Involuntary hospitalization due to mental illness in Australia?

Question

Does anybody know what criteria a person has to fill in order to be involuntarily hospitalizated due to a mental disorder in Australia? ie, what criteria would a depressed person have to fufill to be involuntarily held.

Answer 1

As a few people have said the major criteria for a person to be hospitalized in a mental health unit as a involuntary patient, is due to an acute psychotic episode, because the person is a danger to him/herself and others within the community, or they are self harming.

The Australian Health Act states "involuntary admission" maybe necessary is to;
protect the health and or safety of the individual or of any other person;
protect the individual from self-inflicted harm (this can be serious financial harm, lasting or irreparable harm to important personal relationships, or serious damage to the reputation of the person);
and prevent the person from doing serious harm to property.

The person has refused to, or due to the nature of their illness is unable to, consent to treatment.
It is considered that management via a community-based program will not provide adequate protection for the individual or other persons.

Hope this helps

Answer 2

Risk of being a danger to themselves or others.

However, "danger" can include loss of reputation and it may also include extreme vulnerability to danger from others because of one's current mental state.

Irretrievable illness can also cause one to be scheduled - that means when someone is deeply depressed and potentially suicidal, or psychotic (out of touch with reality); treatment in the community isn't working and their history shows a pattern of decline leading to crises.

At admission, one has to be assessed by a psychiatrist and the patient can only be detained for 72 hours before a magistrate has to decide whether or not the schedule should be upheld.

In all of these matters, people who show these signs alone might not necessarily be scheduled - there can be positive factors that prevent involuntary hospitalization. For example, if carers can guarantee that the person can be medicated and cared for at home; if the patient agrees to admission to a general ward and a local doctor is willing to oversee that. To a large extent clinical judgement determines whether a person will be hospitalized involuntarily.

Answer 3

The person would have to be either a risk to themselves or others to satisfy the criteria for a 'request for assessment'. A person with depression would most likely have to have attempted suicide or have a history of doing so. A psychiatrist or psychiatric registrar would need to assess the person along with a 'recommendation for assessment'. I am explaining things from a Queensland perspective, however there is not a tremendous amount of difference.

Answer 4

In most places, there are three criteria for a person to be subjected to involuntary psychiatric hospitalization, at least one of which must be met. They are (1) that the person must be a danger to himself, and/or (2) a danger to others, and/or (3) gravely disabled, which means unable to formulate or express plans for taking care of himself or herself. This is the case in California, where I live and practice medicine, and the psychiatry books here say the same things as in the British Commonwealth countries.

Answer 5

You'd have to be a danger to yourself or others for involuntary commitment to take place (or a criminal who 'got off' on insanity).

It also requires a court order and the opinion of multiple psychiatrists.

Answer 6

Very depressed confused disorientated with intentions of committing suicide or in any situation that is threatening thier life or anyone elses life.

Answer 7

a danger to yourself or others must be percieved

Answer 8

suicide watch...
basically if they are a harm to themselves or others

Answer 9

They would have to eat their own doo doo, then they will be considered crazy

Answer 10

you can ask a psychiatrist