Voluntary and involuntary schizophrenic patient admissions on the same general hospital psychiatric unit.

The authors compare a group of voluntary schizophrenics to another group of involuntary schizophrenic patients with regard to their various clinical and management aspects. Both groups had been treated on the same unit, by the same staff, and within the same approximate time period. The involuntary group needed a slightly longer stay, a significantly higher dosage of neuroleptics, and more staff supervision and intervention. The involuntary schizophrenic patients were more likely to be violent, with agitation and destructive behavior, and to require restraints or seclusion.