The following is a summary of “Expert opinions on improving coercion data collection across Europe: a concept mapping study,” published in the May 2024 issue of Psychiatry by Lickiewicz et al.

In mental health, coercion is common but controversial since it infringes on patients’ rights. Legal and ethical reasons must justify its use. 

Researchers conducted a prospective study to promote, develop, and implement strategies for coercion data collection systems at the national and international levels. 

They gathered opinions from 59 experts across 27 countries to create and rate strategies for a European coercion data system. Using concept mapping, these experts, all parts of the Fostering and Strengthening Approaches to Reducing Coercion in European Mental Health Services (FOSTREN) EU-COST-Action, focused on making data collection relevant and feasible for reducing coercion in mental health. 

The results showed that a hierarchical cluster analysis revealed 41 strategies in 7 clusters, which fit into 2 main areas and advanced global health research and healthcare data integration strategies. Relevance was rated higher than feasibility; no differences were found in the two domains regarding the relevance rating or feasibility of the respective strategy. The top strategies were reliable data collection, implementation of a nationwide register, and understanding various coercive measures. No significant differences were found between countries or health prosperity groups. 

Investigators concluded that collecting reliable data was crucial, but creating a shared European coercion database or unifying mental health laws was not feasible. They agreed on strategies for international benchmarking of coercion in mental health.

Source: frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1403094/full