If decision making power is returned, and an individual is confident the advance directive will be followed, some persons with mental illness indicated an increased willingness to agree to voluntary intensive psychiatric care. Advance directives may also improve the quality of health care received by people with mental illness because it can identify for mental health providers the types of medical intervention which have been most beneficial when past crisis situations have arisen. An advance directive may also improve the quality of care because it offers a vehicle for sharing information that would normally be unavailable to personnel. One benefit of improved care is that an individual may be less likely to need hospitalization or, if hospitalization is necessary, the rate of stay may be reduced. A fiscal and administrative benefit results from the existence of an advance directive because it shortens the time spent litigating issues related to civil commitment and forced treatment.
Advance directives can be a real tool for empowering individuals with mental illness.
However, in some states the advance directive statute itself sets up barriers to effective use. Every state requires some degree of formality in the execution of an advance directive. In many states there is a mandatory form which must be used for the document to be valid.