Brown J, Rayne J T
Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine.
Am J Orthopsychiatry. 1989 Oct;59(4):534-41. doi: 10.1111/j.1939-0025.1989.tb02743.x.
Involuntary admission of a patient deemed dangerous may be motivated by a wish to protect the patient and others from potential violence-or by a practitioner's wish to limit personal liability. Evidence is offered to suggest that the practice of defensive psychiatry is not uncommon, and a case demonstrating the role of professional self-protection in an involuntary commitment decision is presented. Procedural modifications in the commitment process are proposed as a means of protecting patients' civil liberties.
