SELF-DETERMINATION IN CLINICAL-PRACTICE - THE PSYCHIATRIC-PATIENTS POINT-OF-VIEW

This article looks at the relevance of the concept of self-determinati on to psychiatric patients by studying the existence, importance and m anifestations of self-determination. The data were collected by interv iewing long-term patients (n = 72) in one mental health care organizat ion, which included a psychiatric hospital and an outpatient departmen t. Self-determination was defined in terms of the right to decision-ma king, the right to information, the right of consent, the right to ref use treatment, and the right to be heard and taken into account. It wa s found that, with the exception of the right to refuse and consent, t hese rights are indeed present in the practice of psychiatric nursing and that they are relevant and important to psychiatric patients. The patients typically gave ethical, practical and legal reasons for a psy chiatric patients right to self-determination. The main reasons why ps ychiatric patients said they lacked the right to self-determination we re illness and-staff authority. Recommendations for educational, clini cal and methodological implications for the future in nursing are disc ussed.