Deck 16: Mental Health Services: Legal And Ethical Issues

Question 1

Receiving a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis means that the person

A) is considered dangerous.
B) fits the legal definition of mental illness.
C) does not necessarily fit the legal definition of mental illness.
D) must be either civilly or criminally committed.

Answer 1

does not necessarily fit the legal definition of mental illness.

Question 2

In the late 19ᵗʰ century,the enactment of civil commitment laws resulted in

A) only a few cases of involuntary commitment to mental hospitals.
B) people being committed who were not mentally ill.
C) wives committing their husbands to mental hospitals.
D) a decrease in the number of large public mental hospitals.

Answer 2

people being committed who were not mentally ill.

Question 3

The formal process of civil commitment begins with a petition directed to a(n)______________.

A) attorney
B) psychiatrist
C) judge
D) prosecutor

Answer 3

judge

Question 4

Which of the following eras was known as the "liberal era" in regard to mental health treatments?

A) 1940-1960
B) 1960-1980
C) 1980-1990
D) 1990 to the present

Question 5

When a person is the subject of civil commitment proceedings,the rights and protections provided by law include all of the following EXCEPT

A) notification that civil commitment proceedings are taking place.
B) required presence during the proceedings.
C) representation by an attorney.
D) selection of a judge who will determine the outcome of the case.

Question 6

In some states,the legal definition of mental illness excludes

A) cognitive disability and substance-related disorders.
B) anxiety disorders and alcoholism.
C) personality disorders and gender dysphoria.
D) posttraumatic stress disorder.

Question 7

The popular opinion that the mentally ill are more dangerous than those who are not mentally ill is probably the result of

A) data from medical records.
B) public knowledge of DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria.
C) media reports.
D) statistics on homicide and other violent crimes.

Question 8

State laws permit involuntary commitment when all of the following conditions have been met EXCEPT

A) a person has a mental illness and is in need of treatment.
B) a person is dangerous to himself/herself or others and is in need of treatment.
C) a person is unable to care for himself/herself.
D) a person asks to be admitted to a mental hospital.

Question 9

What is a critical determinant of the civil commitment process?

A) Substance abuse
B) Dangerousness
C) Alcoholism
D) None of the above

Question 10

Each of the following statements correctly describes the circumstances of mentally ill people prior to the late 19ᵗʰ century EXCEPT

A) the community often took on the care of mentally ill people.
B) family members often cared for a mentally ill person at home.
C) mentally ill people received specialized care in psychiatric hospitals.
D) mentally ill people were often left to care for themselves.

Question 11

Which of the following statements is correct?

A) Mental illness is a legal concept.
B) Mental illness is defined the same way across states.
C) Most states include substance-related disorders in their definition of mental illness.
D) Mental illness is synonymous with psychological disorders.

Question 12

Which of the following is (are)specified in civil commitment laws?

A) When a person can be legally declared to have a mental illness
B) When a person can be placed in a mental hospital for treatment
C) Both of these
D) Neither of these

Question 13

The risk of violence among mentally ill patients increases if specific symptoms such as _______________ are present.

A) hallucinations
B) delusions
C) both of these
D) neither of these

Question 14

In terms of civil commitment,"grave disability" refers to

A) having a mental illness and needing treatment.
B) fear of controversy.
C) being unable to care for oneself.
D) possibility that a person will be harmed by others.

Question 15

When parens patriae is used to take a mentally ill individual into custody,it means that the state is acting as a

A) mental health counselor.
B) surrogate parent.
C) legal advisor.
D) social worker.

Question 16

In regard to the mentally ill,popular opinion holds that

A) the mentally ill are more dangerous than those who are not mentally ill.
B) the mentally ill are less dangerous than those who are not mentally ill.
C) those who are mentally ill and those who are not are equally dangerous.
D) mental illness is unrelated to level of dangerousness.

Question 17

Authorities can use police power to hold criminal offenders if they are a threat to society.However,if the power called parens patriae is used to take someone into custody,it means that

A) a person has already committed a crime.
B) a person is not acting in his or her own best interest.
C) the safety of the community is in jeopardy.
D) individual rights are more important than societal rights.

