Dirk Richter trained as a psychiatric nurse and studied sociology, psychology and philosophy at the University of Muenster, Germany. He holds a Dr. phil.-doctorate in sociology and a PhD (habilitation). He has many years of experience in clinical practice, research and the management of psychiatric services. The author is currently professor and head of a research group on psychiatric nursing and care at the Bern University of Applied Sciences, Bern, Switzerland. Dirk Richter is also senior researcher at Bern University’s psychiatric services and visiting professor at the School of Nursing and Public Health, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK. His research focuses on mental health nursing, violence and coercion in healthcare, psychiatric rehabilitation, psychiatric epidemiology and psychiatric epistemology.
Dirk Richter has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers and 10 books as co-editor, sole author and co-author.