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Questions tagged [mental-health]

51 questions
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If someone commits a crime, but suffers brain damage and has no memory of the crime, will they get punished?

Say that Bob is a horrible person who commits murder, theft, and a bunch of other bad stuff. Before getting caught, he shoots himself in the head. Miraculously, he survives, but with a severe case of amnesia where he's basically a new person with no…
chausies
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What is the father of the bride test?

I have been watching a Supreme Court hearing, and there are certain things that I don't understand. I have also not been able to find what these things mean on the internet. The Supreme Court hearing is:…
Asan Ramzan
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Who decides DNR decision when patient is non compos mentis?

My 83 year old mother's mental and physical health has deteriorated rapidly in last six months. At this point, she asks if her mother (dead 35 years) is coming to see her, if her grandchildren are taking music lessons in elementary school (all…
Chowzen
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Does a President's mental incompetence invalidate his actions?

Is a President required (or assumed) to be mentally competent in order to execute the powers of his office? Can his action be undone retroactively if he is proved to be mentally incompetent at the time of his action?
Phil Freedenberg
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Was I forced into a mental hospital legally?

If, after an accidental Xanax overdose, a person went to the ER to be safe, is it legal for the hospital to force them into a psychiatric hospital for three days? What if the person told the nurses it was an accident? This scenario occurs in…
Alice Nykaza
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Can a person be prosecuted for their thoughts?

Let's assume I'm thinking about ___ [1] - am I liable to prosecution? I assume that having thoughts of any kind is not illegal and therefore cannot be prosecuted. We are not in "Minority Report" - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181689/ - situation…
Silly mistakes in the past
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(US) Under what circumstances can a person be forced to enter a facility for having a mental illness?

Though this question would be great to know for various legal systems, I'm tagging this with united-states since it will likely be complicated enough with just a single country being considered. When can someone be legally required to enter a…
ZAD-Man
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How does the process of a law appointed therapist work?

Say, for example, when a high school student is charged with a Minor in Possession for possessing alcohol, or with a similar charge for some other controlled substance. My understanding is that for first offences, it's possible that a mandatory…
blissfreak
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Who is liable for a resident mental care patient intruding someone's property?

Suppose someone lives next door to a mental health care home. One of the resident patients climbs out of the care home and breaks into the neighbour's house. Who would be liable for the break-in? The patient (even if severely disabled, eg, not…
schrödingcöder
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Who is responsible for incapacitated persons house key?

I am a little confused as to who has the responsibility for looking after the key to the house of someone we know that tried to commit suicide. The events: Alice enters a coma I perform a wellness check and find them in the house (with a spare…
Dan
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What are the requirements to have someone who is suicidal held involuntarily if they presented for help to A&E?

In the U.K (speciffically England) if someone experiencing a mental health crisis and non-specific suicidal thoughts attends A&E seeking support and coping strategies, whether that is advice or medication, could the A&E department apprehend them and…
GrimaST
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Mental health consumer rights (UK)

Are there any specific UK laws that deal with the following? I've struggled with mental health problems most of my adult life and am currently on the waiting list for an nhs referral to a psychiatrist. I am seeking, after years of…
Rebecca88
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In Canada is it legal for a doctor not to be able to do something they should know?

This is a strange question. A few years ago I was a victim of a crime and I had been feeling bad about it. I go to University and once was told it's a good idea to make use of the counselors there while they're free. I went to see a counselor who…
Sammson
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Legal Liability for mentally infirm

This is a fictionalized question to help me understand an element of liability I stumbled across recently. My parents are not infirm and do not live with me. I am well past the age of majority. One of my parents has diminished mental capacity and…
davidgo
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Is it against HIPAA law for a high school to keep records of a mental health survey administered to all students?

At my son's high school, the administration administered a "Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire" (SDQ) during class, which posed statements such as "I am often unhappy, depressed or tearful" and asked students to mark "Not True," "Somewhat…
traviata
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