The EUNOMIA study design: definitions and implementation in 13 European centers

Methods This was the general research objective of the EC-funded EUNOMIA-project. Using a standardized battery of instruments (e.g. covering psychopathology, perceived coercion, satisfaction with treatment, quality of life) each center assessed two groups of general adult psychiatric patients for a three-month follow-up period (time-points of assessments: within the first week after hospital admission, 4 weeks and 3 months after hospital admission): legally involuntarily admitted patients (aimed at figure of complete cases in each center: N = 140) and legally voluntarily admitted patients who – according to a screening procedure – felt coerced to admission (aimed at figure in each center: N = 40). Further, and by use of a standardized instrument all individual coercive measures applied to the clientele within the first 4 weeks of the index-treatment were recorded, in detail: mechanical restraint, seclusion, forced medication, and detention after voluntary admission.