Involuntary hospitalization in Canadian psychiatric inpatient facilities, 1970-1978

This study is concerned with providing quantitative information on involuntary hospitalization of the mentally ill in Canada. It presents national statistical data on involuntary hospitalization to provincial mental and psychiatric hospitals, and psychiatric units of general hospitals for the period 1970-1978. The data used are based on the statistical information on psychiatric inpatients collected by the Mental Health Program of Statistics Canada for the period 1970-1978. The data indicate a moderate decline in involuntary admission rates. Men had consistently higher involuntary admission rates and women had consistently higher voluntary admission rates for the same period. Of the total commitments 22% were to psychiatric units of general hospitals. A high commitment rate was found for the elderly. As this is the first national quantitative analysis, both in Canada and in the international literature, the information presented should provide a useful objective perspective for a historical review of involuntary admissions to mental and psychiatric hospitals and psychiatric units of general hospitals.