For a client with major depression and psychotic features, what criterion makes them legally committable?

In cases of major depression with psychotic features, the criterion that makes a client legally committable is primarily the concept of being gravely disabled. This refers to an individual’s inability to provide for their basic personal needs for food, clothing, or shelter, which highlights a significant impairment in functioning. When an individual is gravely disabled, it indicates that their mental condition severely disrupts their ability to manage daily living activities, thus necessitating the need for involuntary commitment for their health and safety.

While evidence of psychosis, risk of harm to self or others, and a diagnosis of mental illness are important considerations in mental health evaluations, they do not solely warrant commitment under the legal standards in many jurisdictions. Risk of harm, for example, concerns potential safety threats but may not directly implicate the client's current ability to care for themselves. Therefore, when assessing the need for involuntary treatment, the gravely disabled status emphasizes the urgency and requirement for intervention to ensure the person's immediate welfare.