Am J Psychiatry 1985; 142:1362-1365
Copyright © 1985 by American Psychiatric Association
Attitude change concerning right to refuse treatment: the impact of experience
RL Binder, DE McNiel and PS Fishman
Forty-three medical students completed questionnaires about their attitudes
toward the right to refuse treatment at the beginning and end of their
psychiatric clerkship, during which time their clinical experience included
exposure to involuntary psychiatric treatment. The students had a more
favorable view of involuntary treatment after the clerkship; the change in
attitudes was statistically significant. The authors hypothesize that the
medical students' increased willingness to use seclusion and involuntary
neuroleptic medication was due to exposure to agitated violent patients as
well as experience with the beneficial effects of neuroleptic medication.
