Germany has been significantly affected by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, and the measures and strategies to contain the pandemic have resulted in the restriction of the fundamental rights of the population (e.g. closure of schools, curfews). The COVID-19 pandemic has also had a significant impact on people receiving treatment in psychiatric hospitals. People committed against their will have been particularly affected.

In this project area, we examine the ethical aspects of using restraint as a means of infection prevention and identify experiences and opinions of senior psychiatrists regarding changes in involuntary hospitalization during the COVID-19 pandemic.