Understanding involuntary psychiatric hospitalisation: a thematic analysis and the Arc of Experience model

Involuntary psychiatric hospitalisation is widely debated for its ethical and clinical implications. Understanding patients’ perspectives is essential for improving care. Written narratives from involuntarily hospitalised patients in Greece were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis to identify and interpret recurring patterns of experience. Three themes were identified: the Admission Experience, characterised by shock, fear, and perceived coercion; the Hospitalisation Process, involving emotional adjustment, relationships with staff and peers, and medication effects; and Discharge and Looking Ahead, marked by mixed feelings and uncertainty around discharge. Based on these findings, a patient-centred process model of patient experience, termed the Arc of Experience, was developed, offering a conceptual way to understand how distress, adaptation, and reappraisal unfolded across the hospitalisation journey. The model derived from these results offers a framework to inform future research and guide the development of more patient-centred practices in involuntary care.