BACKGROUND: Legislation and practice of involuntary hospital admission vary substantially among European countries, but differences in outcomes have not been studied. AIMS: To explore patients' views following involuntary hospitalisation in different European countries. METHOD: In a prospective study in 11 countries, 2326 consecutive involuntary patients admitted to psychiatric hospital departments were interviewed within 1 week of admission; 1809 were followed up 1 month and 1613 3 months later. Patients' views as to whether the admission was right were the outcome criterion. RESULTS: In the different countries, between 39 and 71% felt the admission was right after 1 month, and between 46 and 86% after 3 months. Females, those living alone and those with a diagnosis of schizophrenia had more negative views. Adjusting for confounding factors, differences between countries were significant. CONCLUSIONS: International differences in legislation and practice may be relevant to outcomes and inform improvements in policies, particularly in countries with poorer outcomes.