Mischa Barton's Health Improving—but How's Her Outlook Doing?

Actress is still being treated for undisclosed medical issues, but rep says she plans on heading back to work next week

By Natalie Finn Jul 21, 2009 11:26 PMTags
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Here's hoping Mischa Barton's head is feeling better.

With regard to the undisclosed condition that landed her in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's psychiatric department last week, rep Craig Schneider told E! News Tuesday that the troubled 23-year-old is "improving and still under care, with the intentions of being able to resume production on The Beautiful Life next week."

Interestingly, the start of production on the hotties-with-issues drama was pushed back from July 22 to July 31—but not because of Barton, the network insisted.

A CW rep told E! News yesterday that sets are still being built and the delay had nothing to do its recently rehabbed star, who plays a supermodel struggling to stay on top of her game in the face of fierce competition.

Yeah, yeah, we'll say it... ironic.

Meanwhile, Schneider has had no comment on the root of the problem, i.e. why exactly the former O.C. star was placed on an involuntary psychiatric hold last Wednesday, or on whether doctors opted to keep Barton hospitalized past the requisite 72 hours of the original evaluation period.

A source who spoke to Barton just hours before she was hospitalized tells E! News that the starlet was acting increasingly erratic.

Theories on what's ailing her have ranged from self-esteem issues to an eating disorder to substance abuse.

But since it's hard to know exactly which stresses lurk in the brains of those whose every move, outfit and attitude is subject to scrutiny, we'll just send some general get-well vibes her way.

'Cause either way, issues are issues.

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Watch a clip of Mischa in The Beautiful Life, premiering Sept. 16 on the CW, right here.