Under the Mental Healthcare Act 2017 (India), a person with mental illness who refuses treatment but poses immediate danger to self or others can receive treatment without consent for up to:
- A 24 hours, renewable once
- B 30 days initially, extendable to 90 days and then 180 days with Mental Health Review Board approval ✓
- C 72 hours, then reassessed by a Mental Health Review Board
- D Indefinitely under police custody orders
Correct answer: B. 30 days initially, extendable to 90 days and then 180 days with Mental Health Review Board approval
Explanation
The Mental Healthcare Act 2017 (MHCA 2017, India) outlines supported admissions in Sections 89 and 90. For supported admission (involuntary treatment), initial admission can be up to 30 days. Extension requires review by the concerned medical officer and can be extended for up to 90 days, and thereafter in periods up to 180 days at a time, with each extension requiring Mental Health Review Board (MHRB) approval. The Act emphasizes least restrictive alternatives and the right to be treated with dignity. It replaced the Mental Health Act 1987.
Reference: Kaplan & Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry, 11th ed.
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