THE PSYCHIATRIC PATIENT, LIBERTY, AND THE LAW

RALPH SLOVENKOAuthors Info & Affiliations

Publication: American Journal of Psychiatry

Volume 121, Number 6

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.121.6.534

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Abstract

Psychiatry is not wholly responsible for the evils in contemporary civil and criminal commitments. The law summons psychiatrists for inappropriate roles, and there is inadequate involvement of lawyers in the entire mental hospital field. And, to a considerable degree, the situation in mental hospitals actually mirrors community desiderata.

Critics say that psychiatry is depriving people of their liberty and dignity. But what is psychiatry depriving them of? Their "right" to waste life?, to commit suicide?, to kill others? Traditionally, those dangerous to themselves or others, whether or not labelled mentally ill, have been isolated by society. The real question is: are we providing help appropriate to their needs? We must be more concerned, not less, over the needs of others.

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Information & Authors

Information

Published In

American Journal of Psychiatry

Volume 121 • Number 6 • December 1964

Pages: 534 - 548

PubMed: 14239452

History

Published in print: December 1964

Published online: 1 April 2006

Authors

Affiliations

RALPH SLOVENKO

Tulane University School of Law, and Associate in Dept. of Psychiatry and Neurology, New Orleans, La.

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THE PSYCHIATRIC PATIENT, LIBERTY, AND THE LAW

Abstract

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