Comparing views on civil commitment for drug misuse and for mental illness among persons with opioid use disorder

Despite the growing use of civil commitment for drug use disorders, little is known about attitudes among individuals who might be subject to civil commitment. This study examined attitudes of persons with opioid use disorder toward civil commitment for drug misuse and for psychiatric illness. Consecutive persons entering a brief, inpatient opioid detoxification (n = 254) were surveyed regarding their attitudes about civil commitment for mental illness and for drug use, and responses were compared by commitment type and by individual history of being civilly committed for opioid misuse. Participants endorsed high support for civil commitment (both psychiatric and drug misuse-related) when used to address risk of harm to self, to others, and of criminal activity. Respondents were more likely to support civil commitment for psychiatric disorders than for drug misuse, expressing higher support for civil commitment in general, higher agreement with the criteria used to justify civil commitment, and greater perceived efficacy of commitment. Individuals previously committed for opioid misuse were less likely to support drug misuse-related commitment on the basis of its perceived efficacy. These results suggest individuals with opioid use disorder hold more favorable views toward civil commitment for mental health disorders than for drug misuse, and reinforce the need for more research on the procedures and outcomes related to civil commitment for drug misuse.