What is already known on this topic?

The use of coercion in the treatment of psychiatric patients is of growing concern, particularly in the context of United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (http://www.un.org/disabilities/convention/conventionfull.shtml). Increasing rates of compulsory admission are one example. It is therefore important to find interventions that can prevent compulsory admission to hospital for people with severe mental illness. Approaches to reduce compulsory admission such as advance directives or compulsory treatment orders have been studied in isolation.1 ,2