The Adequacy of Commitment Evaluations Performed by Psychiatric and Non-psychiatric Physicians

An examination of 200 involuntarily committed adult psychiatric patients to a state mental hospital revealed that 82% were evaluated by psychiatrists and 18% by non-psychiatric physicians. Seventy-eight percent of the evaluations were done in one of the facilities belonging to the public mental health care system. Ninety-four point five percent of the psychiatric evaluations provided adequate evidence of mental illness and dangerousness, as compared to 55.6% of the non-psychiatric evaluations. Only 9% of the evaluations provided necessary medical information as requested on the form. These data are contrasted with other studies which have been highly critical of the performance of physicians in the commitment process.