Psychiatric Hospitals Closing, Legislative Reforms and ECT Exposed
CCHR International’s continued advocacy against psychiatric abuses is driving measurable change in government, the courts, and the public sphere.
| Psychiatric Hospital Closures Following Abuse Scandals CCHR International’s relentless work to expose abuse and neglect in the for-profit psychiatric hospital industry is continuing to bring real results. These aren’t small, local clinics — they’re chains of psychiatric hospitals owned by large corporations that make billions each year from government and insurance payments for mental health treatment. One of the biggest is Acadia Healthcare, which owns and operates hundreds of psychiatric and behavioral centers across the U.S. and abroad. For years, CCHR International has filed tens of thousands of complaints against such facilities including Acadia with healthcare and fraud oversight bodies, citing patient abuse, neglect, and dangerous conditions. Increasingly, media investigations and government actions have confirmed the same problems CCHR has been documenting. Case in point: In just the past week, media reports confirm that five Acadia-owned facilities are now being shut down after repeated state violations and community complaints. These closures reflect the same pattern of abuse and neglect that CCHR International has long exposed within the for-profit psychiatric industry. |
| Driving Legislative Reform on Psych Drugs and Violence CCHR International has been at the forefront of exposing the link between psychiatric drugs and violence for decades. As far back as 1993, CCHR helped organize a landmark hearing before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on the connection between the newer antidepressants and incidents of suicide and violence. Since then, CCHR International has continued to lead public awareness efforts through national television exposés and broad distribution of its 69-page booklet, Psychiatric Drugs: Create Violence & Suicide – School Shootings & Other Acts of Senseless Violence, which has been provided to law enforcement agencies, state and federal legislators, and healthcare oversight bodies. In recent years, several major influencers and leading podcasters have begun raising similar questions about the role of psychiatric drugs in acts of senseless violence. Reflecting this growing concern, several states have introduced bills to investigate the issue further—and one state has already enacted a law requiring toxicology testing on any mass shooter. CCHR International staff continue to work closely with its allies and state legislators to advance these efforts and ensure this vital issue receives the full investigation it deserves. CCHR’s Progress towards Ban on Electroshock CCHR’s campaign to expose electroshock’s devastating effects on the brain is gaining powerful traction—in courts, the media, and among human rights advocates worldwide. In a recent Nebraska court case challenging the safety of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) devices, the court acknowledged evidence that echoes what CCHR has warned for decades: ECT causes brain damage and permanent memory loss. The decision credited testimony from respected medical experts confirming that the seizures produced by ECT are not therapeutic—they are signs of brain injury. Most importantly, the court recognized that permanent memory loss is brain damage—a landmark validation of CCHR’s position and an encouraging step toward the global ban we are fighting for. Public outrage is also mounting. The Times (UK) recently exposed that more than 1,000 patients in Scotland were forced to undergo ECT against their will under the Mental Health Act, despite well-documented risks of memory loss, seizures, and heart complications. This revelation has sparked calls for the practice to be suspended—further proof that the tide is turning against electroshock. With these hard-won advances—from exposing the dangers of psychiatric drugs and electroshock to prompting long-overdue government action—CCHR International’s work is making a real difference. Your continued support ensures we can keep driving reform, protect patients, and hold this industry accountable. Donate to CCHR International Donate to CCHR St. Louis |