MENTAL HEALTH LEGISLATION: DOES IT PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15270/48-1-104Abstract
The International Federation of Social Work places a concern with human rights and social justice at the core of its definition of social work. Social work values are based on “respect for the equality, dignity and worth of all people” (IFSW, 2000), and social work practice has a special concern for vulnerable and oppressed people. People with mental health problems are amongst the most vulnerable members of society and in South Africa they comprise a considerable proportion of our society. According to the South African Stress and Health Survey (Herman, Steyn, Seedat, Heeringa, Moonal & Williams, 2009), the lifetime prevalence for any mental health problems in South Africa is 30.3% and neuropsychiatric disorders rank third in their contribution to the burden of disease in South Africa (Bradshaw, Norman & Schneider, 2007).Downloads
References
BETANCOURT, O.A. & HERRERA, M.M. 2010. Editorial. Community rehabilitation for schizophrenia patients: is it feasible in South Africa? South African Journal of Psychiatry, 16(3):66-68.
BOTHA, U.A., KOEN, L., JOSKA, J.A., HERING, L.M. & OOSTHUIZEN, P.P. 2010. Assessing the efficacy of a modified assertive community-based treatment programme in a developing country. BMC Psychiatry, 10:73. doi:10.1186/1471-244X-10-73. [Online] Available: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-244X/10/73. [Accessed: 05/06/2011].
BRADSHAW, D., NORMAN, R. & SCHNEIDER, M. 2007. Editorial. A clarion call for action based on refined DALY estimates for South Africa. South African Medical Journal, 97:438-440.
BURNS, J.K. 2008. Implementation of the Mental Health Care Act (2002) at district hospitals in South Africa: Translating principles into practice. South African Medical Journal, 98(1):46-51.
BURNS, J.K. 2009. Mental health and inequity: A human rights approach to inequality, discrimination and mental disability. Health and Human Rights, 11(2):19-31.
BURNS, J.K. 2010. Mental health services funding and development in KwaZulu-Natal: a tale of inequity and neglect. South African Medical Journal, 100(10):62-66.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. 1997. White Paper for the Transformation of the Health System in South Africa. Pretoria: Government Gazette.
EMSLEY, R. 2001. Focus on psychiatry in South Africa. British Journal of Psychiatry, 178:382-386.
FREEMAN, M. 2002. New mental health legislation in South Africa – principles and practicalities: A view from the Department of Health. South African Psychiatry Review, 5(3):4-8.
HAMBER, B. & ROCK, B. 1993. Mental health and human rights: In search of context, consequence and effective care. Rethinking Rights, 1:72-91. [Online] Available: http://www. csvr.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1664%3Amental-health-and-human-rights-in-search-of-context-consequence-and-effective-care&Itemid=2 [Accessed: 15/04/2011].
HERMAN, H.A., STEYN, D.J., SEEDAT, S., HEERINGA, S.G., MOONAL, H. & WILLIAMS, D.R. 2009. The South African Stress and Health (SASH) study: 12 month and lifetime prevalence of common mental disorders. South African Medical Journal, 99(5):339-344.
HUNT, P. & MESQUITA, J. 2006. Mental disabilities and the human right to the highest attainable standard of health. Human Rights Quarterly, 28 (2):332-56.
IFSW. 2000. Definition of social work [Online] Available: http://www.ifsw.org/ f38000138.html. [Accessed: 15/04/2011].
JANSE VAN RENSBURG, A.B.R. 2007. A framework for current public mental health care practice in South Africa. African Journal of Psychiatry, 10(4):205-209.
JANSE VAN RENSBURG, B. 2005. Community placement and re-integration of service users from long term mental health care facilities. South African Psychiatry Review, 8(3):100-103.
KALISKI, S. 2002. Commentary. South African Psychiatry Review, 5:8.
KOTZE, A.M.E., VAN DELFT, W.F. & ROSS, J.L. 2010. Continuity of care of outpatients with schizophrenia in Pretoria. South African Journal of Psychiatry, 16(3):80-83.
KRÜGER, C. & LEWIS, C. 2011. Patient and social work factors related to successful placement of long-term psychiatric in-patients from a specialist psychiatric hospital in South Africa. African Journal of Psychiatry, 14:120-129.
LAMB, R.H. 1985. The homeless mentally ill. Washington: American Psychiatric Association.
LUCAS, M., STEVENSON, D. & MERCY, W. 2005. Institutional victimisation in post-apartheid South Africa. South African Journal of Psychiatry, 11(3):90-94.
