Voluntary "involuntary" commitment--the briar-patch syndrome.
Szasz and others have pointed out that many so-called voluntary admissions to mental hospitals have various elements of coercion involved, and are thus not truly voluntary. The author contends that the converse situation is also true, that many patients admitted under involuntary commitment papers arrange for their own commitments. Reasons for such choices are discussed in the context of a review of the literature and several case histories.
D000328:Adult; D003134:Commitment of Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D005260:Female; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation; D028642:Persons with Psychiatric Disorders; D008875:Middle Aged