Involuntary psychiatric detention has been sold to the public as a compassionate act intended to stop people that are experiencing mental health crises from harming themselves or others. Yet, despite mounting evidence that has linked involuntary psychiatric “treatment” to both increased suicide rates and violence, and research showing a lack of efficacy for this type of “care,” many states in the US are currently ramping up psychiatric imprisonment programs.
In 2022, then mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, announced a plan to expand involuntary psychiatric “treatment”. This expansion of psychiatric detention was echoed in 2025 by New York State Governor Kathy Hochul. Oregon has also recently expanded involuntary “care” initiatives, despite experts’ calls for rights-based approaches in mental healthcare. Under the guise of compassion, California has implemented “CARE’ courts, designed to funnel people experiencing mental health crises into voluntary treatment. However, refusal to comply with “voluntary” treatment through these programs can escalate proceedings, leading to psychiatric detention and involuntary “care.” Most troubling, a 2025 executive order directs states to ramp up psychiatric detention.
A new study published in The Lancet Regional Health: Europe adds yet more evidence for potential harms stemming from psychiatric detention. The current work, led by Leoni Grossman from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, finds that people receiving involuntary psychiatric “treatment” are significantly more likely to commit suicide compared to both the general population and those receiving voluntary psychiatric care. Additionally, the current research finds that people dying from suicide were more often younger, male, single, and diagnosed with personality and substance use disorders. Those dying from suicide were also more likely to have a history of self-harm and involuntary psychiatric detention.
The authors used data from five nationwide registers in Sweden on 72,275 people totaling 134,514 involuntary admissions between January 1st 2010 and December 31st 2020. In addition to suicide rates, the authors also examined clinical and demographic information including diagnosis, dispensed medications, date of birth, sex, and income. People that had been exposed to psychiatric detention and forced “treatment” were compared to three other groups: the general population, voluntary outpatient service users, and voluntary inpatient service users.
Increased Suicide Risk
Of the 72,275 people experiencing psychiatric detention, 2,104 (2.9%) committed suicide during the studies follow-up time (between 1.8 to 7.5 years). As the study covers 134,514 instances of psychiatric detention, this equates to one suicide for every 64 discharges from involuntary psychiatric inpatient “care.”
Compared to people receiving voluntary inpatient care, those involuntarily detained were more likely to commit suicide at all follow-up times except one month post discharge, when rates were roughly the same. Increased suicide risk for those that had experienced psychiatric detention was 18% at three months post discharge, 40% after one year, and 55% after five years.
Compared to people receiving voluntary outpatient care, those involuntarily detained were more likely to commit suicide at all follow-up times. Increased suicide risk for those that had experienced psychiatric detention was 278% at one month post discharge, 286% after three months, 331% after one year, and 343% after five years.
Compared to the general population, those involuntarily detained were far more likely to commit suicide at all follow-up times. Involuntarily detained people were between 51.04 (five years post discharge) and 184.75 (one month post discharge) times more likely to commit suicide.
The authors note that although people dying from suicide were more often male, females had higher increased rates of suicide after exposure to involuntary “treatment.” For males, increased suicide risk ranged from none compared to voluntary psychiatric inpatients one month post discharge, to 147.97 times increased likelihood compared to the general population one month post discharge. For females, this increased risk ranged from 21% compared to voluntary psychiatric inpatients one month post discharge to 303.3 times increased likelihood compared to the general population one month post discharge.
Limitations
The authors acknowledge several limitations to the current work. The data would be influenced by the difficulty of identifying suicides. While restricting analysis to confirmed suicide cases would underestimate rates, including likely suicide cases (such as poisoning) as the current research did may overestimate rates to some degree. The current work did not collect data on factors such as therapeutic relationships, service user insight, or care quality. It is also worth noting that the design of the study means the authors can only speak to links between psychiatric detention and suicide. This data cannot say for sure whether detention increases suicide risk or people with greater suicide risk are more likely to be “treated” against their will. As the research was conducted entirely within Sweden, generalization to other populations may be limited.