MINDE, M. 1975. History of mental health services in South Africa. Part VII. Services since union. South African Medical Journal, 49(11):405-409.
MKHIZE, D.L. 2007. Human rights abuses at a psychiatric hospital in KwaZulu-Natal. South African Journal of Psychiatry, 13(4):137-142.
MKHIZE, N. & KOMETSI, M.J. 2008. Community access to mental health services: Lessons and recommendations. In: BARRON, P. & ROMA-REARDON, J. (eds) South African Health Review. Health Systems Trust. [Online] Available: http://www.hst.org.za/ publications/south-african-health-review-2008. [Accessed: 15/04/2011].
MOOSA, M.Y.H. & JEENAH, F.Y. 2008. Community psychiatry: an audit of the services in Southern Gauteng. South African Journal of Psychiatry, 14(2):36-43.
MOOSA, M.Y.H. & JEENAH, F.Y. 2010. A review of the applications for involuntary admissions made to the mental health review boards by institutions in Gauteng in 2008. South African Medical Journal, 16(4):125-130.
PERKINS, R.E. & PEPPER, J.M. 2001. Exclusive language. In: MASON, T., CARLISLE, C., WATKINS, C. & WHITEHEAD, E. (eds) Stigma and social exclusion in health care. London: Routledge.
PETERSEN, I., BHANA, A., CAMPBELL-HALL, V., MJADU, S., LUND, C., KLEINTJIES, S., HOSEGOOD, V., FLISHER, A.J. & THE MENTAL HEALTH AND POVERTY RESEARCH PROGRAMME CONSORTIUM. 2009. Planning for district mental health
services in South Africa: a situational analysis of a rural district site. Health and Policy Planning, 24(2):140-150.
PILLAY, A.L. & LOCKHAT, M.R. 1997. Developing community mental health services for children in South Africa. Social Science and Medicine, 45(10):1493-1501.
RAMLALL, S., CHIPPS, J. & MARS, M. 2010. Impact of the South African Mental Health Care Act, No 17 of 2002 on regional and district hospitals designated for mental health care in KwaZulu-Natal. South African Medical Journal, 100(10):667-670.
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA. 1973. The Mental Health Act, No 18 of 1973. [Online] Available: http://www.kznhealth.gov.za/mentalact1973.pdf. [Accessed: 12.04/2011].
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA. 2002. The Mental Health Care Act, No 17 of 2002. [Online] Available: http://www.info.gov.za/view/DownloadFileAction?id=68051. [Accessed: 12/04/2011].
SWARTZ, L., BREEN, A., FLISHER, A., JOSKA, J., CORRIGALL, J., PLAATJIES, L. & McDONALD, D.A. 2006. How depressing: poverty, mental health and municipal services in South Africa. Municipal services project. Occasional papers No 12. [Online] Available: http://www.municipalservicesproject.org/sites/default/files/PapersNo12_0.pdf. [Accessed: 15/04/2011].
SZABO, C.P. 2006. Editorial. The Mental Health Care Act: challenges and opportunities. South African Psychiatry Review, 9(1):1-5.
UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA. 1916. The Mental Disorders Act, No 38 of 1916. Uncertified copy available at South African National Legislation Index. [Online] Available: http://www.legalb.co.za/SA/SA-Nat-List-Date-1916.html. [Accessed: 15/04/2011].
UNITED NATIONS. 1991. Principles for the protection of persons with mental illness and the improvement of mental health care. Resolution 46/119 of 17 December 1991. [Online] Available: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/principles.htm. [Accessed: 15/04/2011].
VAN DEVENTER, C., COUPER, I., WRIGHT, A., TUMBO, J. & KYEYUNE, C. 2008. Evaluation of primary mental health care in North West province – a qualitative view. South African Journal of Psychiatry, 14(4):136-140.
VAN HEERDEN, M.S., HERING, L., DEAN, C. & STEIN, D. 2008. Providing psychiatric services in general medical settings in South Africa: mental health-friendly services in mental health-friendly hospitals. South African Journal of Psychiatry, 14(1):4-6.
WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION. 1996. Guidelines for the promotion of human rights of persons with mental disabilities. [Online] Available: http://www.who.int/mental_health/ policy/legislation/guidelines_promotion.pdf [Accessed: 15/04/2011].
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This journal is an open access journal, and the authors and journal should be properly acknowledged when works are cited.
Authors may use the publishers version for teaching purposes, in books, and with conferences.
The following license applies:
Attribution CC BY-4.0
This license lets others distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon your work, even commercially, as long as they credit you for the original creation.
Articles as a whole may not be re-published with another journal.
