insanity
Let an agent explain insanity as a historical medical and current legal concept, describe legal tests of criminal responsibility and capacity across jurisdictions in general terms, note why the term is avoided clinically, and route people in crisis to emergency services and helplines first.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify
Researched by: Claude
Purpose and description
Let an agent explain insanity as a historical medical and current legal concept, describe legal tests of criminal responsibility and capacity across jurisdictions in general terms, note why the term is avoided clinically, and route people in crisis to emergency services and helplines first.
A historical and legal term for severe mental disturbance, formerly used in medicine for conditions now described as psychiatric disorders and now largely confined to law, where insanity denotes a mental state that removes criminal responsibility or legal capacity under tests such as the McNaughton rules, and to everyday and figurative speech; the term is considered outdated and stigmatising in clinical contexts, and people in mental health crisis should be directed to emergency and support services.
What it is for: Historical and legal concept of severe mental disturbance.
It can be explain historical and legal senses; describe legal tests generally; note stigma and terminology; route crises first.
Distinguishing features
Legal rather than clinical
Historical baggage
Jurisdiction-specific tests
Stigmatising in clinical use
What it looks like
Not physical; a legal and historical category.
How it is recognised
Legal term for a mental state removing responsibility
Historical medical term, figurative usage
Psychiatric diagnoses are clinical; capacity and fitness to plead are related legal concepts
Related models
is a kind of - category
is related to - a clinical condition sometimes relevant to legal insanity
is related to - a condition relevant to capacity
is related to - judicial roles applying legal tests
In practice
Families and kinds
insanity in criminal law
insanity and civil capacity
historical medical concepts of insanity
figurative and everyday uses
terms in other languages and legal systems
Standards and regulation
Criminal law tests of insanity and responsibility
Mental capacity legislation
Clinical terminology guidelines
Failure modes and hazards
Failing to route people in crisis to help
Using the term for people with mental illness
Agents giving legal or clinical advice
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Also registered as vr.tr.insanity
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.
Safety Safety first.
Crisis routing.
Crisis
Crisis.
Crisis
Crisis.
- Is the user or someone else in mental health crisis or at risk, requiring emergency services or a helpline now? boundary
- Which entry fits crisis helplines for the user country? action
Terminology
Terminology.
Terminology
Terminology.
- Why is insanity avoided in clinical contexts, and what language do health organisations recommend? provenance
- Is the presentation respectful and non-stigmatising? boundary
Law Legal concept.
General information.
Criminal
Criminal responsibility.
Criminal
Criminal.
- How do legal tests such as the McNaughton rules define insanity for criminal responsibility, in general terms across jurisdictions? provenance
- Is the user asking about a specific case, which needs a lawyer? boundary
Capacity
Capacity and civil law.
Capacity
Capacity.
- How do capacity and fitness to plead differ from the insanity defence? provenance
- Which entry fits mental capacity law? action
History History of the concept.
Scholarship.
Medical
Historical medicine.
Medical
Medical.
- How was insanity understood and treated historically, and how did psychiatry replace the term? provenance
- Which entry fits the history of psychiatry? action
Debates
Debates.
Debates
Debates.
- What debates exist about the insanity defence and its reform, with positions attributed? provenance
- Is the presentation neutral? boundary
Learn Culture and teaching.
Education.
Culture
In culture and language.
Culture
Culture.
- How is the term used figuratively and in culture, and how does this affect stigma? provenance
- Which references are standard? provenance
Teach
Teaching.
Teach
Teaching.
- How can the legal concept be taught alongside modern mental health understanding? action
- Which misconceptions arise? provenance
What the second pass must settle
- Should the insanity defence be a separate entry?
- How should crisis services be linked by country?
- How should terminology guidance be linked?