Abstract
Committed and voluntary patients were interviewed about their experience of psychiatric care. They were interviewed twice: at discharge or 3 weeks after admission and 4-8 months later. Only a few of the patients thought that they should not have been admitted, but many of them thought they had been admitted too late and discharged too early. Sixty-five per cent of the committed patients and 35% of the voluntary patients understood that they had been subjected to compulsory procedures. The law states that the patients must take part in the planning of the treatment concerning themselves; even so, half of them had the feeling of not being allowed to do so. Only 40% of the patients would like to receive the same treatment again. At the second interview 85% of the committed patients stated that it is necessary to have an opportunity to command people and that doctors are very well adapted to make the decision. Only 4% thought that a lawyer should decide.