Under the Mental Healthcare Act (MHCA) 2017, a person with severe mental illness who is unwilling to be admitted to a mental health establishment can be admitted involuntarily. Which of the following is a ground for involuntary admission?

• A The patient is non-compliant with outpatient treatment for more than 3 months
• B There is imminent risk of harm to self or others, or inability to care for oneself due to the mental illness, AND treatment cannot be provided in a less restrictive setting ✓
• C The family members request admission because the patient's behaviour is disruptive to household functioning
• D The patient refuses to accept that they have a mental illness (anosognosia)

Explanation

MHCA 2017 provides for 'supported admission' (involuntary admission) only on specified grounds: the person has a 'high support need' condition (severe mental illness) AND either poses an imminent risk of serious harm to self/others OR is unable to care for themselves, AND community-based or outpatient treatment is insufficient. The Act emphasises patient autonomy — non-compliance alone, family convenience, or anosognosia are not valid grounds. Additionally, a nominated representative and the Mental Health Review Board (MHRB) have oversight roles. This represents a significant shift from the older 'lunatic custody' model.

Reference: The Essentials of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology (Narayan Reddy), 34th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.