Britney Spears has been discharged from hospital in Los Angeles, E! News reported, citing a well-known TV therapist who said he had spent an hour with the troubled singer.

Dr Phil McGraw said he was convinced she was "in dire need of both medical and psychological intervention".

Shortly after her admittance via ambulance just after midnight Thursday, the singer was placed on a "5150 hold," meaning medical workers had determined she posed a danger either to herself or others. As a result, she was to be held for 72 hours, during which time she was to undergo a battery of physical and psychological tests.

However, medical officials have the authority to lift the hold at any time during a patient's stay, should they be determined to no longer pose a threat. Spears' early release indicates she was granted the medical and psychological all-clear.

"My meeting with Britney and some family members this morning in her room at Cedars leaves me convinced more than ever that she is in dire need of both medical and psychological intervention," Dr McGraw, who hosts a self-titled programme about health and relationships, told Entertainment Tonight, adding that his being at the hospital when she was released was merely coincidence.

"She was released moments before my arrival and was packing when I entered the room. We visited for about an hour before I walked with her to her car."

Spears is now back at her Studio City home with father Jamie Spears.