The authors used a questionnaire survey conducted by mail in 1975 to
assess psychiatrists' perceptions of the applicability of two
jurisdictions' statutes for emergency involuntary hospitalization and the
desirability of such hospitalization in four case vignettes. The great
majority of the 287 respondents agreed that the statutes were applicable
and hospitalization was desirable for individuals who were at risk for
suicide and who were psychotic. Most of them also agreed that such
hospitalization was neither legally applicable nor desirable for
nonpsychotic, nonsuicidal people. Their perceptions of applicability versus
desirability differed, however, regarding people who were nonsuicidal but
psychotic or nonpsychotic but suicidal.Abstract Teaser