Aims and MethodsWe wished to ascertain to what extent patients had given informed consent to their medications. Therefore, 68 long-term psychiatric in-patients were interviewed about their knowledge and attitudes towards their medications.ResultsTwo-thirds of patients did not know the purpose of their medication; one-tenth knew about the side-effects. Longer length of stay, older age and voluntary status were associated with less knowledge. Despite poor knowledge, most patients accepted their treatment. However, few realised that they had any choice.Clinical ImplicationsThe prevalence of true informed consent is low among this group and raises issues about patients' rights.

A number of studies have concluded that dissociative features are common in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The present study aimed to investigate correlates of dissociation in outpatients with chronic PTSD in Scotland. For the purposes of this study, a total of 102 participants completed the Dissociative Experiences Scale, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, and the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale. Information regarding trauma characteristics (i.e., type and presence of physical injury) was also collected. Regression analysis revealed that increased severity and frequency of posttraumatic symptoms, as measured by the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale total, was the only significant predictor of dissociation. In line with previous research, our findings indicate that chronic PTSD symptoms could be contributing to the maintenance of clinical dissociation and vice versa in this sample of Scottish outpatients.