Jessica Silver-Greenberg & Katie Thomas
The New York Times
Originally posted 1 September 24
Acadia Healthcare is one of America’s largest chains of psychiatric hospitals. Since the pandemic exacerbated a national mental health crisis, the company’s revenue has soared. Its stock price has more than doubled.
But a New York Times investigation found that some of that success was built on a disturbing practice: Acadia has lured patients into its facilities and held them against their will, even when detaining them was not medically necessary.
In at least 12 of the 19 states where Acadia operates psychiatric hospitals, dozens of patients, employees and police officers have alerted the authorities that the company was detaining people in ways that violated the law, according to records reviewed by The Times. In some cases, judges have intervened to force Acadia to release patients.
Some patients arrived at emergency rooms seeking routine mental health care, only to find themselves sent to Acadia facilities and locked in.
A social worker spent six days inside an Acadia hospital in Florida after she tried to get her bipolar medications adjusted. A woman who works at a children’s hospital was held for seven days after she showed up at an Acadia facility in Indiana looking for therapy. And after police officers raided an Acadia hospital in Georgia, 16 patients told investigators that they had been kept there “with no excuses or valid reason,” according to a police report.
Here are some thoughts:
Acadia Healthcare, a leading provider of psychiatric hospitals in the United States, has seen significant revenue growth amid the ongoing mental health crisis. However, an investigation by The New York Times revealed that the company has been accused of detaining patients against their will, even when it wasn't medically necessary.
The investigation uncovered numerous instances where patients, employees, and police officers reported Acadia's practices violating the law. Patients were often held for longer than necessary, sometimes for financial reasons rather than medical ones. Some patients were even lured into facilities under false pretenses.
Despite the allegations, Acadia has maintained that its practices are driven by medical necessity and patient safety. However, the company has faced multiple investigations and settlements related to its practices.
The investigation raises serious questions about the quality of care provided by for-profit psychiatric hospitals and the potential for abuse when financial incentives outweigh patient needs.
