RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The case against outpatient commitment
JF Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online
JO J Am Acad Psychiatry Law
FD American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law
SP 165
OP 170
VO 28
IS 2
A1 MA Hoge
A1 E Grottole
YR 2000
UL http://jaapl.org/content/28/2/165.abstract
AB Among individuals with severe mental illness, a small proportion commit violent acts. Since these individuals are often not engaged in ambulatory treatment, there has been a move in the states to legislate and implement outpatient commitment programs. The American Psychiatric Association Council on Psychiatry and Law has issued a Resource Document that supports the use of mandatory outpatient treatment. The purpose of this article is to challenge the logic and legitimacy of using the courts to force treatment compliance of individuals who are neither incompetent by legal standards nor at imminent risk of harming themselves or others.