SOCIETAL REACTION TO DEVIANCE - ASCRIPTIVE ELEMENTS IN THE PSYCHIATRIC SCREENING OF MENTAL PATIENTS IN A MIDWESTERN STATE (FROM READINGS IN DEVIANT BEHAVIOR, 1973 BY DENZEL E BENSON - SEE NCJ-25001)

• NCJ Number: 25003
• Author(s): T J SCHEFF
• Date Published: 1973
• Length: 12 pages
• Corporate Author: MSS Information Corporation
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

AN EXPLORATION OF THE SCREENING PROCESS FOR PATIENTS ADMITTED TO PUBLIC MENTAL HOSPITALS IN A MIDWESTERN STATE, UNDERTAKEN TO DETERMINE TO WHAT EXTENT ENTRY TO THE STATUS OF MENTAL PAITENT IS INDEPENDANT OF BEHAVIOR.

Abstract

THE EXTENT OF UNCERTAINTY THAT EXISTS CONCERNING NEW PATIENTS' QUALIFICATION FOR INVOLUNTARY CONFINEMENT IN A MENTAL HOSPITAL, AND THE REACTIONS OF THE COURTS TO THIS TYPE OF UNCERTAINTY. THE DATA UPON WHICH THIS REPORT IS BASED WERE DRAWN FROM PSYCHIATRISTS' RATINGS OF A SAMPLE OF 223 PATIENTS NEWLY ADMITTED TO THE PUBLIC MENTAL HOSPITALS IN A MIDWESTERN STATE, OFFICIAL COURT RECORDS, INTERVIEWS WITH COURT OFFICIALS AND PSYCHIATRISTS, AND OBSERVATIONS OF PSYCHIATRIC EXAMINATIONS IN FOUR COURTS. THE DATA PRESENTED SUGGEST THAT THE SCREENING IS USUALLY PERFUNCTORY, AND THAT IN THE CRUCIAL SCREENING EXAMINATION BY THE COURT-APPOINTED PSYCHIATRISTS, THERE IS A PRESUMPTION OF ILLNESS. SINCE MOST COURT DECISIONS APPEAR TO HINGE ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THESE PSYCHIATRISTS, THERE APPEARS TO BE A LARGE ELEMENT OF STATUS ASCRIPTION IN THE OFFICIAL SOCIETAL REACTION TO PERSONS ALLEGED TO BE MENTALLY ILL, AS EXEMPLIFIED BY THE COURT'S ACTIONS. THIS FINDING POINTS TO THE IMPORTANCE OF LAY DEFINITIONS OF MENTAL ILLNESS IN THE COMMUNITY, SINCE THE 'DIAGNOSIS' OF MENTAL ILLNESS BY LAYMEN IN THE COMMUNITY INITIATES THE OFFICIAL SOCIETAL REACTION, AND TO THE NECESSITY OF ANALYZING SOCIAL PROCESSES CONNECTED WITH THE RECOGNITION AND REACTION TO THE DEVIANT BEHAVIOR THAT IS CALLED MENTAL ILLNESS IN OUR SOCIETY. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)