Effects of temporary psychiatric holds on length of stay and readmission risk among persons admitted for psychotic disorders

The practice of involuntary psychiatric commitment is central to the acute treatment of persons with severe mental illness and others in psychiatric crisis. Deciding whether a patient should be admitted involuntarily requires weighing respect for autonomy against beneficence, considering the clinical needs of the patient, and navigating ambiguous legal standards. The relative dearth of information […]

When The Hospital Fires the Bullet….

The 2/13/16 New York Times article “When the Hospital Fires the Bullet” tells the truly incredible story of a Houston college student who had never been in trouble and was admitted to a local inpatient psychiatric facility for symptoms of the manic phase of his bipolar disorder. In an effort to subdue this student’s classically […]

How to Halt the Violence

On the August 29, 2015 New York Times op ed page, Jeffrey Lieberman, MD, Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, wrote an op-ed article entitled “How to Halt the Violence.” It is a superb effort to address head on the pointless 24 hour news cycle hand wringing […]