More pressure, more release? Description of a consensus and practice-based treatment policy in compulsory care for young people with anorexia nervosa

Compulsory care for adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) is shaped by complex relational dynamics, particularly the tension between the need for trust in the therapeutic relationship and the coercive nature of certain treatment practices, especially in crisis settings. Despite the ethical and clinical relevance of this issue, empirical evidence on compulsory care forAN is both limited and methodologically constrained, with existing research relying predominantly on quantitative approaches that often fail to capture the lived experience of those involvedCompulsory care remains controversial, not least due to its potential negative impact on adolescents and their families, and the ethical dilemmas it raises for practitioners. However, crisis settings rarely provide the necessary time and space for in-depth reflection on these dilemmas.This paper presents three case reports in which an alternative treatment approach was adopted during crisis care, prompted by critical ethical concerns. Through qualitative analysis of the recovery processes, the study reflects on the conceptual implications for treatment rationales in AN. The findings highlight the importance of ethically attuned, relation-ship-based care that resists defaulting to coercion. The paper concludes by outlining directions for future qualitative research, which is urgently needed to enrich understanding and guide the development of more ethically and clinically appropriate models of compulsory care in the treatment of adolescent anorexia nervosa.