Volitional Disability and Physician Attitudes Toward Noncompliance

Abstract

Noncompliant patients may elicit negative feelings in their physicians which interfere with good patient care. The authors identify a subclass of these patients whom they characterize as having a volitional disability. Such patients behave in ways that are harmful to themselves in spite of their desire to do otherwise; their behavior can thus be described as intentional but 'unvoluntary'. After developing the theoretical concept of volitional disability, the authors apply it to clinical examples of phobic, compulsive, and addictive disorders, as well as to some forms of noncompliant patient behavior. (KIE abstract)