Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
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Mental health legislation and human rights
- Author:
- WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
- Publisher:
- World Health Organization
- Publication year:
- 2003
- Pagination:
- 49p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- Geneva
Mental health legislation is necessary for protecting the rights of people with mental disorders, who are a vulnerable section of society. They face stigma, discrimination and marginalization in all societies, and this increases the likelihood that their human rightswill be violated. Mental disorders can sometimes affect people’s decision-making capacities and they may not always seek or accept treatment for their problems. Rarely, people with mental disorders may pose a risk to themselves and others because of impaired decision-making abilities. The risk of violence or harm associated with mental disorders is relatively small. Common misconceptions on this matter should not be allowed to influence mental health legislation. Mental health legislation can provide a legal framework for addressing critical issues such as the community integration of persons with mental disorders, the provision of care of high quality, the improvement of access to care, the protection of civil rights and the protection and promotion of rights in other critical areas such as housing, education and employment. Legislation can also play an important role in promoting mental health and preventing mental disorders. Mental health legislation is thus more than care and treatment legislation that is narrowly limited to the provision of treatment in institution-based health services. Part of a series on good practice in mental health care.
Advocacy for mental health
- Author:
- WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
- Publisher:
- World Health Organization
- Publication year:
- 2003
- Pagination:
- 54p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- Geneva
Mental health advocacy is a relatively new concept, developed with a view to reducing stigma and discrimination, and promoting the human rights of people with mental disorders. It consists of various actions aimed at changing the major structural and attitudinal barriers to achieving positive mental health outcomes in populations. This module draws attention to the importance of advocacy in mental health policy and service development. The roles of various mental health groups in advocacy are outlined. Practical steps are then recommended, indicating how ministries of health can support advocacy. Part of a series on good practice in mental health care.
Ethical dilemmas of practicing social workers around psychiatric medication: results of a national study
- Authors:
- WALSH Joseph, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work in Mental Health, 1(4), 2003, pp.91-105.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
It is acknowledged that social workers in mental health and other settings routinely experience client-related ethical dilemmas. Describes the results of a national survey of practicing social workers in the USA regarding the nature of ethical dilemmas they face related to their work with clients on medication issues. The results make it clear that social workers regularly confront a variety of ethical dilemmas in this type of practice. Many of these dilemmas are related to ambiguities around the knowledge base of practice, appropriate roles of providers, and basic personal and professional values. Presents implications of these findings for social work practice and further research. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
Carers' and users' expectations of services - carer version (CUES-C): a new instrument to support the assessment of carers of people with a severe mental illness
- Authors:
- LELLIOTT Paul, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Mental Health, 12(2), April 2003, pp.143-152.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- London
Carers of people with a severe mental illness often experience health and social problems themselves. In the UK, carers now have a statutory right to an assessment of their needs. The aim was to develop a brief instrument to identify and measure the experience of those caring for people with a severe mental illness across the range of domains that the carers themselves consider important. Potential domains were identified from published and 'grey' literature and refined through consultation with carers. Pilots and field trials of the resulting draft instrument involved a total of 412 carers. Principal components analysis yielded factors relating to impact of caring and the quality of support provided for carers. Test-retest reliabilities for all items were moderately good or better. The great majority of 75 carers, who gave structured feedback, found they could follow the instructions for the instrument and 90% thought the length was 'about right'. CUES-C could be used as part of the carers' assessment. The instrument does cover the domains that carers value, is acceptable to carers and has reasonable test-retest reliability.
The development of potential models of advance directives in mental health care
- Authors:
- ATKINSON Jacqueline M, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Mental Health, 12(6), December 2003, pp.575-584.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- London
The review of mental health law in the UK has involved consideration of mechanisms for advance directives in mental health care. The aim was to develop potential models of advance directives based on the views of stakeholders in mental health services in Scotland. Focus groups and individual interviews were conducted with service users, professionals and carers who had an interest in advance directives. Leaflets and policy documents from campaign groups and voluntary organisations were collected and along with data generated in interview and group discussion were analysed for themes. Six potential models were developed that highlighted the overarching themes of co-operation versus autonomy and the legal status of any directive. There is a wide variety of opinion about what advance directives could or should bring to mental health care, they are not all achievable through the use of any one model.
A lost opportunity
- Authors:
- GOSTIN Lawrence, McHALE Jean
- Journal article citation:
- Openmind, 123, September 2003, pp.18-19.
- Publisher:
- MIND
Presents a critical evaluation of the governments draft mental health bill.
Consent in psychiatry: an ethical review
- Author:
- LEPPING Peter
- Journal article citation:
- Psychiatric Bulletin, 27(8), August 2003, pp.285-289.
- Publisher:
- Royal College of Psychiatrists
The aim of this article is to give a historical overview of the concept of consent to treatment and its development - one of the most important ethical and legal issues in recent years. Despite its importance, certain circumstances limit the patient’s right to consent to treatment. It is therefore not an absolute construct, but needs to be examined carefully on an individual basis. Consent can be express, tacit, implied or presumed. It can be more or less informed and it includes the notion of refusal as well as permission. If consent is given to a procedure or participation in research in an informed way, it implies that one is competent to act, receives a thorough disclosure of benefits and risks, comprehends the disclosures, acts voluntarily and consents to the intervention.
Who says?
- Author:
- -
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health Today, March 2003, pp.10-11.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Place of publication:
- Hove
Discusses pressure from the Making Decisions Alliance, on the government to do more in its legislation to govern decision making and mental incapacity.
Pure madness: how fear drives the mental health system
- Author:
- LAURANCE Jeremy
- Publisher:
- Routledge
- Publication year:
- 2003
- Pagination:
- 198p.
- Place of publication:
- London
The author argues that growing dissatisfaction with the medically dominated mental health care service is fuelling demands from mentally ill people for less coercion and more involvement in care. However the government has responded with an authoritarian heavy handed approach that risks driving away users from services. Unless the government strikes a balance between care and control the risk of tragedy will increase.
Issues in the development of advance directives in mental health care
- Authors:
- ATKINSON Jacqueline, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Mental Health, 12(5), October 2003, pp.463-474.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- London
Interest in advance directives in mental health care is growing internationally. There is no clear universal agreement as to what such an advance directive is or how it should function. The aim was to describe the range of issues embodied in the development of advance directives in mental health care. The literature on advance directives is examined to highlight the pros and cons of different versions of advance directive. Themes emerged around issues of terminology, competency and consent, the legal status of advance directives independent or collaborative directives and their content. Opinions vary between a unilateral legally enforceable instrument to a care plan agreed between patient and clinician. There is immediate appeal in a liberal democracy that values individual freedom and autonomy in giving weight to advance directives in mental health care. They do not, however, solve all the problems of enforced treatment and early access to treatment. They also raise new issues and highlight persistent problems.