{"title":"Complexities of competency and informed consent as applied to individuals with symptoms of Anosognosia.","authors":"Nina M Labovich","doi":"10.1017/S109285292400227X","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Anosognosia, commonly understood as a lack of insight, renders individuals with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder unable to understand that they are living with a disease, often resulting in a refusal to accept treatment. Typically, to impose involuntary commitment in an effort to obtain treatment, an individual must be a danger to others or themselves. Even if involuntary commitment is imposed, however, an individual may remain competent to refuse <i>medication</i>-despite symptoms of anosognosia and an inability to understand that they are ill. This article examines the existing legal theories of competency and informed consent and proposes a statutory definition of competency that encompasses the specific needs of people with anosognosia, while considering the significant interests at stake when taking away an individual's right to choose or refuse treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":10505,"journal":{"name":"CNS Spectrums","volume":"30 1","pages":"e28"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"CNS Spectrums","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S109285292400227X","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"CLINICAL NEUROLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Anosognosia, commonly understood as a lack of insight, renders individuals with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder unable to understand that they are living with a disease, often resulting in a refusal to accept treatment. Typically, to impose involuntary commitment in an effort to obtain treatment, an individual must be a danger to others or themselves. Even if involuntary commitment is imposed, however, an individual may remain competent to refuse medication-despite symptoms of anosognosia and an inability to understand that they are ill. This article examines the existing legal theories of competency and informed consent and proposes a statutory definition of competency that encompasses the specific needs of people with anosognosia, while considering the significant interests at stake when taking away an individual's right to choose or refuse treatment.
期刊介绍:
CNS Spectrums covers all aspects of the clinical neurosciences, neurotherapeutics, and neuropsychopharmacology, particularly those pertinent to the clinician and clinical investigator. The journal features focused, in-depth reviews, perspectives, and original research articles. New therapeutics of all types in psychiatry, mental health, and neurology are emphasized, especially first in man studies, proof of concept studies, and translational basic neuroscience studies. Subject coverage spans the full spectrum of neuropsychiatry, focusing on those crossing traditional boundaries between neurology and psychiatry.