Involuntary treatment in mental healthcare: an accepted manuscript

Involuntary treatment in mental healthcare represents a complex intersection of clinical necessity and human rights. Across Europe, diverse legal frameworks define when and how coercive measures may be used, yet the protection of patient dignity and autonomy remains a shared concern. The EPA, representing over 78,000 psychiatrists, emphasizes that involuntary measures must always be a last resort, applied only when no safer or less restrictive alternatives exist.

In an EPA Statement, EPA Treasurer Prof Martina Rojnic Kuzman, EPA Secretary General Dr Julian Beezhold and EPA President Prof Andrea Fiorillo wrote about the protection of human rights and dignity of persons who are subject to involuntary placement and treatment within mental healthcare services.

Research across multiple European countries reveals variations in the criteria and procedures for involuntary admission, influenced by cultural, legal, and clinical factors. Ultimately, protecting human rights in psychiatry demands balancing autonomy with the ethical duty to provide necessary medical care, ensuring that all interventions uphold respect, safety, and dignity.

Read this Statement here.