A survey of patients leaving a mental hospital against medical advice.

A consecutive series of 100 male psychiatric patients who requested release against medical advice during an 11-month period was compared with a control group consisting of a random sample of 100 patients admitted during the same period who did not submit such a request. The majority of those who submitted the request were alcoholics or schizophrenics. The authors found that a sizable number were either separated or divorced, were younger than patients in the control group, and were in more turbulent phases of their illness. A surprising finding was that 60 patients submitted the request while on an open ward.