06/11/2015
"A small number of participants were concerned that they
would be subject to compulsory treatment or detention.
Some who had experienced compulsion tried to avoid
services altogether. One participant described needing
someone to talk to during crises, yet feared being given
medication. Consequently, he did not contact services: ‘‘I
don’t want to be in a situation where I can be forced’’.
Another participant co-operated with treatment through
fear of forced detention:
Participant (White male): they’ve still got some sort
of power over you and it’s as if they’re sort of, you
know, I feel as though, well I just feel I’ve got to go
along with what they say, whether you agree with it
or not as a human being, you know, and you should
have rights, certain rights.
Facilitator: Why do you feel that you’ve got to go
along with it?
Participant: Because I don’t want the threat of going
back into the hospital." http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00127-015-1028-z -1
Although studies suggest that fear plays an important role in shaping mental health service users’ experiences, evidence is patchy and the contexts, conditions and consequences of fear have rarely been researched. This paper explores the role of fear in adult mental health service users’ lives and d…
