of the temporaneous lack of legal basis for involuntary treatment on the frequency of aggressive incidents, seclusion and restraint among patients with chronic schizophrenic disorders
JO  - Psychiatrische Praxis
A1  - Flammer, Erich
A1  - Steinert, Tilman
SP  - 260
EP  - 266
VL  - 42
IS  - 5
N2  - OBJECTIVE: In the German federal state Baden-Wuerttemberg involuntary medication of detained psychiatric inpatients was unlawful during eight months from July 2012 until February 2013 due to a decision of the Federal Constitutional Court except for emergency situations. We examined whether aggressive incidents and mechanical coercive measures such as seclusion and restraint increased. <br><br>METHODS: Routine data of 2.644 cases with schizophrenic and manic disorders in seven psychiatric hospitals were analysed by a pooled cross-section analysis as well as by a longitudinal analysis for the relevant time period and the corresponding period of the preceding year. <br><br>RESULTS: The number of mechanical coercive measures and of aggressive incidents increased significantly by over 40 % in the cross-sectional analysis. In the longitudinal analysis which included only patients with admissions in both periods, the increase of both aggressive incidents and coercive measures was over 100 %. Effects on the duration of measures were insignificant. <br><br>CONCLUSION: The temporaneous impossibility to apply involuntary medication was associated with a significant increase of aggressive incidents, seclusion, and mechanical restraint.<p />  <p>Language: de</p>
LA  - de
SN  - 0303-4259
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1055/s-0034-1370069
ID  - ref1
ER  -