Did Mary Lincoln need committal?

[LincolnMan]

Good morning Eva:
Mary would not meet the criteria today for institutionalization. I have many patients whose baseline behaviors are just as severe and often worse than the ones we attribute to Mary- and they are living in the community. I do think Robert had good intentions. Maybe he thought that if his mother was formally placed in treatment- it would explain her behaviors-past and present- in a way to "save face" to the Lincoln legacy. Of course, I do also think he wanted genuinely to have his mother helped. The decision had to be extremely difficult for Robert- all things considered. I'm sure he did listen to the council of others, and, as Roger referenced, may have been duped. Such matters have no easy answers-and maybe Robert never imagined what the after effects would be. I deal with this all the time- families have their loved ones involuntarily psychiatrically hospitalized. Families want their loved ones to be safe and get better. Unfortunately, it often is the reality that the mentally ill loved one remains angry and resentful that their families had them committed. Very complex issues, indeed.