Legal intervention in civil commitment: the impact of broadened commitment criteria

Recent legal changes in Washington State have broadened the grave-disability criterion for civil commitment of the mentally ill. Analysis of data from state mental hospitals and from records of commitment authorities in Washington's two largest counties revealed that, while there was an increas...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science no. 484; p. 42
Main Authors Durham, M L, Pierce, G L
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.03.1986
Subjects
Commitment of Mentally Ill - legislation & jurisprudence
Disability Evaluation
Hospitals, State - utilization
Humans
Mental Disorders
Mentally Ill Persons
Washington
Washington
Empirical Approach
Involuntary Treatment Act 1979
Legal Approach
Mental Health Therapies
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Summary:Recent legal changes in Washington State have broadened the grave-disability criterion for civil commitment of the mentally ill. Analysis of data from state mental hospitals and from records of commitment authorities in Washington's two largest counties revealed that, while there was an increase in the number of involuntary hospitalizations immediately before and after the changes in law, there was a virtual disappearance of voluntary patients in state hospitals. Moreover, expansion of the definition of "grave disability" resulted in a move toward a parens patriae-dominated civil commitment system. Analysis of the empirical consequences of the legal changes on commitment decisions is presented, along with the response of mental health officials and the public.
ISSN:0002-7162
DOI:10.1177/0002716286484001004