Experiences and perceptions of coercive practices in mental health care among service users in Nigeria: a qualitative study
Abstract Background People with mental health problems are more vulnerable to a broad range of coercive practices and human rights abuses. There is a global campaign to eliminate, or at the very least decrease, the use of coercion in mental health care. The use of coercion in psychiatric hospitals i...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2022-11-01
|
| Series: | International Journal of Mental Health Systems |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-022-00565-4 |
| _version_ | 1811211045819121664 |
|---|---|
| author | Deborah Oyine Aluh Olaniyi Ayilara Justus Uchenna Onu Ugnė Grigaitė Barbara Pedrosa Margarida Santos-Dias Graça Cardoso José Miguel Caldas-de-Almeida |
| author_facet | Deborah Oyine Aluh Olaniyi Ayilara Justus Uchenna Onu Ugnė Grigaitė Barbara Pedrosa Margarida Santos-Dias Graça Cardoso José Miguel Caldas-de-Almeida |
| author_sort | Deborah Oyine Aluh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background People with mental health problems are more vulnerable to a broad range of coercive practices and human rights abuses. There is a global campaign to eliminate, or at the very least decrease, the use of coercion in mental health care. The use of coercion in psychiatric hospitals in developing countries is poorly documented. The primary aim of this study was to explore service users’ perceptions and experiences of coercion in psychiatric hospitals in Nigeria. Methods Four focus group discussions were carried out among 30 service users on admission in two major psychiatric hospitals in Nigeria. The audio recordings were transcribed verbatim and then analyzed thematically with the aid of MAXQDA software. Results The Focus group participants included 19 males and 11 females with a mean age of 34.67 ± 9.54. Schizophrenia was the most common diagnosis (40%, n = 12) and had a secondary school education (60%, n = 18). The focus group participants perceived coercion to be a necessary evil in severe cases but anti-therapeutic to their own recovery, an extension of stigma and a vicious cycle of abuse. The experience of involuntary admission revolved mainly around deception, maltreatment, and disdain. Participants in both study sites narrated experiences of being flogged for refusing medication. Mechanical restraint with chains was a common experience for reasons including refusing medications, to prevent absconding and in other cases, punitively. The use of chains was viewed by participants as dehumanizing and excruciatingly painful. Conclusion The experiences of coercion by participants in this study confirm that human rights violations occur in large psychiatric hospitals and underscore the need for mental health services reform. The use of coercion in this context reflects agelong underinvestment in the mental health care system in the country and obsolete mental health legislation that does not protect the rights of people with mental health problems. The study findings highlight an urgent need to address issues of human rights violations in psychiatric hospitals in the country. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T05:06:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6d549772ea88431db48c9ed78eede863 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1752-4458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T05:06:08Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Mental Health Systems |
| spelling | doaj.art-6d549772ea88431db48c9ed78eede8632022-12-22T03:46:52ZengBMCInternational Journal of Mental Health Systems1752-44582022-11-0116111110.1186/s13033-022-00565-4Experiences and perceptions of coercive practices in mental health care among service users in Nigeria: a qualitative studyDeborah Oyine Aluh0Olaniyi Ayilara1Justus Uchenna Onu2Ugnė Grigaitė3Barbara Pedrosa4Margarida Santos-Dias5Graça Cardoso6José Miguel Caldas-de-Almeida7Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), Nova Medical School, Nova University of LisbonDepartment of Clinical Services, Federal Neuropsychiatric HospitalDepartment of Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, Nnamdi Azikiwe UniversityComprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), Nova Medical School, Nova University of LisbonComprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), Nova Medical School, Nova University of LisbonComprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), Nova Medical School, Nova University of LisbonComprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), Nova Medical School, Nova University of LisbonComprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), Nova Medical School, Nova University