EDITORIAL
In: Journal of social intervention: theory and practice, Band 32, Heft 1, S. 1-2
ISSN: 1876-8830
This first 2023 Journal of Social Intervention presents a peer reviewed article, three book reviews and an interview in our section Innovation in Practice and Education (IWO). In a sense all the authors write about power dynamics.
In the peer reviewed research article Perceptions of informal coercion among care users and mental health professionals, Liesel Vandekerkhove, Jürgen Magerman, Wouter Vanderplasschen and Dirk Meesen focus on the power dynamic between client and professional. Results show that informal coercion can be experienced in a supportive way when certain preconditions are met, but that professionals have limited insight into how their actions are received by care users. The article argues that reducing the use of power in psychiatric care asks for systematic reflection in which care users and their network should participate. It also suggests that professional proximity and alignment with the needs of the client are key in using informal coercion in a respectful and reflective manner.