Van Staden, C.W. (Werdie)2008-01-302008-01-302007-02Van Staden, CW 2007, 'Can involuntarily admitted patients give informed consent to participation in research?', South African Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 10-12. [http://www.hmpg.co.za/journaldetail.php?journalno=4]1608-9685http://hdl.handle.net/2263/4319The article argues that a functional approach is ethically better than a categorical approach in deciding whether involuntarily admitted patients have the capacity to give informed consent to participation in research. Congruent with current South African laws, a functional approach requires that a patient's capacity to give informed consent to participation in research should be assessed clinically rather than assumed by virtue of his / her belonging to a category of legal admission status. Concerns about protection against exploitation may cause a categorical approach to appear attractive, but these concerns can be addressed deliberately through a functional approach without attracting the infringements of rights and entitlements of patients that are brought about by a categorical approach.111523 bytesapplication/pdfenHealth and Medical Publishing GroupInformed consentResearch participationInvoluntary submitted patientsFunctional approachPatient ApproachCategorical approachEthicsMedicine--ResearchInformed consent (Medical law)Medical ethicsArticle