The author discusses "dangerousness to others" as a ground for
involuntary civil commitment of the mentally ill, suggesting that there is
often a confounding of legal/public-policy concerns and mental health
concerns in issues related to this concept. The questionable nature of the
presumption of dangerousness in mental patients and the overprediction of
dangerous behavior for this group indicate that such commitment processes
may circumvent legal safeguards designed to ensure due process. The author
recommends that psychiatrists and other mental health professionals assume
greater responsibility for the ways in which their services are used in
these proceedings.Abstract Teaser