A clinical study of competency in psychiatric inpatients

Bull Am Acad Psychiatry Law. 1996;24(4):505-11.

Abstract

A 15-item questionnaire used to evaluate competency to consent to psychiatric hospitalization was validated using a blind forensic psychiatric interview. The statistical correlation was excellent with p < .001. The questionnaire also correlated highly with the Mini-Mental State exam (p < .05), the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (p < .05), and the Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised vocabulary subtest (p < .01). This questionnaire may be a useful instrument for preliminary screening of psychiatric patients for competency to consent to hospitalization and general psychiatric treatment.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Commitment of Mentally Ill / legislation & jurisprudence*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Informed Consent / legislation & jurisprudence*
  • Male
  • Mental Competency / legislation & jurisprudence*
  • Mental Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Mental Disorders / psychology
  • Mental Status Schedule / statistics & numerical data
  • Mentally Ill Persons*
  • Middle Aged
  • Personality Assessment / statistics & numerical data
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / statistics & numerical data
  • Psychometrics
  • Reproducibility of Results