Journalist Lennart Ekdal was blocked by security personnel at the Landstingshuset in Stockholm while attempting to interview Sandra Ivanovic Rubin (MP), chair of the psychiatry committee, for a documentary investigating the region’s eating disorder care. The documentary, Sveket – Striden om ätstörningsvården, highlights patient allegations of poor treatment and systemic failure within the Stockholms Centrum för ätstörningar (SCÄ) following the region’s 2022 takeover of the service.
Documentary Claims and Patient Experiences
Sveket – Striden om ätstörningsvården examines the state of eating disorder care after Region Stockholm transitioned the service to its own management in 2022. While the transition was intended to provide more cohesive care, the documentary presents interviews with patients, families, and staff who describe high workloads, premature discharges, and closed doors.
Two patients, 18-year-old Livia Bask and 21-year-old Tilde Bornholm, detail traumatic experiences during their time in compulsory care at SCÄ. Bask, who has autism, describes being pinned down in bed by staff during a procedure to insert a feeding tube. According to Bask, she experienced severe panic while staff held her limbs and a man sat on her abdomen to facilitate the feeding process.
Did You Know? According to data from the National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen), approximately 200,000 people in Sweden live with an eating disorder. The condition is noted for having a high mortality rate and is considered one of the more difficult psychiatric diagnoses to treat.
Conflict at the Landstingshuset
The documentary production team’s attempt to interview Sandra Ivanovic Rubin regarding these reports resulted in a security intervention. Ekdal states that he and his camera crew were removed from the Landstingshuset by security guards, citing safety reasons. Ekdal reported that he was barred from filming anywhere in the building and characterized the experience as unprecedented in his long career.
In response to the documentary’s findings, Mikaela Lithman, head of operations at SCÄ, defended the facility’s performance. In an email cited by the program, Lithman stated that the care provided meets national guidelines set by the National Board of Health and Welfare. She noted that patient experiences and accessibility metrics are currently performing better than comparable psychiatric care services.
Future Implications for Regional Healthcare
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the focus of the documentary Sveket – Striden om ätstörningsvården?
The documentary investigates changes to eating disorder care in Stockholm since 2022, specifically focusing on the performance of the Stockholms Centrum för ätstörningar (SCÄ) after it was brought under regional management.
Why was Lennart Ekdal denied access to the Landstingshuset?
According to Ekdal, he and his film crew were removed from the building by security guards for “safety reasons” while attempting to interview Sandra Ivanovic Rubin, the chair of the psychiatry committee.
How does SCÄ management respond to the criticism?
Mikaela Lithman, operations manager at SCÄ, maintains that the center follows national guidelines and asserts that their accessibility and patient experience data compare favorably to other psychiatric care services.
Could the public response to this documentary lead to changes in regional policy?
Worth a look