Hey there, I've been in a mental hospital about 4 times now. I have a steady job and none of them checked to see if I went into one or not. HIPAA protects that part, if you were getting a security clearance, then that would be a different story and they may ask more questions. Mental hospitals don't require you to be on medication or take any medications, but if you become unruly or a hazard to yourself and others, they'll tackle you, put you in a restraint chair, and inject you with a sedative. Some hospitals are public and some are private. The private ones tend to be a bit better treatment wise and have many activities, they also lessen the amount of violence that goes on and will intervene if another patient attacks you. In a public mental hospital, staff are not allowed to intervene if a patient attacks you. You are on your own to defend yourself against the attacker.