Academic Psychiatry 13: 103-105,
June
1989
© 1989 Academic Psychiatry
Residents' Experiences With Legal Issues in Psychiatry
Peter Jenkins M.D.1
1 Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Wales College of Medicine, Whitchurch Hospital, Cardiff CF4 4XN United Kingdom
A group of 103 psychiatric residents at three southern medical schools were surveyed about their experience with legal issues. The survey revealed that 32.3% of respondents had been subpoenaed on a wide range of legal issues, but most concerned child custody. Of those subpoenaed, 71.4% were subpeonaed within the first two years of training. Residents expressed concern about their experiences with the legal system and about the quality of the supervision they received during the legal process. Suggestions for remedying these problems are made.
