title: Characteristics of district psychiatric committee decisions regarding discharge from compulsory hospitalization.
abstract: In 1991 the authority of psychiatric committees responsible for judicial decisions concerning mentally ill individuals hospitalized compulsorily was greatly extended. The committees' work procedures have gradually been established despite lack of binding rules and regulations, often evolving from the dynamics of the field.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population included 92 hospitalized patients. The examination was performed by administering a questionnaire, reading a protocol of the latest committee hearing and perusing the patient record.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The committee tends to decide gradually about discharge from hospitalization and sometimes to include it as part of a rehabilitation process. The reasoning leading to discharge is generally from the field of law.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tension between medical and legal approaches often underlies psychiatric committee work. Generally, the committee tends to accept the position of the treating physicians. This may indicate that the two approaches are drawing closer to one another and that they have learned to work together cooperatively and fruitfully.
authors.affiliation: Abarbanel Mental Health Center.
authors.forename: Giladit
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ofir
authors.forename: Yuval
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Melamed
authors.forename: Avner
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elizur
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D026683:Advisory Committees / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D003134:Commitment of Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires