Divided into sections or parts; in legal/medical terms, officially confined or committed (especially in mental health contexts).
From 'section,' derived from Latin 'secare' (to cut). The '-ed' suffix marks the past tense. In British law, 'sectioned' specifically refers to being committed under sections of the Mental Health Act.
The term 'sectioned' in British law refers to specific numbered sections of the Mental Health Act—a person can be 'sectioned under Section 2' or 'Section 3,' each meaning different lengths of hospital stays, showing how language intersects with law and healthcare!
In UK psychiatric law, 'sectioned' (involuntary hospitalization) disproportionately affected women historically, particularly for moral/sexual 'unfitness' rather than medical grounds. Gender bias embedded in diagnostic and application practices.
Use precise legal term when applicable; otherwise prefer 'hospitalized,' 'admitted under mental health protocols,' or specific statutory reference.
["hospitalized","admitted involuntarily","detained under mental health law"]
Women's psychiatric institutionalization—often for social control—was systematically underreported in medical history until feminist scholarship recovered these accounts.
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