https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9957-1481
Abstract
Purpose
Medication has been a central part of treatment for severe mental disorders in Western medicine since the 1950s. In 2015, Norwegian Health Authorities decided that Norwegian health regions must have treatment units devoted to medication-free mental health treatment to enhance service users’ freedom of choice. The need for these units has been controversial. The aim of this study was to examine why service users choose medication-free services. This article examines what purpose these units serve in terms of the users’ reasons for choosing this service, what is important for them to receive during the treatment, and what factors lay behind their concerns in terms of medication-related views and experiences.
Methods
Questionnaires were answered by 46 participants and 5 participants were interviewed in a mixed-method design integrated with a concurrent triangulation strategy applying thematic analysis and descriptive statistics.
Results
Negative effects of medications and unavailable alternatives to medication in ordinary health care were important reasons for wanting medication-free treatment. Medication use may conflict with personal values, attitudes, and beliefs.
Conclusion
This study broadens the understanding of why the demand for separate medication-free units has arisen. The findings may contribute to making medication-free treatment an option in mental health care in general. To this end, clinicians are advised to communicate all treatment alternatives to service users and to be mindful of the effect of power imbalances in their interactions with them.
Data Sharing Statement
Raw data cannot be shared because of privacy regulations.
Acknowledgments
We thank our participants for sharing their thoughts and experiences. We thank all the personnel involved in the treatment services for their invaluable efforts in gathering data. We especially thank the former leader of the hospital department at Åråsen Wenche Brandtzæg Nikolaisen for allocating resources to this project, the former leader of the inpatient treatment units at Åråsen Anders Skogen Wenneberg for supporting the project, research coordinator Bodil Skiaker for help with data management, assistant Shko Nagmadin Karim and Pia Jensen for plotting of data, Jorunn Iversen and Gunn Borgen for help in coordinating the data collection at the Myrvegen inpatient unit, Camilla Kvaase and Lene Paulsen for important roles in the data collection at Åråsen inpatent units, and Jill Arild for providing the user perspective as our user representative.
Disclosure
The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.