Question 18

The term "mental illness" is considered a legal concept and is defined

A) differently from state to state.
B) exactly the same in every state.
C) by the United States government.
D) by the hospital where the patient is being committed.

Question 19

In the textbook case of Arthur,who was diagnosed with brief psychotic disorder after talking about his secret plans both to save the world's starving children and to break into a foreign embassy,his parents were unable to have him admitted to a psychiatric hospital because Arthur was

A) diagnosed incorrectly.
B) not considered dangerous to himself or others.
C) no longer covered by their health insurance.
D) a minor child.

Question 20

According to mental health law,what happens if a family member or a police officer certifies that a mentally disturbed person "presents a clear and immediate danger?"

A) A long-term commitment can be made.
B) A short-term commitment can be made.
C) The person can be given psychotropic medication immediately.
D) The person can be put in jail.

Question 21

Which of the goals of deinstitutionalization have been accomplished?

A) The closing of large psychiatric hospitals
B) The creation of a network of community mental health centers
C) Both of these
D) Neither of these

Question 22

The link between mental illness and violence is ___________________.

A) negligible
B) mild
C) moderate
D) strong

Question 23

During the 1980s,homelessness was blamed on strict civil commitment criteria and deinstitutionalization,two policies that included all of the following EXCEPT

A) limits on conditions for involuntary commitment.
B) limits placed on how long a mentally ill patient could stay in a hospital.
C) closing of large psychiatric hospitals.
D) increased numbers of mental health professionals working in psychiatric hospitals.

Question 24

What ethnic group with mental illness is most likely to be homeless?

A) Asian Americans
B) Native Americans
C) African Americans
D) Hispanic Americans

Question 25

Which of the following is a FALSE statement in regard to prediction of dangerousness?

A) Mental health professionals can predict with certainty if a particular person will become violent.
B) Generally speaking, people with a previous history of violence are more likely to be dangerous than individuals without a past history of violence.
C) Generally speaking, substance abusers are more likely to be violent than those individuals without a history of drug or alcohol dependence.
D) Research suggests that mental health professionals are better at determining relative risk than determining dangerousness on a case-by-case basis.

Question 26

Which of the following statements is FALSE?

A) More than just a promise of improving quality of life is required to commit someone involuntarily.
B) Needing treatment or having a grave disability is not sufficient to commit someone involuntarily.
C) Both a and b
D) Neither a or b

Question 27

In Supreme Court rulings such as O'Connor v.Donaldson and Addington v.Texas,it was argued that the criteria for involuntary commitment should include _______________.

A) dangerousness
B) mental illness
C) both of these
D) neither of these

Question 28

Provisions of the Supreme Court decision known as Addington v.Texas (1979)included all of the following EXCEPT

A) more than just the promise of improving one's quality of life is required for involuntary commitment.
B) if non-dangerous people can survive in the community with the help of others, they should not be detained against their will.
C) needing treatment or having a grave disability is sufficient to commit someone with a mental illness.
D) the government has limited ability to commit individuals unless they are dangerous.

Question 29

Which of the following statements accurately describes the outcome of the policy known as deinstitutionalization?

A) Previously hospitalized patients received adequate care in most communities.
B) Funding for community mental health centers was sufficient to provide care for previously hospitalized patients.
C) Deinstitutionalization is considered a success because patient care improved.
D) Deinstitutionalization is considered a failure because patient care deteriorated.

Question 30

According to the Addington v.Texas (1979)which of the following is sufficient cause to commit someone to commit a mentally ill person to the hospital involuntarily?

A) Needing treatment
B) Grave disability
C) Danger to self and others
D) Neither of these

Question 31

According to the U.S.Department of Health and Human Services (2003),the number of homeless people on any given night in the United States is ______________.

A) 125,00
B) 300,000
C) 800,000
D) 2 million

Question 32

In 1976,Kenneth Donaldson,who was not considered dangerous,successfully sued the director of the hospital in which he had been confined for 15 years and where he had received _________.

A) SSRI medication
B) ECT
C) no treatment
D) abusive treatment

Question 33

The conflicting interests over civil commitment were illustrated by the 1988 case of Joyce Brown,a homeless woman diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia,who was _________.

