A journey of hidden outburst of anger shackling a person with schizophrenia: The Indonesian context

Shackling a person with schizophrenia violates human rights. This process is often carried out when the person has committed acts of violence and hostility. In this study, we focus on considering the shackling of a person with schizophrenia in Indonesia’s context. We used grounded theory (GT; Charmaz, 2011) with 23 participants located in the East Java Province, Indonesia. The participants consisted of people with schizophrenia who were shackled by their ankles, families treating people with schizophrenia, the cadre volunteers, prominent figures, and nurses. We used in-depth interviews using semi-structured questions. We identified five phases associated with the process of shackling a person with schizophrenia: (a) distress signal, (b) high demand for treatment, (c) a change of positive convictions, (d) loss of confidence and capability, and (e) restrictions. Understanding the process of shackling people with schizophrenia will help the Indonesian government prevent people with schizophrenia from being shackled by their ankles.