To determine state psychiatric hospitals' responses to sexual behavior
among inpatients, the authors sent a questionnaire to the directors of 86
state facilities. Eighty-eight percent of the 57 respondents considered
sexual behavior to be a clinical problem. Most had a policy addressing
sexual activities among patients, and 75 percent had psychoeducational
programs. Although most of the hospitals that responded to the survey
recognized the clinical and ethical issues associated with patients'
sexuality, greater acknowledgement of these issues and sharing of
information could promote the formulation of broader regional or national
guidelines.
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