Patients' and Staff Members' Attitudes About the Rights of Hospitalized Psychiatric Patients

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to assess and compare patients' and staff members' attitudes about what rights hospitalized psychiatric patients should have. METHODS: A 31-item inventory, developed for the study, for assessing attitudes about what rights hospitalized psychiatric patients should have was used with 122 hospitalized psychiatric patients and 35 staff members in the same hospital. RESULTS: Patients were less likely than staff to express the view that involuntary hospitalization, the use of force or physical restrictions, or the compromise of confidentiality is justified. There were no significant differences in attitudes toward patients' rights to obtain information about their illness and treatment and their right to refuse treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The differences in attitudes found in the study highlight the importance of considering multiple facets of patients' rights and the extent to which attitudes about patients' rights are associated with each facet.