Over the past several years, the number of available inpatient hospital beds and the length of hospital stays for persons with mental illness have significantly decreased due to

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The decrease in available inpatient hospital beds and length of hospital stays for persons with mental illness can be attributed to a combination of factors including the increase in community-based mental health programs, the deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill, and a heightened standard for involuntary civil commitment. Community-based mental health programs provide more accessible and less restrictive care for persons with mental illness. Deinstitutionalization refers to the movement of individuals from large state-run psychiatric hospitals to community-based settings. This trend began in the 1960s and was driven by a desire to provide more humane and effective care for persons with mental illness. Finally, a heightened standard for involuntary civil commitment means that individuals can only be involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital if they meet very specific criteria related to danger to themselves or others. This has resulted in fewer people being involuntarily committed to psychiatric hospitals, which in turn has led to a decrease in the number of available inpatient hospital beds and length of hospital stays for persons with mental illness.

Over the Past Several Years, the Number of Available Inpatient