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> Most psych facilities are over-enrolled and have no interest in keeping people around once they're stable enough to be released - which is a far cry from havi

> Most psych facilities are over-enrolled and have no interest in keeping people around once they're stable enough to be released - which is a far cry from having healed or become functioning members of society. The problem of wrongful involuntary commitment (especially for insurance fraud reasons) is more rampant and widespread than one might initially guess. Here is a good paper on it: http://wayneramsay.com/unjustified.htm http://wayneramsay.com/unjustified.htm

Talanes 6y ago
I've only skimmed the paper at present, but are all of their examples based around minors being involuntarily committed by their parents? Because that seems like a separate, if related, issue.
- imperio59 6y ago
  See the article at the bottom of my original comment for the Buzzfeed investigation into UnitedHealthCare psych wards. That was targeting adults, not children. However, involuntary commitment of children (and subsequent rape too many of the girls who end up there, tragically) is a huge problem. Look up abuses of the "Baker Act" in Florida for example.
  - MertsA 6y ago
    >Look up abuses of the "Baker Act" in Florida for example. I have a friend who was involuntarily committed under the Baker act when she was in 9th grade. She was never suicidal, never threatened anyone, and was held for 2 days to evaluate her. A bully lied and claimed my friend made suicidal statements and thought it would be hilarious to tell the school administration that they were "concerned for another student". Rather than just a call to her parents and a long chat with a guidance counselor the school administration decided that clearly she was just lying and even though she denied everything and never showed any indication to any of them that she was a risk to herself or others they had her committed. The bully that lied to the school administration even went on to brag about doing it. I think the real travesty here is that misuse is completely unchecked and the timeframe is absurd. If someone is being held against their will, without commiting a crime, why on earth is it considered fine to just hold them for days at a time before even being evaluated by a mental health professional? They already have to transport them to a mental health treatment center so why can't hospitals figure out an on call schedule for psychiatrists? It's a farce that the standard of proof is so low supposedly in the name of safety and urgency and yet even while the situation is urgent enough to hold someone against their will it's not urgent enough to get a psychiatrist on the phone on a Sunday.
  - lostphilosopher 6y ago
    That article is about Universal Health Services (UHS) not UnitedHealth Care (UHC). UHS is not a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group (UHG) UHC is.

Talanes 6y ago

I've only skimmed the paper at present, but are all of their examples based around minors being involuntarily committed by their parents? Because that seems like a separate, if related, issue.

imperio59 6y ago
See the article at the bottom of my original comment for the Buzzfeed investigation into UnitedHealthCare psych wards. That was targeting adults, not children. However, involuntary commitment of children (and subsequent rape too many of the girls who end up there, tragically) is a huge problem. Look up abuses of the "Baker Act" in Florida for example.
- MertsA 6y ago
  >Look up abuses of the "Baker Act" in Florida for example. I have a friend who was involuntarily committed under the Baker act when she was in 9th grade. She was never suicidal, never threatened anyone, and was held for 2 days to evaluate her. A bully lied and claimed my friend made suicidal statements and thought it would be hilarious to tell the school administration that they were "concerned for another student". Rather than just a call to her parents and a long chat with a guidance counselor the school administration decided that clearly she was just lying and even though she denied everything and never showed any indication to any of them that she was a risk to herself or others they had her committed. The bully that lied to the school administration even went on to brag about doing it. I think the real travesty here is that misuse is completely unchecked and the timeframe is absurd. If someone is being held against their will, without commiting a crime, why on earth is it considered fine to just hold them for days at a time before even being evaluated by a mental health professional? They already have to transport them to a mental health treatment center so why can't hospitals figure out an on call schedule for psychiatrists? It's a farce that the standard of proof is so low supposedly in the name of safety and urgency and yet even while the situation is urgent enough to hold someone against their will it's not urgent enough to get a psychiatrist on the phone on a Sunday.
- lostphilosopher 6y ago
  That article is about Universal Health Services (UHS) not UnitedHealth Care (UHC). UHS is not a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group (UHG) UHC is.