According to the Mental Health Act, what is the basis for detention under Section 19?

The basis for detention under Section 19 of the Mental Health Act is a certificate from a medical practitioner. This provision ensures that individuals can be detained for assessment and treatment when a qualified medical professional determines that they meet specific criteria indicative of a mental disorder that poses a risk to themselves or others. The requirement for a medical certificate emphasizes the importance of professional evaluation before any commitment is made, safeguarding the rights of individuals and ensuring that detentions are based on informed medical judgment.

Other options, while they may play a role in the broader context of mental health assessments or support, do not serve as the foundational legal basis for detention under Section 19. Individual admission decisions must always stem from professional assessments rather than informal communication from family or friends or reports from other parties like social workers, which lack the authoritative clinical evaluation necessary for such legal action.