Confronting 60 Minutes’ “Imminent Danger”: The Evidence on Schizophrenia and Psychotropic Medications, Violence, and Forced Orders to Treat

Recently, considerable attention has been given to individuals labeled “mentally ill,” with the possibility that they too often go untreated with psychotropic medications and in turn, commit disproportionally higher rates of violence. The world-known television show 60 Minutes broadcasted a special on this topic in the United States on September 29, 2013; however, they created a disturbingly inaccurate picture of those who suffer with what some label as “mental illness.” There are decades of peer-reviewed research demonstrating that individuals diagnosed with severe mental illness, labeled schizophrenia, and given psychotropic medications are in fact less likely to recover from their disorder and more likely to be rehospitalized. Additionally, although mental health commitments, often called forced orders to treat, are quite common and now being supported more so due to such programming, the research on mental health commitments has not shown they are actually effective.