On the latter part, this is pretty rare now in the US. Involuntary "holds" are almost always short-term, and only initiated when there's some disturbance that results in the police being called. In California, for example, a 72-hour hold is the most common, although 2-week and longer holds are possible: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5150_(involuntary_psychiatric_h...
The downside is that the old system of involuntary commitment, which I do believe civil-liberties campaigners were right to campaign against, has not really been replaced with anything. Some proportion of those who were previously involuntarily committed are better off, living some kind of life, whether a normal one, or some kind of bohemian one, or with family, or otherwise getting by. But some proportion are a mixture of homeless and in and out of jail or 72-hour holds, without any serious long-term attempt to do anything about their situation. Especially true if either they lack close family, or lack family with enough means to take them in, or have psychotic episodes that their family finds threatening. A schizophrenic guy I know through the tech scene is in that category; has been 72-hour held 4 or 5 times, on a 2-week hold once, arrested for various kinds of minor disturbances a dozen times, etc., but never received much treatment, except during the short periods of psychiatric confinement.
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On the latter part, this is pretty rare now in the US. Involuntary "holds" are almost always short-term, and only initiated when there's some disturbance that results in the police being called. In California, for example, a 72-hour hold is the most common, although 2-week and longer holds are possible: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5150_(involuntary_psychiatric_h...
The downside is that the old system of involuntary commitment, which I do believe civil-liberties campaigners were right to campaign against, has not really been replaced with anything. Some proportion of those who were previously involuntarily committed are better off, living some kind of life, whether a normal one, or some kind of bohemian one, or with family, or otherwise getting by. But some proportion are a mixture of homeless and in and out of jail or 72-hour holds, without any serious long-term attempt to do anything about their situation. Especially true if either they lack close family, or lack family with enough means to take them in, or have psychotic episodes that their family finds threatening. A schizophrenic guy I know through the tech scene is in that category; has been 72-hour held 4 or 5 times, on a 2-week hold once, arrested for various kinds of minor disturbances a dozen times, etc., but never received much treatment, except during the short periods of psychiatric confinement.