要約

The progressive features of American psychiatric commitment laws are the embodiment of civil and legal perspectives that continue to transform this nation's perceived responsibility toward the most vulnerable members of society. These judicial standards, which are used by medical professionals to obtain an involuntary psychiatric detention, matured from a contrasting pair of ethical standards, and the approaches taken to carrying out their intended purpose by the states have fluctuated in the face of economic and social factors to create public policies aimed at merging the contradictory ideals of individual choice and societal obligation. These procedures have created an inconsistent system, one that often endangers both patients and the medical professionals responsible for their care and safety. This essay attempts to scrutinize the ethical issues surrounding an involuntary commitment.