George Szmukler

Mental health laws surrounding psychiatric treatment under coercion have remained largely unchanged since the eighteenth century. The grounds for involuntary treatment in psychiatry are first, that the patient has a "mental disorder" that warrants treatment; and second, that the patient needsto be treated in the interests of his or her safety or for the protection of others. Men in White Coats: Treatment under Coercion is an accessible and timely resource on medical treatment under coercion and its justifications. Split into thirteen chapters, George Szmukler examines the current grounds for involuntary treatment of patients with mental disorders. He argues that theexisting laws are both discriminatory and morally unacceptable, and that they should be replaced by an entirely different approach for over-riding treatment refusals.Using case studies and real-life experiences, Men in White Coats: Treatment under Coercion discusses how involuntary treatment in psychiatric practice affects patients, their families, and society, and looks to potential solutions to the current legal frameworks surrounding coercion that could bemade applicable across all medical specialties and settings.

Treatment Under Coercion

Men in White Coats

Digby Tantam

Maurice Greenberg

This book brings psychiatric problems to life by presenting twelve real case histories which illustrate common psychiatric conditions and their treatment. Each case history is followed by sections in which the psychiatrist "thinks aloud" about the factors that will influence the diagnosis and treatment of the case. These cases present realistic management problems, and will thus be useful to both psychiatrists in training and practicing psychiatrists who wish to polish their skills.

Making Sense of Psychiatric Cases

Graham Thornicroft

In recent years the practice of psychiatry has changed fundamentally. Mentally ill people have been moved out of the large institutions, with their clear structures and hierarchies, and into the community. This shift has required the development of new service structures, new facilities, new attitudes and new professional relationships. This book provides the first authoritative, international review of community psychiatry, taking into consideration theoretical as well as clinical issues. The key aim of the book is to review the status of community psychiatry throughout the developed world, presenting a comprehensive and critical exposition of the achievements, limitations and dilemmas in the theoretical base and the practical implementation of a community-based strategy. The book covers the available evidence base, gaps in that evidence base and describes, where possible, best practice for treatment and care. Current areas of theoretical and professional conflict are also covered. There are two main sections of the book; the first describes psychiatry for the community, in which the population needs for psychiatric care are considered. The second major section examines psychiatry in the community, describing how the service systems are designed to meet these needs. The final section of the book examines ethical issues and dilemmas. With 46 chapters from the leading international experts in the field, this book will be essential reading for all those working with the mentally ill in the 21st century.

George Szmukler

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