En studie av synet på etiske utfordringer relatert til arbeid med bruk av tvang hos ansatte i psykiske helsetjenester
Sammanfattning
The Centre for Medical Ethics at the University of Oslo has performed a web-based survey of mental health care staff’s experiences of ethics, coercion and humiliation during work. This article presents the answers the staff gave in an open answer field as responses to the question about what staff found ethically challenging in relation to the use of coercion. A total of 439 staff with multiprofessional backgrounds wrote one or more ethical challenges in an open answer field. The answers were analysed using manifest content analysis and categorized according to how often the ethical challenge was mentioned in seven categories: (1) Doubt and uncertainty related to the formal use of coercion; (2) Doubt and uncertainty about other kinds of restrictions and use of force toward patients; (3) Involuntary medication; (4) Disagreement between the parties involved; (5) Implementation of coercion in daily care; (6) Organisational factors and lack of resources and (7) Overuse of force, abuse of power and unsuitable staff. The study provides new knowledge about what staff in mental health care experience as ethically challenging matters related to use of coercion in care.