Will Britney Spears Place a Call to Thomas Szasz?

Nick Gillespie | January 31, 2008

Pop diva (whatever that means!) Britney Spears is back in the hospital, this time apparently committed for psychological evaluation by her doctor and/or family:

Los Angeles Police officers physically removed pop star Britney Spears from her home early today, placing the troubled celebrity on a "mental health evaluation hold," authorites said....

This is the second time in a month that Spears has been placed on a 72-hour welfare hold. The first occurred on Jan. 3, when Spears declined to give up custody of her children to ex-husband Kevin Federline.

More here.

I am curious as to what Hit & Run readers--and the wide, wide world, too, of course--think generally about the topic of involuntary commitment. Is it ever justified? If so, when? And if so, shouldn't Britney have been committed at some point before or at the very latest during her infamous Video Music Awards number?

reason on the topic here.

Brian Doherty on the chilling catalog of mental-health industry abuses Mad in America here.

Jacob Sullum interviewed contributing editor and arch-critic of the "medicalization" of American life, Tom Szasz, in 2000. Whether you agree with Szasz in part or whole or not at all, that Q&A is well worth reading.