Study objective: A simple instrument to record case-related coercive measures was tested as part of a pilot project of the German Association for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics (DGPPN).
Methods: To assess coercive measures data were collected for 3 months in 8 German hospitals for psychiatry and psychotherapy. The type of measures used, the main diagnosis and the legal basis for the coercive measures were documented.
Results: In the sample studied, coercive measures were applied in 8% of cases. Coercive measures were most commonly used in patients with a schizophrenic disorder. The principle of justifiable necessity according to § 34 of the German Penal Code was used particularly often as the legal basis for justifying the coercive measures.
Conclusion: Suitable measurement instruments and reliable data that enable the learning of best practices represent the basis for a reduction of coercive measures.
Keywords: Coercive measures; DGPPN; Legal basis; Psychiatry.