Refusing Care

"It has been said that how a society treats its least fortunate members speaks volumes about its humanity. If so, our treatment of the mentally ill may suggest that American society is in many senses inhumane: swinging between overintervention and utter neglect, we sometimes force extreme treatments on those who do not want them, and at other times discharge mentally ill patients who do want treatment without providing adequate resources for their care in the community.". "Refusing Care focuses on the former problem - that of overintervention - asking when, if ever, the mentally ill should be…