INSTITUTIONALIZATION AGAINST THE RIGHT TO THE CITY: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW ON THE INVOLUNTARY COMMITMENT OF VULNERABLE POPULATIONS

Abstract

This article sought to discuss the involuntary commitment of vulnerable individuals, considering its relationship with urban exclusion, Human Rights, and the guidelines of the Brazilian Psychiatric Reform. The study stems from the case of a woman experiencing homelessness subjected to involuntary commitment in Curitiba, analyzing how coercive measures can be used as instruments of control and urban cleansing. To this end, an integrative literature review was conducted, surveying national articles published between 2020 and 2025 on the CAPES Periodicals Portal, using descriptors related to involuntary commitment, mental health, social vulnerability, social exclusion, and Human Rights. The results showed that involuntary commitment can contribute to social segregation and the violation of the autonomy and fundamental rights of vulnerable populations, identifying cases of commitments authorized without a detailed medical report and without exhausting community-based network resources. It concludes that such practices diverge from the principles of the Psychiatric Reform and care in freedom, reinforcing the need for comprehensive public policies, the strengthening of the territorial mental health network, and the guarantee of the right to the city and citizenship.