Harms Associated with Psychiatric Detention
In addition to increased suicide rates, and some experts admitting that “psychiatric care might, at least in part, cause suicide,” psychiatric detention and forced “treatment” have been linked to many additional harms including dangerous psychiatric drug use, reduced insight, higher readmission rates, less satisfaction with care, increased risk of death, longer lengths of stay, and damaging coercive measures such as seclusion and physical restraints. Research has found that psychiatric detention deters people from seeking mental healthcare and is often traumatic. Both those that have been forced into psychiatric detention and the UN have compared the practice to torture.
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Grossmann, L., Johansson, F., Fazel, S., Kuja-Halkola, R., Bråstad, B., Mataix-Cols, D., Fernández de la Cruz, L., Runeson, B., Lichtenstein, P., Chang, Z., Larsson, H., Brikell, I., D’Onofrio, B., Pingel, R., Rück, C., & Wallert, J. (2026). Suicide after involuntary psychiatric care: A nationwide cohort study in Sweden. The Lancet Regional Health – Europe, 60, 101504. (Link)
Since discovering the book and the movement, Mad in America has been my antidote to the insanity and torture of unprosecuted retaliatory psychiatric involuntary detention in Michigan, instigated by my EEOC documented psychologically abusive employer Oakland Community College. Thank you!!!
Illegal psychiatric detention is a Russian doll of gaslighting, for me, that has never stopped with serious negative backlash, which has grown much worse as the years pass.
And, yes, in case people outside of Michigan are uninformed fans, pretty and ‘cool’ Dem Gov. Gretchen Whitmer knows but does not care. I informed her in writing formally of my unique story her first month in office, in 2019. Since, I have written her multiple times throughout her two terms now ending. She never did invite me to her office to hear my story. I have to wonder if her corrupt failure to follow through with her pre-election promise to bring FOIA (Freedom of Information Access) to the governor’s office is in part connected to the cover up of my claims by all state Dems and relevant state offices (as well as ruling Reps before 2019).
Note that NY and CA mentioned in this piece are run by other Dem governors.
I was criminally suicide swatted by the chief of police of OCC, set up, sexist police abducted by hometown police and admitted without evaluation, February 22-28, 2013, to the St. Mary Merciless now Trinity Health Livonia looney bin for one week, which ended my life most importantly because I dared to ask for equal protection and justice according to state law after I was released.
Documentation supports my claims about the illegality of my experience, which meets the state definition for human trafficking (statute of limitations still good). Am I the first person, victim, to push the idea of psychiatric human trafficking?
Those who buy the mainstream narration about the kindness of psychiatric detention have a difficult time hearing my story. I was silenced because of my views about reading instruction and department teacher bullies. Andrew Scull, sociologist historian, documents the practice of using psychiatry as a weapon has a long precedence connecting European exorcism and witchhunts to America and, with my story as one example, the present.
All should read the story of Elizabeth Packard. In the 1800s, states allowed men to act like Trump. Lock her up! My wife is crazy! Women were not afforded the same right. https://www.kate-moore.com/the-woman-they-could-not-silence
Psychiatry has never been legitimate. And I thank Mad in America for leading me to read widely and understand this truth.
“Psychiatric imprisonment programs” is a very fair and apt phrase. Same also language from another recent Richard Sears article, which stated that psychiatry harms when it works “as intended.”
What I have found is that “corruption” in psychiatry extends to corruption in police, state government and politicians–even the supposed ‘good guys.’
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“What I have found is that ‘corruption’ in psychiatry extends to corruption in police, state government and politicians–even the supposed ‘good guys.’” Don’t forget about the completely corrupt psychologists, please.
I’m dealing with a criminal psychological computer / phone / email hacker who is just deplorable. But, hopefully, I’m once again able to post using my much needed pseudonym.
