Patient privacy and confidentiality at mental health centers

The authors studied potential violations by mental health centers of individuals' rights to privacy and confidentiality by sending questionnaires to state directors of mental health programs and to mental health centers in all the 50 United States and its teritories. The questionnaires assessed the extent to which information that could identify a patient is reported to state offices; it also addressed issues of mental health center discretion in reporting information, the life span of patient files, and the access of outside agencies to mental health center files. The authors conclude that legislative action prohibiting the reporting of identifying information appears desirable.