of LisbonAbstract Background People with mental health problems are more vulnerable to a broad range of coercive practices and human rights abuses. There is a global campaign to eliminate, or at the very least decrease, the use of coercion in mental health care. The use of coercion in psychiatric hospitals in developing countries is poorly documented. The primary aim of this study was to explore service users’ perceptions and experiences of coercion in psychiatric hospitals in Nigeria. Methods Four focus group discussions were carried out among 30 service users on admission in two major psychiatric hospitals in Nigeria. The audio recordings were transcribed verbatim and then analyzed thematically with the aid of MAXQDA software. Results The Focus group participants included 19 males and 11 females with a mean age of 34.67 ± 9.54. Schizophrenia was the most common diagnosis (40%, n = 12) and had a secondary school education (60%, n = 18). The focus group participants perceived coercion to be a necessary evil in severe cases but anti-therapeutic to their own recovery, an extension of stigma and a vicious cycle of abuse. The experience of involuntary admission revolved mainly around deception, maltreatment, and disdain. Participants in both study sites narrated experiences of being flogged for refusing medication. Mechanical restraint with chains was a common experience for reasons including refusing medications, to prevent absconding and in other cases, punitively. The use of chains was viewed by participants as dehumanizing and excruciatingly painful. Conclusion The experiences of coercion by participants in this study confirm that human rights violations occur in large psychiatric hospitals and underscore the need for mental health services reform. The use of coercion in this context reflects agelong underinvestment in the mental health care system in the country and obsolete mental health legislation that does not protect the rights of people with mental health problems. The study findings highlight an urgent need to address issues of human rights violations in psychiatric hospitals in the country.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-022-00565-4CoercionRestraintQualitativeExperiencesPerceptionInvoluntary admissions |
| spellingShingle | Deborah Oyine Aluh Olaniyi Ayilara Justus Uchenna Onu Ugnė Grigaitė Barbara Pedrosa Margarida Santos-Dias Graça Cardoso José Miguel Caldas-de-Almeida Experiences and perceptions of coercive practices in mental health care among service users in Nigeria: a qualitative study International Journal of Mental Health Systems Coercion Restraint Qualitative Experiences Perception Involuntary admissions |
| title | Experiences and perceptions of coercive practices in mental health care among service users in Nigeria: a qualitative study |
| title_full | Experiences and perceptions of coercive practices in mental health care among service users in Nigeria: a qualitative study |
| title_fullStr | Experiences and perceptions of coercive practices in mental health care among service users in Nigeria: a qualitative study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Experiences and perceptions of coercive practices in mental health care among service users in Nigeria: a qualitative study |
| title_short | Experiences and perceptions of coercive practices in mental health care among service users in Nigeria: a qualitative study |
| title_sort | experiences and perceptions of coercive practices in mental health care among service users in nigeria a qualitative study |
| topic | Coercion Restraint Qualitative Experiences Perception Involuntary admissions |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-022-00565-4 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT deborahoyinealuh experiencesandperceptionsofcoercivepracticesinmentalhealthcareamongserviceusersinnigeriaaqualitativestudy AT olaniyiayilara experiencesandperceptionsofcoercivepracticesinmentalhealthcareamongserviceusersinnigeriaaqualitativestudy AT justusuchennaonu experiencesandperceptionsofcoercivepracticesinmentalhealthcareamongserviceusersinnigeriaaqualitativestudy AT ugnegrigaite experiencesandperceptionsofcoercivepracticesinmentalhealthcareamongserviceusersinnigeriaaqualitativestudy AT barbarapedrosa experiencesandperceptionsofcoercivepracticesinmentalhealthcareamongserviceusersinnigeriaaqualitativestudy AT margaridasantosdias experiencesandperceptionsofcoercivepracticesinmentalhealthcareamongserviceusersinnigeriaaqualitativestudy AT gracacardoso experiencesandperceptionsofcoercivepracticesinmentalhealthcareamongserviceusersinnigeriaaqualitativestudy AT josemiguelcaldasdealmeida experiencesandperceptionsofcoercivepracticesinmentalhealthcareamongserviceusersinnigeriaaqualitativestudy |