Are human rights infringed in treatments for mental health?
Many situations experienced by people living with mental health problems involve human rights. However, there is little information available about human rights and how they relate to mental health. Too often, a person may not realise that they are able to do something about their situation, or even that there is something wrong with the way they are being treated. It is therefore vital that people living with mental health problems are able to access information about their human rights and challenge bad treatment. {BIHR, 2006, P.4}.
What are Human Rights?
The basic rights and freedoms, to which all humans are entitled, often held to include the right to life and liberty, freedom of thought and expression, and equality before the law. {American heritage, 2000}. The British Institute of Human Rights describe the relevance of human rights:
The Human Rights Act is vital to protecting the fundamental freedoms of everyone in society. The Act is particularly important for people with experience of mental distress, who are too often denied their human rights, such as the right not be discriminated against (article 14), the right to a private and family life (article 8), or, in extreme cases, the right to liberty (article 5), {Mind, 2013}.
People with mental health problems are usually denied these rights. They do not have a say in their treatment, it is believed that the professionals have to make decisions for them, in the name of ‘best interest’.
Human Rights and Mental Health
Mental health refers to our cognitive or emotional wellbeing - it is all about how we think, feel, and behave. Mental health, if somebody has it, can also mean an absence of a mental disorder. Approximately 25% of people in the UK have a mental health problem during their lives. {Medical, 2013}.
Mental disorder is defined as ‘any disorder or disability of mind '. This definition includes conditions such as schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety
What are Human Rights?
The basic rights and freedoms, to which all humans are entitled, often held to include the right to life and liberty, freedom of thought and expression, and equality before the law. {American heritage, 2000}. The British Institute of Human Rights describe the relevance of human rights:
The Human Rights Act is vital to protecting the fundamental freedoms of everyone in society. The Act is particularly important for people with experience of mental distress, who are too often denied their human rights, such as the right not be discriminated against (article 14), the right to a private and family life (article 8), or, in extreme cases, the right to liberty (article 5), {Mind, 2013}.
People with mental health problems are usually denied these rights. They do not have a say in their treatment, it is believed that the professionals have to make decisions for them, in the name of ‘best interest’.
Human Rights and Mental Health
Mental health refers to our cognitive or emotional wellbeing - it is all about how we think, feel, and behave. Mental health, if somebody has it, can also mean an absence of a mental disorder. Approximately 25% of people in the UK have a mental health problem during their lives. {Medical, 2013}.
Mental disorder is defined as ‘any disorder or disability of mind '. This definition includes conditions such as schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety
References: American Heritage, 2000. American Heritage dictionary of the English Language: Houghton Mifflin Company {Online}. Available at: {Accessed: 01 April 2013}. Daniel W., S., 1992. Attitudes towards the mentally ill: The effects of label and beliefs. {Online}. Available at:< http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/4121327?uid=3738032&> {Accessed: 30 March 2013}. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2013. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. {Online} London: Encyclopaedia Britannica {UK} Available at: {Accessed: 30 March 2013}. Jeff, L., Joseph R., Importance of Philosophy, 2001. Ethics. {Online}. Available at: {Accessed: 05 April 2013}. Medical News Today, 2013. What Is Mental Health? What Is Mental Disorder? [Online}. Available at: {Accessed: 01 April 2013}. Mind, 2013. The Human Rights Act. {Online}. Available at: {Accessed: 01 April 2013}. Quizlet, 2013. Ethical and Legal Issues in Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing {online}. Available at: {Accessed: 31 March 2013}. Who, 2006. Mental Health and Human Rights Project. {Online}. Available at: {Accessed: 30 March 2013}.