A) medicated against her will
B) hospitalized involuntarily
C) dangerous
D) suicidal

Question 34

During the 1970s and 1980s,the trend toward deinstitutionalization resulted in

A) an increased number of patients in psychiatric institutions.
B) a decreased number of patients in psychiatric institutions.
C) better treatment of institutionalized mentally ill patients.
D) decreased numbers of homeless mentally ill people.

Question 35

According to the 1975 case of O'Connor v.Donaldson,a non-dangerous mentally ill individual

A) must be given medication to control the possibility of dangerous tendencies developing.
B) cannot be confined in an institution if capable of functioning safely on the outside.
C) must be confined in an institution in case a violent episode occurs.
D) can be released from an institution only if relatives agree to provide care.

Question 36

In the late 1970s and early 1980s,legal reforms enacted by some states to make civil commitment easier resulted in

A) a decrease in the number of hospitalized mental patients.
B) more voluntary than involuntary admissions.
C) more patients admitted under parens patriae powers.
D) shorter hospital stays for mentally ill patients.

Question 37

The term transinstitutionalization refers to the movement of people with severe mental illness out of psychiatric hospitals and into any or all of the following EXCEPT

A) jails and prisons.
B) nursing homes.
C) group residences.
D) community health centers.

Question 38

Beginning in the mid-1970s,authorities were unable to confine non-dangerous mentally ill patients,a policy that emphasized ___________________.

A) individual freedom
B) society's rights
C) both of these
D) neither of these

Question 39

In the 1970s and 1980s,tightened restrictions on involuntary commitment resulted in

A) the criminal justice system becoming responsible for mentally ill people.
B) fewer mentally ill patients living in the community.
C) family members having increased access to treatment services for their loved ones.
D) mentally ill patients receiving needed mental health services.

Question 40

A major problem with deinstitutionalization was

A) people with mental illness were moved from mental hospitals to jails.
B) traninstituionalization occurred.
C) people with mental illness were moved from mental hospitals to nursing homes.
D) all of the above

Question 41

Andrew has been accused of committing a crime and is currently in a mental health facility.He will stay there until it is determined that he is fit to participate in legal proceedings against him.The commitment process by which Andrew is being held is called ____________.

A) civil
B) criminal
C) parens patriae
D) mens rea

Question 42

Andrea is being held in a psychiatric hospital after being found guilty of criminal behavior.She is in this facility instead of in jail because

A) she has been found not guilty by reason of insanity.
B) she has been found unable to participate in legal proceedings against her.
C) either of these
D) neither of these

Question 43

In the United States,people convicted of criminal behavior

A) always receive a prison sentence.
B) are always considered responsible for their behavior.
C) sometimes are not considered responsible for their behavior.
D) sometimes have been found incompetent to stand trial.

Question 44

Since the 19ᵗʰ century,the method of determining responsibility when a person's mental state is in question has been based on the _________ M'Naghten rule.

A) American
B) British
C) Irish
D) Scottish

Question 45

The insanity defense is based on a historical case in England involving a man named _________.

A) Durham
B) Addington
C) M'Naghten
D) Tory

Question 46

In response to the strict civil commitment laws of the 1970s and 1980s,some states enacted legal reforms that

A) shortened hospital stays.
B) reduced the number of admissions.
C) changed the status under which patients were committed.
D) eliminated the doctrine of parens patriae.

Question 47

Which of the following statements does NOT apply to the American Law Institute (ALI)study of the insanity defense?

A) Mentally ill people must be distinguished from those without mental disorders.
B) The threat of punishment will usually deter a mentally ill person from committing a crime.
C) Mentally ill people who commit crimes should be treated for their illness until improved and then released from confinement.
D) Mentally ill people who cannot control their behavior must be shielded from legal consequences.

Question 48

The "sexual psychopath laws" enacted in the mid-1900s were based on the assumption that

A) criminal commitment proceedings should be invoked for sexual offenders.
B) sexual offenders could be successfully treated.
C) rapists and pedophiles deserved to be punished.
D) sexual psychopaths could be rehabilitated in a prison setting.

Question 49

Which of the following is NOT related to the M'Naghten ruling decreed by an English court more than 150 years ago?

