The dangerousness criterion for civil commitment fails to specify which mental disorders justify commitment. This ambiguity is highlighted by the fact that there are patients with personality disorders or substance abuse who may be dangerous but for whom we have few effective treatments. A possible solution might be provided by adopting the American Psychiatric Association guidelines which consider severity of mental disorder and treatability in its criteria.
Notes
Comment In: Can J Psychiatry. 1991 Jun;36(5):3881884343
The frame of psychotherapy shows both universality and social relativity. Since the intrapsychic world is permeable to social reality, the meaning of insurance in psychotherapy depends on context. Experience with Canadian National Health Insurance suggests that when no-fee psychotherapy in normative, it is absorbed in the frame. There are still trouble spots in the Canadian system, particularly the management of missed sessions. Depending on the needs of the patient, charging for missed sessions can disrupt therapy entirely or be constructive for the treatment.
