Conservatorship: an involuntary legal status for 'gravely disabled' mentally disordered persons

Since 1969 in California, conservatorship has been the only form of civil, longterm involuntary psychiatric legal process. It does not require hospital-based treatment. This paper reports a preliminary study of this process through a retrospective analysis of conservatorship records in Sacramento County, California, from 1969 through 1976. There is a steady overall increase in the incidence of conservatorships each year. A dramatic decrease in state hospital admissions preceded this increase. Referrals were predominantly (69 percent) from the private sector. Once the first legal step was taken 87 percent of the patients completed the process and were placed on full conservatorship. Median age was 50; 52 percent were male and 90 percent were white. The relative proportion of single persons was high (45 percent). Diagnoses of schizophrenia and organic brain syndrome accounted for 86 percent of conservatees. About half (52 percent) terminate conservatorship after one year. No data were found which could be related to the character of treatment of conservatees. Future research in this area is urgently needed.