I did not attend this conference and do not know where Mr. Torrey's "statistics & research" was derived from, however, as a mental health advocate for 5 years now, I can tell you that there was a 1998 MacArthur Foundation study done which showed that the "mentally ill" are no more violent than the general public (the only exception being when alcohol & drugs are also abused and then incidents statistically increase, the SAME as for the "general public"). Mr. Torrey & TAC have falsely claimed in the past that "over 1,000 murders a year are committed by Americans with severe mental illnesses", but in reality, a study has shown that the "mentally ill" are 2 1/2 times more likely to be the VICTIMS of violence. How can Mr. Torrey & TAC make such false claims in the
face of actual statistical evidence? This would suggest, to me, some sort of 'hidden agenda' which one can only speculate about. Facts remain facts, however, and thus it has been proven that Mr. Torrey & TAC's claims are completely false.

Another of Mr. Torrey/TAC's arguments is that many patients reject services and are therefore "noncompliant". "Noncompliance" is simply a euphemism used to indicate that a person may be "uncooperative"; when choices are termed in this way, it only serves to expose how the free will, civil/human rights and dignity of an individual are being completely discounted and disregarded. This demonstrates how psychiatric services are not simply viewed as a possible personal medical choice or decision, for if an individual decides for themselves not to seek a particular psychiatric/medical treatment they are then labeled as 'noncompliant'. What treatment one chooses (or not) for his/her own body/mind/soul or any medical condition is certainly one's God given right to choose. It would appear that Mr. Torrey & TAC's reasoning, therefore, consists of the concept(s) of 'forced treatment', something completely UNacceptable and UNthinkable in every other area of medicine. Arguments used to back up this distorted reasoning serve only to induce fear into an already frightened public, yet, while the statistics and research have repeatedly proven that the "mentally ill" are actually LESS violent than the general population and forced treatment simply does not work as well as 'free treatment choices'. Mr. Torrey & TAC would benefit greatly by reviewing the actual research that has proven their claims to be false.

Finally, there was yet another study done assessing the NYC Involuntary Outpatient Commitment Pilot Program by Steadman, Gounis & Dennis, et al, conducted at Bellevue Hospital in the 1990's, which studied the question of "forced treatment vs. better access to services". The study compared two matched groups of people both with enhanced services but only one with court orders. It found that better acess to services reduced hospitalizations, but court orders added nothing in terms of individual's staying with treatment, symptoms, functioning, frequency of hospitalization, arrest, quality of life, etc. This suggests that better access and/or enhanced services, NOT forced treatment are the most beneficial to individuals.