PSYC 235 Lecture Notes - Insanity Defense, Involuntary Commitment, Intellectual Disability
Document Summary
Must be judged to be insane at the time of the act (not realistic usually month later) Laws to address legal declaration of mental illness. Can a person be placed in hospital. Civil commitment derives from the parens patria perspective, where the state is viewed as the parent of those who can"t care for themselves. The person must: be mentally ill, be in need of tx, pose danger or threat to the safety of himself or others. Mental illness as a concept in civil commitment proceedings. Definition: legal concept referring to severe thoughts or behavioural disturbances: not synonymous with mental disorders defined by dsm, intellectual disability (mental retardation( and substance-related disorders are often excluded.