Indochinese Patients in the Civil Commitment Process

Abstract

This paper examines in detail the involvement of a group of Indochinese patients in the Oregon Civil Commitment process in the calendar years of 1985 and 1986. The authors found that there was no apparent difference in the rate of commitment as contrasted to the overall commitment rate of the general population. The results also indicated that there was heavy reliance on the Indochinese Psychiatric Program and staff to divert the involuntary Indochinese patients out of the commitment process. Furthermore, comparing the involuntary Indochinese patients to a randomly selected cohort of lndochinese patients hospitalized in the same period revealed no differences in demographic data, diagnosis, and treatment history except that the involuntary group was significantly younger and predominantly male. Finally, the follow-up study of the two cohorts showed high rates of hospitalization, noncompliance, and treatment drop-out.