Involuntary Admissions to General Hospitals: Legal Status Is Not the Issue

Because of California state laws emphasizing treatment at the local level, and because of a number of financial considerations, many general hospitals in California have developed inpatient psychiatric programs designed to meet the needs of all but the most difficult-to-handle patients. Based on their experience in California, the authors argue that general hospitals should not reject involuntary psychiatric patients out of hand simply on the basis of legal status. They suggest instead that a distinction be made between cooperative, participating patients, regardless of legal status, and all other patients, and that appropriate programs be developed for each group. The patient's symptomatology and the resources available on the unit should be the determining factors in admission decisions, not legal status.