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yes psychology should not pretend to be a science always bias
good luck
im harassed trolled and hacked too
Kiwi Farms is the only proper name identification I have. You tube refuses to take down harassing Kiwi Farms & spins off videos because Gemini AI says they must consider me a public figure.
police do not care filed a report with Michigan State Police no follow up
no money to sue impoverished
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Yes, I’ve filed numerous police reports, one for the crimes of a now FBI convicted doctor, one for the attempted thievery of more than everything from me via a satanic take percentage of gross / conservatorship contract, then one for hacking into my phone and computer, stalking me, and his stealing my last 20 years of my research. All of which is illegal.
There are way too many criminals within the mental health industry. The mental health workers need to garner insight into what the word ‘no’ means, in addition to the concept of ‘live and let live.’
By the way, forcing people to purchase stuff is the antithesis of a capitalist idea, and forcing people to take drugs that decrease the “the feel good hormone” is downright un-American, since it takes away one’s right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Why is psychiatry even legal in the United States?
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I really do not believe that locking people up for “ their own good” so they can receive “treatment” has ever been about the innocent human beings who are incarcerated in these institutions, but rather it is about the jailers, the builders of the facilities, the workers who the corporation hires, and the politicians who feed people with stories of their amazing humanity.
Don’t really think they can be bothered by the harm of innocents, unless it is tied to a massive lawsuit.
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Detention is also about the families who often demand it. Some relatives want their ‘loved ones’ invalidated and stigmatised. It is a fact, however unpalatable, that some families or partners tell lies about their relative to get them detained.
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My daughter commited suicide at the hospital. She wrote : Instead of taking care of my heart, doctors want is to play with may brain.
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My condolences, as a fellow mother, Magdeleine.
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no words are enough
so sorry
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unusual request
I live alone in isolation because of unprosecuted retaliatory pscychiatric suicide swatting and involuntary detention no friends or family.
Don’t know if its connected or not, but as part of my fight for justice I spoke at Bay County Michigan commissioners meeting yesterday about obstruction of justice regarding filing police reports for suicide swatting instead of equal protection. Posted appearance image from YouTube and my prepared statement on Bluesky yesterday. Today I can’t get back into Bluesky. My last post was at 2:13 am earlier this morning. I cried for hours after my appearance. Sheriff Troy Cunningham responsible obstructing justice walked into room right before I spoke. Trauma! Is he here to arrest me or looney bin lock me up again????????? Not paranoid. I was retalitory arrested and jailed once already on a bogus stalking a cop I never met charge in 2017, different Michigan county.
No notification from Bluesky saying Ive been kicked off.
Some out there may know this trauma hell pain like I am being baked in a Hitler oven plus all other forms of physical torture at once. I’ve been hacked for so long. Ive been suffering for so long. I’ve been harassed for so long. I’ve been denied equal justice and even acknowledgement from power for long. You know the story called crazy instead. If someone reads this and is willing to check, please see if my account is still showing. Thank you. Its uder my name Gina Fournier. I checked and don’t see any outages for regular uses.
My intermittent but perisistent somehow killer powerful hack reported to FBI three times under Biden has been active today too on my computer.
Nothing is worth the hell life I am forced to endure because of unprosecuted criminal pscyciatric detention.
I am not crazy or hallucinating.
Trauma like I am locked up forever agqain . . . until I am dead.
I hope this okay. I have no where else to go. Thank you.
1/14/2026 5:45 pm est
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Please here me: as soon as I finished posting my bluesky returned.
Way too many coincidences. Ian Flemming’s James Bond to paraphrase says as many coincidences there are in my full story since 2013 indicates crime.
It was out for over an hour. Spinning, blocked, blank, no log in access.
Right when my pattern would be to post a letter to MDHHS which has taken my request for SNAP and Medicaid and answer “yes” to human trafficking three times since 2016, but they only bury my reply.
Why bother asking if nothing is ever done?
Elizabeth Hertel runs MDHHS. Her husband Curtis Hertel runs the Democratic party in the state. These people all know my story because I have told them formally in writing repeatedly.
