Studies on patients' experience of involuntary admission focused on the patients' retrospective view of the appropriateness of the admission, the perceived coercion during hospitalization and the experienced impact on their relationships and on prospects for future employment. the experiences and opinions of patients and their relatives on the judicial procedure of involuntary admission itself were never investigated in depth.

• (1) We aim to systematically gather and analyse the perceptions and views of patients subjected to involuntary admission. Starting from their experiences and perceptions, we will explore their views on the concept and the judicial procedure of involuntary admission in all his aspects.

• (2) We aim to investigate the experiences and views of patients' relatives and of

• (3) Other stakeholders (psychiatric and judicial) in the same manner in order to constitute a comprehensive experiential knowledge base.

Using semi-structured interviews, a qualitative research approach will be systematically complemented with aggregated views from patient organisations, ombudservices and patients' relatives organisations. To avoid bias, an independent clinician interviews patients and relatives at least one month after termination of involuntary admission. Interviews will be analysed by means of hierarchical cluster analyses.

The themes, concerns, opinions and perceptions of patients, relatives and stakeholders will be presented mainly from a hierarchical perspective distinguishing experiential importance and weight.

Systematical qualitative research on patient' and patients' relatives' views on compulsory admission is an important complement to patient participation initiatives in order to inform clinical and judicial practice and possible reforms.