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Overturning involuntary commitments at a psychiatric hospital in New York State: implications for the societal reaction model
Author(s) -
Mestrovic Stjepan G.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
sociology of health and illness
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1467-9566
pISSN - 0141-9889
DOI - 10.1111/1467-9566.ep10830559
Subject(s) - discretion , state (computer science) , context (archaeology) , involuntary commitment , portrait , state hospital , law , psychiatry , psychology , sociology , political science , mental health , history , archaeology , algorithm , computer science , art history
The revised commitment laws in the United States in general and in New York State in particular are reviewed to show that dangerousness is not the paramount criterion for commitment and that expanded discretion granted to admitting officials is the essence of the new laws. A qualitative portrait of psychiatric admission in the context of the new laws is offered followed by a discussion of implications for the societal reaction model.