title: The attitudes toward committal of patients hospitalized in a psychiatric facility for the first time.
abstract: This study examines the attitudes toward committal of patients admitted to a psychiatric facility for the first time. Sixteen patients, from a group of 28 patients consecutively admitted to hospital on an Ontario Form 1 certificate were able to complete a satisfactory interview. In general, patients viewed the committal procedure favourably. They endorsed medical professionals as being best qualified to institute the committal procedure. A discrepancy between behaviour documented on the committal form and the patients' own perception of their mental state at the time of committal was noted. These findings are discussed with reference to previous research on civil commitment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Victoria Hospital, London, Ontario.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Conlon
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Merskey
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zilli
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Frommhold
mesh_terms: D000275:Adjustment Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D003134:Commitment of Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D019965:Neurocognitive Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D009864:Ontario; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology