The Subjective Experience of Forced Psychiatric Medication: A Scoping Review Interpreted Through the Power Threat Meaning Framework

Abstract

Forced psychiatric medication, administered without consent, is one of the most ethically contested practices in mental health care. While often justified through risk management and biomedical models, the voices of those subjected to it are frequently marginalised. This scoping review synthesises findings from 21 qualitative studies to explore individuals’ experiences of forced medication. The review identifies recurring themes of violence and dehumanisation, epistemic exclusion, protest and survival strategies, powerlessness, retrospective reframing, and a desire for alternatives. Interpreted through the Power Threat Meaning Framework, the review frames forced medication as a manifestation of systemic power that shapes emotional responses, meaning-making, and lived experience. Provisional psychopharmacological considerations are also proposed for future research to empirically examine, suggesting that coercive contexts may alter subjective drug responses. Taken together, these findings call for an epistemological shift towards rights-based, relational, and trauma-informed care surrounding medication use.