Civil rights of the mentally III-A review of the issues.

This paper reviews the legal position of persons defined as mentally ill and involuntarily committed to mental hospitals. It suggests that the only certain way to avoid unnecessary losses of civil rights is to prevent the person from being involuntarily committed. This objective may best be achieved by the comprehensive community mental health center with its focus on case finding, early diagnosis, and treatment designed to meet the needs of patients in their own communities. The shortcomings of voluntary admission, statute revision, and representation by counsel as solutions to this problem are discussed. The legal consequences of commitment and incompetence are described.