Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2026
06:52
Assessment of Dependence in Activities of Daily Living Among Older Patients in an Acute Care Unit
Published on: September 30, 2020
[Differing opinion about severe social breakdown and self-neglect determine compulsory admission]
1Onderzoekcentrum O3, Erasmus MC, p.a Westersingel 93, 105 LC Rotterdam. c.l.mulder@erasmusmc.nl
Tijdschrift Voor Psychiatrie
|May 22, 2008
Summary
Psychiatric hospital admissions in the Netherlands rely on poorly defined
Area of Science:
- Legal Medicine
- Psychiatry
Background:
- The Dutch 'Exceptional Admissions to Psychiatric Hospitals' act uses 'social breakdown' and 'self-neglect' as criteria for compulsory admission.
- These terms lack precise legal and clinical definitions.
Observation:
- Analysis of two patient cases revealed discrepancies in how psychiatrists and judges interpret 'danger' criteria.
- Interpretations varied based on individual perspectives and biases.
Findings:
- The subjective interpretation of 'danger' criteria by legal and medical professionals leads to inconsistent application.
- This inconsistency results in legal inequalities for patients facing psychiatric hospitalization.
Implications:
- There is a critical need for clearer definitions of 'social breakdown' and 'self-neglect' within the relevant legislation.
- Improved definitions would ensure more equitable and predictable application of psychiatric admission laws.
Related Concept Videos
01:19Restorative Care
Restorative care is provided once a patient has been discharged from a healthcare facility and requires additional services. The additional services include home care, rehabilitation programs, and extended care. Restorative care centers help the patient regain their previous level of functioning or acquire a new level of functioning due to the incapacitating effects of a disease or a disability. It aims to assist patients in enhancing their quality of life by encouraging independence,...
01:27Horney's Sociocultural Approach
Karen Horney's psychoanalytic theories emphasize the potential for self-realization and the importance of addressing social and cultural, rather than biological, factors in personality development. She challenged traditional Freudian views, particularly Freud's concept of "penis envy," which she argued stemmed from cultural influences rather than inherent biological differences. Horney believed that any sense of inferiority in women was a result of societal conditioning, such as dependence on...
01:38Cognitive Dissonance
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
01:08Obedience
According to obedience research, we may harm others under the forceful pressures of an authority figure (Milgram, 1974). How about if the inappropriate orders were delivered with less force? The increasing interdependence between nurses and physicians compelled Hofling and his colleagues to explore nurses’ reactions to a potentially harmful medical request made by the perceived authority figure, the doctor (Hofling, Brotzman, Dalrymple, Graves, & Pierce, 1966). In this situation, obedience...
02:45Self-Discrepancy Theory
One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.
01:30Specialized Care Centers and Settings-II
Rural Health Centers
Rural health centers are specialized care facilities in remote locations with very few medical personnel. The primary care providers who run the centers are mostly Registered Nurse Practitioners. Here, emergency treatment is provided to critically ill or injured patients before they are transferred to the closest hospital. Fortunately, due to advancement in technology, many rural healthcare facilities and professionals have easy access to diagnostic and treatment...
Rural health centers are specialized care facilities in remote locations with very few medical personnel. The primary care providers who run the centers are mostly Registered Nurse Practitioners. Here, emergency treatment is provided to critically ill or injured patients before they are transferred to the closest hospital. Fortunately, due to advancement in technology, many rural healthcare facilities and professionals have easy access to diagnostic and treatment...