I have often wondered these same things, but you would never be strip searched in a medical hospital. So why are they so different? Does mental illness make you a criminal? I don't think so. Not unless you are about to harm yourself or someone else, and when those questions are asked you should really ask specifics and decide what the "real" harm is. I remember arriving at the psych hospital, being strip searched, losing my possessions, and wondering how being a depressed outed lesbian made me a criminal. Chew on that one. Get back to me. Last I check being a depressed and outed lesbian was not a crime that would cause lock up, loss of possessions, and suicide watch (meaning someone watches you pee, shit, and shower).