In case your wondering . . .
State AG Dana Nessel is the one who gave me the idea of framing the violations of mental health code that I endured including non evaluation with human trafficking state law. She charged John Geddert gymnast coach with human trafficking girls to sex abuser doctor Larry Nassar. But she allowed him a few hours to turn himself in. During which time he killed himself. Check the news reports. I may be suffering so she can cover her major blunder.
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Premature Bluesky tab showed (2) notications (an advance) but when I opened tab still no actual access.
I truly believe at this point in the death penalty for psychiatric and pscychological crimes like those I am forced to endure.
Sarcastic humor: The APA should endure state sanctioned torture for making me spell “psychiatry” all these horrible years.
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No coincidence BlueSky back up it looks like for now.
Catholic mother who sided with Trinity Health not me: you should have been legally barred from giving birth to me.
When family does not advocate no one no one no one does.
Thank you very much Mad in America.
Wait . . .
I will never be free of torture and harassment until I am dead.
Awaiting me a notification from an account that will disappear by the time anyone checks. Likely. A person or bot that sought me out. Pattern.
Ask for screen shot!
ys
@splitcalyx.bsky.social
3 followers
2 following
11 posts
historian of tricknology
With talk about antipsychiatry and other crap few followers the usual b.s.
My life has been terrifying and unlivable since February 22-28, 2013.
I have no choice but to keep fighting and losing so very painfully. I live in Hitler oven because of pscyhiatry I did not ask for and did not need.
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https://bsky.app/profile/splitcalyx.bsky.social
latest bluesky harasser
blocked
any helpful feedback appreciated
thank you
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We may wonder why involuntary incarceration and “treatment” continue to expand despite clear evidence, most recently the Pittsburg study*, that shows the harms of this approach. Those who support it care, but not about the people being warehoused and abused. As Ron Wipond and Sera Davidow have pointed out, the decision-makers cannot or are unwilling to tackle the root causes of people’s misery, so they get the victims out of the way, or at least out of sight, as best they can. If they die, their deaths are not considered important.
In Canada, many believe that the reason no data are kept on who is forcibly incarcerated (not the seriously disoriented or drug-addicted homeless, we at least know that), or why, or the consequences of their “treatment”, is because the decision makers know enough to know they would not like what the data show, should anyone undertake critical analysis.
*A Danger to Self and Others: Health and Criminal Consequences of Involuntary Hospitalization, July 2025
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thanks for sharing article Julie Wood
trying to get to the source . . .
https://cddrl.fsi.stanford.edu/publication/danger-self-and-others-health-and-criminal-consequences-involuntary-hospitalization
links to Federal Reserve Bank study? Wow. Pscyhiatry is so out of touch. Not news.
A Danger to Self and Others: Health and Criminal Consequences of Involuntary Hospitalization Natalia Emanuel, Pim Welle, and Valentin Bolotnyy Federal Reserve Bank of New York Staff Reports, no. 1158 July 2025 https://doi.org/10.59576/sr.1158
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Our paper finds that for individuals whose evaluations are judgment calls insofar as some physicians would choose to hospitalize and some would not, involuntary hospitalization is not reducing danger. On the contrary, we find that in judgment call cases involuntary hospitalization nearly doubles the risk of being charged with a violent crime in the months following evaluation and likewise nearly doubles the risk of dying by suicide or overdose. For judgment call cases, we find evidence that hospitalization decreases employment, decreases earnings, and increases homeless shelter usage. We see no evidence that in judgment call cases hospitalization increases an individual’s likelihood of being connected to continuing care such as outpatient visits three months after the evaluation. Taken together, while involuntary hospitalization may temporarily stabilize an individual with a judgment call case, it comes with significant disruption costs that play out over time and do not generate improved connections to care upon release.
from above
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intermittent but persistent hack is in overdrive
please mercy
euthanaisa not torture
ive been tortured for so long
https://bsky.app/profile/ginafournier.bsky.social
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