One of public radio’s most famous faces says he was taken to a psychiatric hospital against his will after sleepless nights and a manic episode. In the media, the words are clattering: “forcibly interned”, “hospitalized without consent”. For a loved one faced with the same situation, emotions, fear of psychiatry and legal jargon quickly mix. Behind these formulas, French law nevertheless describes a precise, very regulated procedure.
Nicolas Demorand: what does his story of “forced internment” in Sainte-Anne mean?
In the media, France Inter journalist Nicolas Demorand recounts that in November 2025 his relatives requested his admission to Sainte-Anne hospital in Paris, after a particularly severe manic episode linked to his bipolarity. In the car, he sings “The doors of the penitentiary will soon close, and that’s where I will end my life…”, before refusing hospitalization, struggling and receiving what he calls “a horse remedy”.
According to Télérama, Nicolas Demorand stays about three weeks in Sainte-Anne. He receives powerful treatment and experiences hallucinations, convinced at times that he is being targeted by the GIGN. Upon his release, he was exhausted and plunged into a depression that the weekly described as unprecedented in its depth, before being hospitalized again in March 2026, with ketamine used for its antidepressant effects.
After this episode, Nicolas Demorand said he was literally crushed by the illness and asked his doctors about a possible worsening of his bipolarity. Returning to France Inter after eight months of absence, he chooses not to resume the morning show and launches the podcast If necessary on mental health, as well as a new weekly show at the start of the school year, Double Sided.
Involuntary hospitalization: what psychiatric care without consent provides
The official Service‑public website recalls that “The principle is the free consent of the person“. When mental disorders make this consent impossible and require immediate care with supervision, the law allows for psychiatric care without consent. Either the hospital director decides on admission, at the request of a third party or in the event of imminent danger; or the prefect pronounces it when the behavior compromises the safety of people or public order.
In all cases, repeated medical certificates and control by the liberty and detention judge govern the duration of complete hospitalization. In common parlance, we speak of compulsory hospitalization, hospitalization at the request of a third party or compulsory internment for these situations.
“Forcibly” or “under duress”: what is the difference for Nicolas Demorand?
In law, the expressions compulsory hospitalization“hospitalization without consent” and “psychiatric care without consent” describe the same measure as that experienced by Nicolas Demorand: a hospitalization decided for him, the exit from which he does not control. Being admitted without consent does not mean that all care is inflicted by force. Public Service reminds that “Seclusion and restraint are practices of last resort“Decided by a psychiatrist, for a limited period and under supervision, they aim to regulate this constraint as closely as possible.
In June, the Minister of Health and Access to Care, Stéphanie Rist, announced the objective of eliminating restraint by 2030, marking a significant turning point in the political discourse on psychiatry. However, the psychiatrist Mathieu Bellahsen, whom we interviewed, emphasizes that this symbolic advance could only be a declaration of intent if it is not followed by an in-depth reform of the psychiatric care system.