A) It concerns a person's mental state at the time a crime is committed.
B) It states that individuals are not responsible for criminal behavior if they do not know what they are doing.
C) It states that individuals are not responsible for their behavior if they don't know that what they are doing is wrong.
D) It is based on a case in which paranoid delusions influenced an individual to actually kill the British prime minister.

Question 50

The decision to include the presence of "a mental disease or defect" in determining an accused person's responsibility for a crime was part of a Supreme Court ruling known as ____________.

A) O'Connor v. Donaldson
B) Addington v. Texas
C) Durham v. United States
D) M'Naghten v. Tory

Question 51

If an individual accidentally injures another person,he or she cannot be convicted of a crime because there was no "criminal intent," a theoretical concept known legally as _____________.

A) mens rea
B) actus rea
C) sociopathic deviancy
D) GBMI

Question 52

Although the Durham ruling in 1954 allowed mental health professionals to present information about an accused person's mental state,it became apparent that

A) no mental health professional wanted to participate in court proceedings.
B) mental health professionals could not reliably assess whether mental illness caused criminal behavior.
C) judges were reluctant to include testimony from mental health professionals in their decisions.
D) juries were reluctant to consider testimony from mental health professionals.

Question 53

Criteria for the insanity defense were developed by a group from the American Law Institute that included all of the following EXCEPT ______________.

A) attorneys
B) judges
C) psychologists
D) law scholars

Question 54

The outcome of Miguel's trial resulted in a finding of "not guilty by reason of insanity." According to criminal law,Miguel now will be sent to ____________.

A) prison
B) a psychiatric hospital
C) a community mental health center
D) an insane asylum

Question 55

The "sexual psychopath laws" that were passed in the mid-1900s provided for

A) an indefinite period of hospitalization for sex offenders.
B) an indefinite prison term for sex offenders.
C) both of these
D) neither of these

Question 56

Which of the following is NOT a question that addresses the issues of civil (involuntary)commitment?

A) Should a mentally ill person be involuntarily committed if he or she is not dangerous but in need of treatment?
B) Should a mentally ill person be civilly committed if he or she has been convicted of a crime?
C) Should a mentally ill person be involuntarily committed at the request of family or relatives who believe it is in the person's best interest?
D) If a person is mentally ill, unable to care for him/herself, and in need of help, should the law allow for involuntary commitment?

Question 57

According to the authors of your textbook,the periodic changes in the laws regarding civil commitment are a sign of a

A) society that has no idea of what to do with this issue.
B) hospital system that is ineffective in treating uncooperative patients.
C) healthy system responding to the limitations of previous decisions.
D) prior mistake that has now been successfully corrected.

Question 58

What should make us optimistic that the needs of individuals and of society can ultimately be addressed through the courts?

A) Improvements can happen quickly.
B) Improvements always address the issues in need of reform.
C) Laws can be changed.
D) None of the above

Question 59

In the case of Durham v.United States (1954),the criteria for responsibility for determining criminal behavior were broadened to include ________________.

A) mental disease
B) mental defect
C) both of these
D) neither of these

Question 60

You have read an article in the newspaper about a rapist who was convicted under a "sexual predator law." You know that this person will be

A) hospitalized immediately in a psychiatric institution that has a sexual offenders unit.
B) sentenced to an indefinite term in a prison that has a separate section for rapists.
C) hospitalized for treatment and then imprisoned if the treatment is not effective.
D) incarcerated for a specific term and then civilly committed if judged still dangerous.

Question 61

Although surveys have shown that the public estimates that the insanity defense is used in 37% of felony cases,the actual figure is about _____________.

A) 1%
B) 10%
C) 57%
D) 88%

Question 62

What was the public reaction to the 1981 jury verdict that found John Hinckley,the attempted assassin of President Reagan,not guilty by reason of insanity?

A) Acceptance
B) Outrage
C) Disappointment
D) Disinterest

Question 63

The public perception that people with mental illness "beat the rap" as a result of being judged not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI)is ____________.

A) incorrect
B) correct
C) true in murder cases only
D) true for males who commit crimes but not for females who commit crimes

Question 64

Cases in which the insanity defense has been used include those of all the following individuals EXCEPT ______________________.

