5150
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | California Welfare and Institutions Code section 5150 (involuntary psychiatric hold) |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Medical, Government & Politics |
5150 has two meanings. It stands for California Welfare and Institutions Code section 5150 (involuntary psychiatric hold) (mental health & psychiatry) or Involuntary psychiatric hold (California Welfare and Institutions Code section 5150) (police code).
Meanings of 5150 at a glance
| # | 5150 stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California Welfare and Institutions Code section 5150 (involuntary psychiatric hold) | Medical › Mental Health & Psychiatry |
| 2 | Involuntary psychiatric hold (California Welfare and Institutions Code section 5150) | Government & Politics › Police Code |
1. California Welfare and Institutions Code section 5150 (involuntary psychiatric hold)
Medical · Mental Health & Psychiatry Abbreviations
California law allowing designated professionals and police to place a person who, because of a mental health disorder, is a danger to self or others or gravely disabled into a psychiatric facility for up to 72 hours of evaluation and treatment. The number is widely used as slang for the hold itself.
Example: Patient brought in on a 5150 for danger to self after overdose; evaluation within 72 hours.
The section comes from the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act, signed in 1967. A 5250 is a subsequent 14-day certification for intensive treatment. California broadened the definition of grave disability in 2023 to include certain severe substance use disorders. Other states use different statute numbers for similar holds, and the term appears frequently in films and music.
2. Involuntary psychiatric hold (California Welfare and Institutions Code section 5150)
Government & Politics · Police Code Abbreviations
Section of California law that allows police and designated professionals to place a person who is a danger to themselves or others, or gravely disabled, in an involuntary psychiatric hold for up to 72 hours. "5150" is also used as slang for someone considered mentally unstable.
Example: Officers placed the man on a 5150 hold after he threatened to jump from the overpass.
The law dates from the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act of 1967. Van Halen named its 1986 album "5150" after the code. Other states have their own statutes, such as Florida's Baker Act. Using the number as an insult has been criticized as stigmatizing mental illness.
Related abbreviations
More mental health & psychiatry abbreviations
- ACEs – Adverse childhood experiences
- ACT – Acceptance and commitment therapy
- ADD – Attention deficit disorder
- ADHD – Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
- AH – Auditory hallucinations
- AIMS – Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale
- AN – Anorexia nervosa
- AOT – Assisted outpatient treatment
See all 100 mental health & psychiatry abbreviations →
More police code abbreviations
- 10-1 – Receiving poorly
- 10-10 – Fight in progress
- 10-100 – Restroom break
- 10-13 – Weather and road report
- 10-16 – Domestic problem
- 10-17 – Meet complainant
- 10-18 – Quickly
- 10-19 – Return to station
See all 49 police code abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.