Use of Child Custody as Leverage to Improve Treatment Adherence

In Reply: Dr. Nicholson is right to point out that research on mandated community treatment should include the use of child custody as leverage to secure treatment adherence. In fact, in the five-state study to which she refers, respondents were asked whether they were required either to take medication or to attend treatment sessions in order to maintain custody of their children. Eleven percent of the outpatients who were mothers, and 6 percent of the outpatients who were fathers, responded affirmatively. In future studies, the MacArthur Network on Mandated Community Treatment plans to focus on better understanding this important issue.