Report of the Polish Commissioner for Human Rights on the Activities of the National Mechanism for the Prevention ... themselves feel best when they need to be restrained with straps, due to sudden deterioration of their health condition. In many cases, personnel members also pointed out that during the evening and night hours there are not enough doctors and nurses to be able to conduct the direct coercion procedures in accordance with the law. Thus, direct coercion is used at patient’s request, for the good of the patients, prior to their aggression attacks. It must be firmly emphasized that the current legislation does not provide for the use of direct coercion upon the patient’s request or demand. In the opinion of representatives of the Polish Psychiatric Association, it is inappropriate to use direct coercion (straps) at patient’s request, in an automatic manner and without professional verification, only because of a possibility of the occurrence of aggression, self-aggression or disturbance in the operation of the healthcare institution. Moreover, the purpose of restraining a patient is to control his/her psychomotor excitement, violence and destructive behaviour, as well as to eliminate direct threat to the patient and other persons, rather than to prevent the occurrence of such behaviour. Professor Antoni Kępiński is of the opinion that a restrained person perceives threat more strongly than a person who is able to move freely. The lying position indicates the person’s vulnerability and the advantage on the side of people around him/her. According to Prof. Jacek Wciórka, MD, Director of the 1st Psychiatric Clinic of the Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology in Warsaw, medical personnel should not automatically comply with such requests of patients, but instead should provide to them appropriate therapy or psychological support to neutralize the future attacks. If such requests are fulfilled, in certain patients specific habits may develop, which is definitely against the purpose of the treatment. 104