Judgments of Alternatives to Hospitalization
STEVEN H. LIPSIUS M.D.1
1 Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, George Washington University School of Medicine, 2150 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037
The author compared staff and hospitalized patients' judgments as to the avoidability of hospitalization by means of alternative treatment facilities. There was surprising validity in most patients' opinions concerning their hospitalization, as judged by agreement with staff opinions and experimental findings, except for affective psychotics, who overestimated avoidability. The author compares the specific alternatives selected by patients and staff and identifies factors affecting their judgments.
