The authors sent out questionnaires regarding knowledge of statutes
governing emergency involuntary hospitalization to psychiatrists in
Connecticut and in the District of Columbia. Fifty-five percent (N=207) of
the sample in Connecticut and 25% (N=87) of the sample in the District of
Columbia responded. The responses showed that few of these psychiatrists
had a thorough familiarity with the legal statutes governing emergency
involuntary hospitalization in their jurisdictions. The most frequently
cited criterion was the dangerousness standard, especially in the District
of Columbia sample, and many psychiatrists were not sure of the nature of
their statutory authority when their patients met the criteria for
emergency hospitalization.Abstract Teaser