Richie Incognito -- Admitted to Psychiatric Care Center ... Family, Friends Concerned

Richie Incognito was admitted to a psychiatric care unit in Arizona late Thursday night ... TMZ Sportshas learned.

Our sources tell us ... Incognito did not voluntarily admit himself and the Scottsdale PD filled out a petition to have Incognito admitted to the facility.

Scottsdale PD will not comment on the situation due to HIPAA laws (patient privacy rights).

We're told ... standard operating procedure is that the PD petition requires a detailed description of at least two incidents that show psychiatric instability, however Scottsdale PD has not confirmed this is the case with Incognito.

We already know Incognito admitted taking a baseball bat to his own Ferrari -- unclear if that incident was listed on the petition.

Sources connected to the situation tell us ... Incognito didn't resist ... and acknowledges that he needs help dealing with all of the drama in his life.

Besides being the focus of a 5 month NFL investigation where he's accused of bullying Jonathan Martin, Incognito's parents are also in the middle of a divorce.

We're told Incognito is being held at the facility until a bed opens up at a nearby hospital ... where he can undergo an evaluation by a mental health professional.

We spoke to several people close to Incognito who tell us they've been very concerned about Richie in recent days and were hoping he would get help.