Abstract

Psychiatric Intensive Care Units (PICUs) belong to the highest level of complexity in the Chilean health system. Literature on the experience of the child and adolescent population regarding coercion in psychiatric hospitalisation as explained by Foucault (2007a), is scarce. To help bridge this gap, a qualitative retrospective study was carried out. The study was conducted through the retrospective analysis of data recorded during group workshop called Assembly workshop, carried out within a child PICU. A thematic content analysis on their main ideas on the topic revealed the experience of children and adolescents about coercive practices. Three main categories were obtained: Routines, Disciplining and Relational aspects. The study concludes that there is a twofold tension in power relations, identified as adultcentric on the one hand, and psychiatric disciplinary on the other. The participants’ problematisation of the issue flows from a normalisation of the coercive practices to a critical approach towards them. This study contributes to spotlighting the experience of hospitalised children and adolescents and conveying the value of incorporating such results into the design of public policies and practice guidelines. Ethical and practical implications for future research on the subject are discussed