Well at the time she thought her daughter had something wrong with her, so I'm kind of on the fence about if she should be apologetic because if you think someone is having phycological problems making them get help is the right thing to do. so at the time she thought she was doing what was best.

But if she didn't say sorry they should at the very least have talked about it. The fact that it didn't even occur to Joyce to mention it, so she had clearly forgot all about having her own child sectioned reflects pretty badly on her.

Yeah, I am with Candrani. She was doing what she thought was best for her child but to be honest, she probably should have at least said "I apologise now but at the time, I thought it was best for you"

Yes I agree with the people above me ^

How would an apology sound like? "Oh Buffy, I'm so very sorry I wanted to do the thing that I thought was best for you, So so sorry I care for you" Come on.

Based on the information Joyce had at that time she only did what she thought was best and that's all you can ask of a mother. But I agree she should have talked about it with Buffy. Cause a mental institution isn't nothing and being there while you aren't "mental" is tough.

Of course, the real reason there was no apology scene nor any mention of it is that the idea of Buffy having been institutionalised only came into existence years later. Maybe there'd have been an apology in season 6 if Joyce had still been alive at the time.