The psychiatrist as legal guardian.
Most discussions about legal guardianship pertain to special populations, such as the mentally retarded or demented. Except for the case of refusal of antipsychotic medication, little has been written about using guardianship to authorize nonemergency treatment for a person who is mentally ill and treatable. The authors present several cases in which a consulting or administrative psychiatrist served as a temporary guardian for a hospitalized patient's personal affairs. The psychiatrist-guardian authorized diagnostic procedures or ECT for the temporarily incompetent patient and was then discharged as guardian. The authors discuss the problems and limitations of such a role for the psychiatrist.
Wettstein
R M
RM
Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA.
Roth
L H
LH
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003134:Commitment of Persons with Psychiatric Disorders; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D007872:Legal Guardians; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D028642:Persons with Psychiatric Disorders; D008875:Middle Aged; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D014481:United States