Overturning involuntary commitments at a psychiatric hospital in New York State: implications for the societal reaction model

Abstract

Abstract 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. Copyright © 1985, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved