Should Compulsory Admission to Hospital Be Part of Suicide Prevention Strategies

The World Health Organization report Preventing Suicide: A Global Imperative provides governments with guidance for comprehensive suicide prevention strategies. However, it does not mention the role that compulsory admission to hospital of psychiatric patients should have in policies for suicide prevention. This was a missed opportunity for international discussion and guidance about a measure that, although widely used, is becoming increasingly controversial in light of the existing evidence and human rights norms.