help

[Teena Brandon]

Hey how long can you go to the mental ward for cutting yourself? ( In Canada) I have a friend who has been and says his psycologist told him hes going for 6 months.

[RayKay]

I don't think there is a certain "law" about it, it would be up the psychologist/psychiatrists/clinical specialists who recommended or assigned them to receive treatment. Of course the exclusion to this would be if it was court mandated treatment/hospitalization.

 

If he is a youth his parents would have had to also give permission I believe for the duration of the stay.

[Dubz]

i dont see how they can put a time limit on it coz they dont know how long it will take for ur friend to feel better, and not want to cut. isnt there anyone else that ur friend could do that would help, like venting through something else other than cutting, hope everything works out for you, take care.

[Finchabald]

there is no law holding u in a ward for self harm. I expect it's just until they sort out the problem

[avman]

there is no law holding u in a ward for self harm

 

That is not true, a person who is a danger to themself or to others can be committed to an institution.

[Finchabald]

well you must be talking american laws of something coz there isnt in england

[imagi]

In Ontario I know the law is that if they are under 16, there parents have the final decision on duration of stay. However, if a therapist/ anyone in that position feels that they are a SEVERE threat to themselves or others they have the right to use involuntary committment. I thought that the first term of committment was over night and then 72 hours and then a week and then 2 and then a month etc etc. I think the only way that they could legally use that length of stay is if the person's guardian agreed to it, it's a severe threat, there is no guardian (and they are under 16 or deemed unable to make their own decisions), or they've committed a crime and are deemed unfit for trial.

 

If your friend's therapist thinks that involuntary admission would benefit your friend the most, they might inact one of these terms in order to help your friend. It might be that they think it's the best way to help them.

 

I'm a bit of a psychology nerd and took a class that talked about this. The laws are pretty similar throughout the provinces, but they do change some from place to place.

 

Miranda