The Use of Coercive Measures in Forensic Psychiatric Care

Introduction.- Part I The Context.- International human rights and institutional forensic psychiatry: The core issues.- Legal aspects of the use of coercive measures in psychiatry.- Sociological perspectives of coercion in psychiatry.- Wise restraints: Ethical issues in the coercion of forensic patients.- An international perspective on the use of coercive measures.- Part II  Coercion in different settings.- The use of coercive measures in general psychiatric settings.- Special considerations in forensic psychiatry.- The uses of coercive measures in forensic psychiatry - a literature review.- Coercion in forensic healthcare: A North-American perspective.- The use of coercion in prison settings.- Part III The experience of coercion.- Staff attitudes towards seclusion and restraint in forensic settings.- Staff experiences of using coercive measures: "You can't tell people who don't understand".- Patient experience of coercive measures.- Service user - Coercion concern.- Part IV Practical challenges.- Best practices for reducing the use of coercive measures.- Mechanical restraint: Legal, ethical and clinical issues.

Birgit Völlm is Professor in Forensic Psychiatry at the University of Nottingham (UoN) and an Honorary Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist in the Enhanced Service for Personality Disorders (previously Dangerous & Severe Personality Disorders) at Rampton high secure hospital in the UK. She is the Head of the Section of Forensic Mental Health of the Division of Psychiatry of the UoN. Prof Völlm is the Chair of the Forensic Section of the European Psychiatric Association and the Secretary of the Forensic Section of the World Psychiatric Association. She was one of the experts on the NICE guidance group on the management of violence. 

Her main research interests include the neurobiology of antisocial personality disorders and social cognition, treatment of personality disorders, service development and comparisons between service delivery in different European countries. She currently holds national and European grants on long-stay in forensic settings, the effectiveness ofIndividual Placement Support for forensic patients and on Circles of Support and Accountability for the reintegration of sex offenders into the community. She has published over 70 scientific papers and book chapters.

Norbert Nedopil graduated in 1974 after studying medicine and psychology from the University of Munich. From 1977 to 1984 he completed his residency at the psychiatric hospital of the University of Munich, specializing in psychopharmacology, schizophrenia research and sleep research. From 1984 on he specialized in forensic psychiatry.

In 1989 he became professor and head of the Department of Forensic Psychiatry at the University of Würzburg and consultant for the treatment program in the regional forensic hospital. In 1992 he changed the University of Munich to head the Department of Forensic Psychiatry. He also continued to supervise the educational program of the high security hospital of Straubing, which he had started in 1990.

His special