Is forced treatment in our outpatients’ best interests?

Until we have shown that it is the "forced" part of AOT that leads to better outcomes, we need to more vigorously address the issue of patient satisfaction, and figure why our treatments – ones that don’t always work and sometimes are toxic – are not palatable to the patients they are intended to help. Until we go there, perhaps we should tread carefully when it comes to curtailing the civil rights of those with any type of illness.

Dr. Miller is a coauthor of "Shrink Rap: Three Psychiatrists Explain Their Work" (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2011).