PSY BEH 102C Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Parens Patriae, Insanity Defense, Involuntary Commitment
12 Mar 2019
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Document Summary
Managing care for people with serious mental illness requires a balance between several things: These factors may be difficult to determine or at odds. Person has a mental illness and needs treatment. Person is dangerous to self or others. Grave disability - inability to care for self. Police power - health, welfare, and safety of society. Parens patriae - state acts as a surrogate parent (ex: a person receives care to prevent them from being in danger) Some mental disorders are often not considered mental illness by law. The concept of mental illness in civil commitment proceedings. Assessing dangerousness - role of mental health professionals. Misconception that people with mental illness are much more likely to be dangerous - perpetuated by media portrayals. Ethnic minorities more likely to be seen as dangerous. The vast majority of people with mental illness are not dangerous.
