An article from The New York Times reports on Acadia Healthcare, based in Franklin, Tennessee…
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.