Differences of legal regulations concerning involuntary psychiatric hospitalization in twelve European countries: implications for clinical practice

Results Major cross-national differences of legal regulations with relevance for clinical practice appeared for the following issues: basic conditions as well as additional criteria for involuntary admission, time periods of decision-taking, patients' right to lodge a complaint, the association between involuntary placement and treatment, regulations referring to specific involuntary treatment measures during hospitalization, roles of relatives, professional standard of the physicians involved in the legally defined decision processes, safeguard procedures of these processes, and inclusion and specification of outpatient commitment.