Am J Psychiatry 1989; 146:182-186
Copyright © 1989 by American Psychiatric Association
An empirical study of emergency commitment
LR Faulkner, BH McFarland and JD Bloom
Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland 97201.
The authors examine the emergency commitment process in one Oregon county
and present data that document the impact of a local detention facility.
The study reconfirms the dependence of commitment processes on the mental
health system in which they occur, illustrates the relative inability of
specific laws to determine the actual nature of commitment processes,
provides support for the concept of community care for the people involved,
and points to the need for additional research to clarify the effects of
commitment procedures.
