title: Insight and competence to consent to psychiatric hospitalization.
abstract: Informed consent and insight are among the most important issues in medical treatment, especially for psychiatric patients. In this study, we examined the competence to consent to psychiatric hospitalization of 113 psychiatric patients who were voluntarily admitted to a mental hospital in various psychotic states and compared it with their insight. We found a significant correlation between the patients' competence and insight into their illnesses. There is a discussion of the problematic issues of informed consent, competence and psychosis and the importance of insight in the context of mental illness.
authors.affiliation: Yehuda Abarbanel Mental Health Center, Bat Yam, Israel.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Melamed
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kimchi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shnit
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moldavski
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elizur
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003134:Commitment of Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D016743:Mental Competency / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy