Key Takeaways
- You can commit someone to a mental hospital against their will if they are a danger to themselves or others.
- Anyone, including friends and family, can request a short-term emergency detention for someone at risk.
Being committed refers to the process of placing someone in an inpatient setting such as a hospital psychiatric unit or a mental hospital. Can you be committed to a psychiatric ward at a medical hospital or a mental hospital against your will? What if you are feeling suicidal?
The short answer is that you can be committed against your will if you meet the criteria set forth by the state in which you live, and every state has civil commitment standards. Here’s what you should know about both short-term emergency detention and long-term mental health commitment.
General, Short-Term Commitment
The process for commitment varies from state to state. Additionally, each state has procedures in place that prevent you from being detained without just cause, such as requirements for medical certification or judicial approval.
There are also time limits on how long you can be held against your will. Who can initiate the process of having you committed varies from state to state as well and depends on the type of commitment being sought.
It’s important to note that there is a significant difference between emergency detention—committing a person for a short period of time—and longer periods of commitment.
Can You Commit Someone If They Are Suicidal?
Suicidal thoughts and feelings, along with the belief that the person is in immediate danger of hurting themselves, would fall under the umbrella of reasons for a short-term commitment or involuntary hospitalization for depression. Other criteria include whether the person can take care of themselves and whether they need treatment for their mental illness.
Some states do not require that a person be in danger of hurting themselves or others, and involuntary hospitalization may still be considered if they are refusing needed treatment for mental illness. The definition of mental illness also varies from state to state.
Reasons for Short-Term Commitment or Involuntary Hospitalization
- Suicidal thoughts and feelings
- Risk of immediate danger in hurting oneself
- Inability to take care of oneself
- A need for mental illness treatment
- A refusal of necessary mental illness treatment
Who Can Make the Request?
A short-term emergency detention, such as detention immediately following a suicide attempt, can generally be requested by anyone who has witnessed the situation that you are in, including friends, family, or the police. Even though almost anyone can initiate the process, most states do require either medical evaluation or court approval in order to ensure that you meet that particular state’s criteria.
The allowed duration of emergency detentions varies from state to state but is most often limited to 72 hours before a civil commitment proceeding must be initiated.
Some states have longer detention periods that can range from four to 10 days.
Can Someone Who Has Been Committed Refuse Treatment?
Commitment is often seen as a way to get someone mental help when they refuse. However, even if a person has been committed through emergency detention, they will not be forced to undergo treatment for their mental illness.
The exception is treatments that are required on an emergency basis and are designed to calm a person or stabilize a medical condition. This does not include medications to specifically treat mental illness, such as administering antidepressants.
To make a person take medications for mental illness or go through therapy, that person would need to be declared incompetent to make their own decisions—a separate process from that of short-term commitment.
How to Get Someone Mental Help When They Refuse
If someone you know needs mental help but refuses, there are strategies that you can use to encourage them to seek treatment. They include:
Building a relationship of trust and support means the other person may be more likely to take your advice. Start small by offering to help them research treatment options and drive them to appointments.
Can You Commit Someone for Long-Term Treatment?
Commitments for longer periods of time generally have more stringent requirements than emergency detention. But, again, there are time limits that cannot be extended without the proper procedures being followed.
The maximum length of a long-term commitment is six to 12 months, depending on the state, after which a reassessment must be made before the commitment is extended.
To learn more about your state’s laws regarding involuntary commitment, contact your local Department of Health and Human Services or Community Mental Health.
Hospitalization for Depression
When talking about “commitment,” it might sound like a prison sentence. But in actuality, when commitment is considered, the goal is to help a person, not punish or restrict their rights as a human being.
Talk of commitment usually demonstrates compassion and consideration for the safety and well-being of the person in need of help. Certainly, this is not always the case, and this is where the involvement of a medical professional or judicial approval is important.
Severe depression is, unfortunately, far too common. And for some, being hospitalized for depression may be the best step in getting help before making decisions they could later regret. While in the hospital, a person who is depressed will have the opportunity to meet with a psychiatrist, psychologist, or social worker and participate in individual therapy and/or group therapy.
Emergency detention for people with severe mental illness is associated with a lower mortality rate (fewer deaths) and an improvement in the quality of life for those who are committed.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Civil commitment and the mental health care continuum: Historical trends and principles for law and practice.
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Johnson JM, Stern TA. Involuntary hospitalization of primary care patients. Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2014;16(3):PCC.13f01613. doi:10.4088/PCC.13f01613
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Hedman LC, Petrila J, Fisher WH, Swanson JW, Dingman DA, Burris S. State laws on emergency holds for mental health stabilization. Psychiatric Serv. 2016;67(5):529-535. doi:10.1176/appi.ps.201500205
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Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. A practical guide to psychiatric advance directives.
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Saya A, Brugnoli C, Piazzi G, et al. Criteria, procedures, and future prospects of involuntary treatment in psychiatry around the world: a narrative review. Front Psychiatry. 2019;10:271. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00271
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Schölin L, Tucker Z, Chopra A, Borschmann R, McKay C. Detention of children and adolescents under mental health legislation: a scoping review of prevalence, risk factors, and legal frameworks. BMC Pediatr. 2024;24:12. doi:10.1186/s12887-023-04464-6
Additional Reading
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Ravesteijn B, Schachar EB, Beekman ATF, Janssen RTJM, Jeurissen PPT. Association of cost sharing with mental health care use, involuntary commitment, and acute care. JAMA Psychiatry. 2017;74(9):932-939. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.1847
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Segal SP, Hayes SL, Rimes L. The utility of outpatient commitment: II. Mortality risk and protecting health, safety, and quality of life. Psychiatr Serv. 2017;68(12):1255-1261. doi:10.1176/appi.ps.201600164
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