Mentally Pinioned: Men's Perceptions of Being Abused in Health Care

The aim of this article is to deepen the understanding of male patients' experiences of abuse in health care (AHC). Thirteen patients who had experienced AHC were interviewed using a Grounded Theory methodology. Three categories, "Crises of Confidence," "Ignored" and "Frustration," intersected to form the core category "Mentally Pinioned." This last category referred to patients not being able to act in accordance with their own conviction and interests. This study shows that men's experience of AHC go far beyond what earlier research had suggested, which generally limited it to disagreements and misunderstandings in health care or hospital errors. In this study, AHC was shown to have a profound impact at a deep personal level, leaving the men concerned "mentally pinioned."