Challenges that early career psychiatrists can face on compulsory treatment

TL;DR

This paper discusses the personal, professional, and institutional challenges early career psychiatrists face when administering compulsory mental health treatment.

Contribution

It provides a synthesis of research and personal reflections on the unique difficulties encountered by trainees in compulsory psychiatric care.

Findings

Early career psychiatrists experience emotional stress and risk burnout from using coercive measures.

Bureaucratic processes and legal challenges complicate compulsory treatment in European countries.

Training often lacks sufficient focus on the ethics of coercion and practical support for trainees.

Abstract

The delivery of mental health care worldwide often involves compulsory treatment, a practice encountered by early career psychiatrists from the outset of their training. Despite its prevalence, little research has explored the challenges faced by trainees and early career psychiatrists when compelled to administer treatment without patient’s consent. This presentation will synthesize research data and offer personal reflections on the author’s experiences.

Challenges that early career psychiatrists can face regarding compulsory treatment can be categorized into personal, professional, and institutional. Personal challenges encompass the emotional stress associated with applying coercive measures, coping with negative emotions, and managing service users’ attitudes toward treatment without consent. There is also concern that compulsory treatment may elevate the risk of emotional burnout. Professional challenges involve the administrative burden associated with organizing compulsory treatment, often exacerbated by the formalization of the process as a bureaucratic procedure in many European countries. Additionally, dealing with legal processes, including interactions with lawyers and courts, can pose significant difficulties, even though it is clearly done to protect the rights of the persons receiving care. Institutional challenges encompass the overall policy of providing compulsory psychiatric care in the psychiatrist’s home country and the specific practices of coercive measures in a given treatment facility. Furthermore, the lack of dedicated time for ethics of coercion during training is a common issue.

In the current landscape of mental health care, early career psychiatrists must undergo training to handle coercive measures. While these measures are sometimes unavoidable, ethical principles must guide their administration. Additionally, access to supervision/mentoring is crucial for early career professionals facing challenging cases.

None Declared