Involuntary Commitment, Part 1

In this video, I address involuntary psychiatric commitment in its current state. The topic may be of particular importance as the rates of such involuntary commitment appear to be on the rise in recent years. However, the data available is incomplete, highlighting issues with how this state intervention is reported. Such commitment is also influenced by psychiatric expertise, an influence which has been known for decades to be problematic, especially when it comes to predictions of dangerousness. Individuals designated as mentally ill may also be subject to incarceration, even by simple psychiatric determination that they might benefit from treatment. Research further suggests that such involuntary commitment, when it is perceived as coerced, and perhaps even psychiatric hospitalization more generally, increases, not decreases, risk of suicide after hospitalization. Given the implications, at absolute minimum, the involuntary commitment numbers should be properly reported. The lack of transparency on this issue, given the history of the mental health industry, is quite disturbing.