Coerced marriage of people with a diagnosed mental health disorder
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence and practice    

Coerced marriage of people with a diagnosed mental health disorder

Rachel Kent Mental health nurse, Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, England

This article provides a review of the literature and anecdotal observations of people with mental health disorders who find themselves in arranged marriages. Patients who have been coerced into marriage without their consent, or who lack capacity to consent, can be at risk from domestic violence or pose a risk to their potential spouse, who often marry unaware of their partner’s mental health problems. Such circumstances can lead to violence in the marriage, abuse and death. Mental health professionals can feel at a loss to intervene because there is no law or guidance on what to do when they believe patients may be at risk of a coerced marriage.

Mental Health Practice. doi: 10.7748/mhp.2019.e1242

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and has been checked for plagiarism using automated software

Correspondence

coach_kent@hotmail.com

Conflict of interest

None declared

Kent R (2019) Coerced marriage of people with a diagnosed mental health disorder. Mental Health Practice. doi: 10.7748/mhp.2019.e1242

Published online: 14 February 2019

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