A tough choice between these opposing positions becomes even more difficult in the absence of good information. As the authors amply document, while our government collects data on literally thousands of topics, it maintains no national database on the number of people who are committed against their will to psychiatric facilities each year. Even worse, many states don't track their own commitment data. As the authors note, "Given the loss of liberty, the personal distress, and the stigma involved, this lack of data is astounding." https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-heated-battle-over-when-to-commit-a-patient-involuntarily-to-psychiatric-care/2016/10/21/98c1ee8e-7e8a-11e6-8d0c-fb6c00c90481_story.html?utm_term=.8096f993be29&wpisrc=nl_popns&wpmm=1 "People Who experience mood swings, fear, voices and visions"