involuntary civil commitment

commitment of an individual to a mental facility against his or her wishes. For individuals to be committed in this way, it must be established in court that the individuals pose a threat to themselves or others.

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Psychology term of the day

January 30th 2025

Meckel’s syndrome

a congenital disorder marked by microcephaly; eye, ear, and olfactory abnormalities; and varying degrees of brain-tissue anomalies. Some affected children show premature closure of skull sutures. The patients either are stillborn or die in early infancy. [Johann Friedrich Meckel (1781–1833), German anatomist]