The English Article:
“The Ombudsman assesses that care and respect characterize the treatment of children and adolescents within psychiatry in Denmark. A new report from the Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman, based on inspections of all child and adolescent psychiatric departments, highlights a generally positive treatment of the admitted youth. However, the report also points out shortcomings in follow-up conversations after coercive fixation.
According to the Ombudsman’s Children’s Office, several departments fail to conduct or offer follow-up conversations in accordance with the applicable rules. These conversations are essential for processing the experiences of coercion and the use of force. Therefore, the Children’s Office has recommended five specific departments to increase their focus on this area and urged all departments in the country to generally pay more attention to this.
However, the staff at the psychiatric departments generally showed knowledge of the rules regarding coercion and actively worked to reduce its use. Earlier this year, the Ombudsman decided that the theme for the Children’s Office’s inspections in 2024 will include partially closed institutions and departments. This decision was made based on specific rules regarding the use of force against children and adolescents, as well as previous criticism of conditions in such institutions.
The Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman regularly conducts inspections in both public and private institutions, especially those where individuals may be deprived of their freedom. However, partially closed residential institutions and departments have not previously been a specific focus of the Children’s Office’s inspections.
The Ombudsman plans to discuss their recommendations with the Ministry of the Interior and Health and will follow up on them during future inspection visits.”