Objective: The clinical practice concerning the use of coercive measures in psychiatry should be compared.
Method: A common documentation of physical restraint, seclusion, and medication by coercion was introduced among 10 hospitals.
Results: 8.4 % of cases treated within the first 6 months of 2004 were exposed to coercive measures with the highest percentage among patients with psychoorganic disorders (32.1 %). The incidence of coercive measures varied highly between different diagnostic groups and hospitals.
Discussion: The processing of the large multi-site data sets yields considerable technical problems. Data interpretation should consider confounding factors such as case mix and hospital structure characteristics.