Involuntary Inpatient Civil Commitment: Trends From 2010 to 2022

Involuntary inpatient civil commitment occurs across all U.S. states and territories. However, individual state laws define states' procedures for implementing civil commitment, including data collection requirements and the entities responsible for collecting and managing these data. This study aimed to build on previous efforts by collecting and analyzing the available state-level data to capture trends in civil commitment over time.

Through systematic website searches and direct outreach to state mental health authorities and court systems, data on civil commitment (2010-2022) were obtained for 32 states and the District of Columbia.

From 2010 to 2022, the rates of civil commitment were found to have significantly increased in nine states and the District of Columbia and to have remained relatively stable in 23 states; no states showed significant decreases in civil commitment rates. The rates reported by state mental health authorities were significantly higher than those found through state court system data.

To the authors' knowledge, the data set compiled represents the most current and comprehensive resource on involuntary inpatient civil commitment in the United States. However, the lack of standardized processes, definitions, and data across states hinders the ability to examine the contributing and explanatory factors that may guide policy decisions.