Psychiatrists' Opinions About Involuntary Civil Commitment: Results of a National Survey

Robert A. Brooks

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Table 1

U.S. Psychiatrists, APA Sample Population, and APA Sample, by State

State	Percentage of U.S. Psychiatrists (n)^*	Percentage of APA Sample Population (n)	Percentage of APA Sample (n)
AL	0.75 (298)	0.60 (9)	0.56 (4)
AK	0.16 (63)	0.27 (4)	0.42 (3)
AZ	1.35 (539)	0.60 (9)	0.56 (4)
AR	0.50 (198)	0.74 (11)	0.56 (4)
CA	13.44 (5,352)	7.41 (111)	6.55 (47)
CO	1.67 (667)	1.20 (18)	1.81 (13)
CT	2.46 (981)	2.20 (33)	2.51 (18)
DE	0.25 (101)	0.47 (7)	0.56 (4)
DC	0.93 (370)	1.27 (19)	1.53 (11)
FL	4.53 (1,806)	2.47 (37)	2.23 (16)
GA	2.18 (868)	1.94 (29)	2.09 (15)
HI	0.55 (217)	0.20 (3)	0.14 (1)
ID	0.20 (80)	0.27 (4)	0.56 (4)
IL	3.87 (1,540)	6.81 (102)	5.85 (42)
IN	1.22 (486)	2.27 (34)	1.81 (13)
IA	0.51 (205)	1.20 (18)	1.81 (13)
KS	0.82 (328)	0.74 (11)	0.70 (5)
KY	0.98 (392)	1.00 (15)	0.97 (7)
LA	1.29 (514)	0.93 (14)	0.70 (5)
ME	0.52 (209)	0.60 (9)	0.70 (5)
MD	3.43 (1,366)	4.81 (72)	5.29 (38)
MA	5.18 (2,063)	7.28 (109)	6.69 (48)
MI	2.87 (1,143)	2.27 (34)	2.65 (19)
MN	1.32 (526)	3.14 (47)	2.92 (21)
MS	0.43 (171)	0.40 (6)	0.56 (4)
MO	1.41 (560)	1.27 (19)	0.84 (6)
MT	0.20 (76)	0.20 (3)	0.28 (2)
NE	0.38 (151)	0.67 (10)	0.84 (6)
NV	0.34 (134)	0.27 (4)	0.28 (2)
NH	0.53 (212)	1.13 (20)	1.39 (10)
NJ	3.53 (1,405)	2.94 (44)	2.51 (18)
NM	0.63 (249)	0.13 (2)	0.00 (0)
NY	14.44 (5,750)	8.41 (126)	7.80 (56)
NC	2.45 (974)	5.01 (75)	5.33 (38)
ND	0.18 (71)	0.53 (8)	0.56 (4)
OH	2.88 (1,147)	4.54 (68)	4.87 (35)
OK	0.66 (262)	0.40 (6)	0.56 (4)
OR	1.06 (424)	0.93 (14)	1.25 (9)
PA	5.09 (2,026)	5.27 (79)	5.57 (40)
RI	0.53 (213)	0.93 (14)	0.97 (7)
SC	1.14 (453)	2.14 (32)	2.79 (20)
SD	0.12 (49)	0.13 (2)	0.14 (1)
TN	1.34 (535)	1.07 (16)	0.97 (7)
TX	4.71 (1,877)	3.54 (53)	2.65 (19)
UT	0.48 (192)	0.53 (8)	0.56 (4)
VT	0.37 (149)	0.87 (13)	0.97 (7)
VA	2.31 (920)	2.94 (44)	2.51 (18)
WA	1.84 (731)	2.07 (31)	2.51 (18)
WV	0.38 (152)	0.53 (8)	0.97 (7)
WI	1.48 (590)	2.23 (34)	2.23 (16)
WY	0.10 (40)	0.00 (0)	0.00 (0)
Total	99.99 (39,825)	99.77 (1,498)	99.38 (718)

Data are percentages. Columns do not total to 100% due to rounding.
* Data were computed using a 1999 estimate of psychiatrists per capita per state from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,²⁴ and U.S. population in 2000 from U.S. Census Bureau.²⁵

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Table 2

Combined Cross-Tabulations Showing Respondents' Acccuracy With Respect to Five Grounds for Commitment

State Law Status in 2001	Believes the Ground Is the Law	Believes the Ground Is Not the Law	Total (n)
Grave disability is grounds^*	70.7	29.3	100.0 (690)
Grave disability is not grounds^*	61.5	38.5	100.0 (13)
Relapse is grounds^†	19.0	81.0	100.0 (116)
Relapse is not grounds^†	9.4	90.6	100.0 (586)
Sexual predator status is grounds^‡	11.3	88.7	100.0 (320)
Sexual predator status is not grounds^‡	4.2	95.8	100.0 (382)
Alcohol addiction is grounds^§	37.2	62.8	100.0 (86)
Alcohol addiction is not grounds^§	10.0	90.0	100.0 (617)
Drug addiction is grounds^‖	20.0	80.0	100.0 (145)
Drug addiction is not grounds^‖	9.0	91.0	100.0 (558)

* Pearson χ² = 0.518, p = 0.472; Goodman-Kruskal gamma = 0.203 (Several cells were sparse, and so the χ² statistic is suspect).
† Pearson χ² = 9.100, p = 0.003; Goodman-Kruskal γ = 0.386.
‡ Pearson χ² = 12.660, p < 0.0001; Goodman-Kruskal γ = 0.487.
§ Pearsonχ² = 48.070, p < 0.0001; Goodman-Kruskal γ = 0.683.
‖ Pearson χ² = 14.062, p < 0.0001; Goodman-Kruskal γ = 0.435.