A) Charles Manson
B) Jeffrey Dahmer
C) Lee Harvey Oswald
D) Ted Kaczynski

Question 65

Major changes in the criteria for the insanity defense were made after

A) President Ronald Reagan sponsored legislative changes.
B) the Hinckley verdict in the early 1980s.
C) both of these
D) neither of these

Question 66

In contrast to public perceptions,the length of time a person spends confined to a hospital after being judged NGRI is ___________ the time he/she would have spent in jail.

A) shorter than
B) longer than
C) negligible compared to
D) comparable to

Question 67

The shared premise of the guilty but mentally ill (GBMI)verdict is that the mentally ill who commit a crime should be

A) treated only.
B) punished only.
C) treated and punished.
D) not judged responsible for their actions.

Question 68

Following the not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI)verdict for John Hinckley in 1981,_______ of the states in the U.S.substantially changed their insanity defense rules making it more difficult to use this defense.

A) 25%
B) 50%
C) 75%
D) 100%

Question 69

Pat has committed a non-violent crime and been judged NGRI.According to statistical data,it is likely that Pat will be spending

A) a long time in prison.
B) a shorter time in a mental hospital than he/she would have spent in prison.
C) a short time in prison.
D) a longer time in a mental hospital than he/she would have spent in prison.

Question 70

What was one outcome of the attempted assassination of President Reagan in 1981?

A) Stricter gun control laws
B) More Secret Service agents to protect the President of the United States
C) Improved screening procedures for the mentally ill
D) Greater public acceptance of the insanity defense

Question 71

A TV reporter is interviewing students about the insanity plea.If these students are similar to about 90% of the population,they will agree with the following statement:

A) "The insanity defense is not used in enough cases. Too many mentally ill people are in jail instead of in hospitals."
B) "Too many people escape responsibility for their crimes by pleading insanity."
C) "If someone successfully pleads NGRI, he or she will spend more time in jail than in a mental hospital."
D) "There are more mentally ill people in prisons than in mental hospitals."

Question 72

The legal concept of mens rea is generally used to mean ________________.

A) "guilty mind"
B) criminal intent
C) both of these
D) neither of these

Question 73

What reason did John Hinckley give for his attempted assassination of President Reagan in 1981?

A) He had an obsession about becoming president and thought he could be elected if President Reagan were dead.
B) He was obsessed with actress Jodie Foster and wanted to impress her.
C) He was anxious about homelessness and poverty in the world and thought Reagan wasn't doing enough to help poor people.
D) He thought that President Reagan was about to kill him so he acted in self-defense.

Question 74

As indicated by surveys of the general population,what percentage of people perceives that the insanity defense is used too often?

A) 20%
B) 45%
C) 70%
D) 90%

Question 75

Which of the following is an accurate statement in regard to public perception of the insanity defense?

A) The public underestimates how often the insanity defense is used in criminal cases.
B) The public overestimates how often the insanity defense is successfully used.
C) The public overestimates the length of hospitalization of those who are found not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI).
D) The public underestimates how often people judged NGRI are set free.

Question 76

In 1979,public opinion turned against the use of the insanity defense when it was used successfully to justify such behaviors as _________________.

A) child abuse
B) stealing cars
C) writing bad checks
D) vandalism

Question 77

In the 1970s and 1980s,successful insanity defenses were based on all of the following EXCEPT

A) pathological gambling.
B) battered wife syndrome.
C) posttraumatic stress disorder.
D) borderline personality disorder.

Question 78

In the American legal system,the concept of diminished capacity is used to

A) keep mentally ill people from being discharged from mental hospitals.
B) assess the responsibility of people with mental illness.
C) evaluate the effects of medical treatments for schizophrenia.
D) determine the intelligence level of an individual accused of criminal behavior.

Question 79

Following cases such as those of John Hinckley and Charles Manson,the public often assumed that

A) all criminals were insane.
B) the insane should not be punished for crimes they commit.
C) the insanity plea is a loophole that lets too many guilty people go free.
D) most criminals are not insane.

Question 80

Which of the following was NOT a provision of the American Law Institute recommendations regarding "diminished capacity"?

A) A mentally ill criminal may actually not have criminal intent.
B) A mental illness could impair the ability to understand that one's behavior is criminal.
C) Proof of either mens rea or actus rea is sufficient to convict someone of a crime.
D) Mentally ill people who commit crimes may not be responsible for their behavior.