Arch Gen Psychiat
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Comparative Study
A comparison of voluntary and committed psychiatric patients.
This study compares a set of voluntary and committed patients. At the time of hospitalization, the committed patients had fewer social and economic resources and more serious impairments. ⋯ Both types of patients experienced some improvement following hospitalization in their instrumental roles, and a very discernible improvement in their interpersonal roles. As the very slight differences between the two types of patients tended to favor the committed patients it seems quite clear that the commitment process did not have long detrimental effects.