Müller S, Walter H, Kunze H, Konrad N, Heinz A
Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Forschungsbereich Mind & Brain, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Deutschland.
Nervenarzt. 2012 Sep;83(9):1142-9. doi: 10.1007/s00115-012-3627-1.
A series of recent court decisions have been concerned with the compulsory treatment of patients with mental disorders who are incapable of giving consent. This article describes the current legal situation on compulsory treatment for different cases to achieve the aim of internment, endangerment to third parties, self-endangerment, for intercurrent diseases and to achieve the aim of therapy. The verdicts contribute on the one hand to strengthen patient autonomy against governmental or medical paternalism. On the other hand the verdicts have effected a substantial legal uncertainty with the undesired indirect consequence that fixation will probably be used more often.
