http://repub.eur.nl/res/aut/48232/ List of Publications en http://repub.eur.nl/static-eur/img/logo.png http://repub.eur.nl http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/32552/ 2012-06-14T00:00:00Z Unlike most other medical disciplines, psychiatry is a medical field in which, under certain conditions, patients can be coerced into accepting treatment. Coercion is defined as “any action or threat of actions which compels the patient to behave in a manner inconsistent with his own wishes” (1). This chapter provides a background to contemporary coercive practices by viewing coercion from a number of different perspectives. Current intellectual choices and developments do not exist in a vacuum, but are often the consequence of an age-long process of social, legal and scientific development. A brief exploration of the history of coercive practices is therefore followed by a description of the current legal framework and a short overview of the most recent scientific findings.