Every state has a different threshold for which a person can be placed in a secure psychiatric facility against their will. It used to be my job to be the person to make these decisions at a particular agency in Vermont. Here we pretty much have the highest bar for that to be able to occur. A person must be a danger to themselves or others and there must be no other lesser restrictive option to ensure safety before a person can be involuntarily hospitalized.

For a very small group of people this may prevent them from seeking treatment but most of the time it is lack of services. The mental health system in this country is in shambles and has been for decades.