Psychiatric hospitals, otherwise known as mental institutions or psychiatric wards (“psych” wards) are usually a sub-unit of a regular hospital or are wards specializing in the treatment of serious psychological disorders, such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, clinical depression, PTSD, psychotic disorders, etc. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely depending upon population and the severity of the disorders. Some hospitals may specialize in the permanent or temporary care of residents who, as a result of a psychological disorder, require routine treatment, assistance, monitoring, or a controlled and specialized environment, while others may specialize in short-term or outpatient therapy of low-risk patients. Patients are often admitted on a voluntary basis, but if an individual’s psychiatrist or parents believe they may pose some kind of danger to themselves or others they might be involuntarily committed into a psych ward.
