Consent to voluntary antipsychotic drug treatment-Is it free and informed?

Consent to voluntary antipsychotic drug treatment-Is it free and informed?
Refael Yonatan-Leus, Nili Karako-Eyal
Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 16 September 2024
Abstract
Objective
The present research investigates the dynamics of consent in the context of antipsychotic drug therapy, with a particular emphasis on the essential attributes that constitute free and informed consent within medical treatment scenarios.
Method
Twenty individuals treated with antipsychotic drugs with consent underwent semistructured interviews.
Results
The following major themes were identified: (a) lack or total absence of information regarding the treatment, emphasizing side effects, risks, chances of success, and treatment alternatives. (b) A subjective experience of the lack of free choice that was sometimes also accompanied by the conditioning of psychiatric rehabilitation services or receiving treatment in an open ward by taking antipsychotic medication.
Conclusions and implications for practice
The research findings may indicate a problem in obtaining informed consent for antipsychotic treatment that should be addressed. The themes highlight the need to examine the interface between rehabilitation services and psychiatric treatment from the legal and ethical perspective of the autonomy of individuals receiving care.