How, if ever, should psychiatric patients be solicited for charitable donations?

We recently received correspondence from David V. Forrest, M.D., a member of our Editorial Board, in which a solution is suggested to the problem of soliciting charitable contributions from our patients. This suggestion emerged from a meeting of minds at Columbia’s Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Forrest was interested in our soliciting comments from Board members and others who became aware of the matter. –D.H.I.