Mental health, human rights and social inclusion for adults and children

Date09 May 2016
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/MHSI-02-2016-0008
Published date09 May 2016
Pages67-73
AuthorSue Holttum
Subject MatterHealth & social care,Mental health,Social inclusion
Mental health, human rights and social
inclusion for adults and children
Sue Holttum
Sue Holttum is a Senior
Lecturer at Salomons Centre
for Applied Psychology,
Canterbury Christ Church
University, Southborough, UK.
Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to consider three recent papers relating to human rights and
applicable to adults or children given mental health diagnoses.
Design/methodology/approach The first paper discussed how to measure progress in different
countries in their policy changes to abide by the UN Convention on rights of persons with disabilities, and
discussed how all relevant groups could be involved. The second paper consideredthe problem of childrens
rights being eroded by overuse of the mental health diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD) when they are restless. The third paper reported on an evaluation of how well advocacy services are
enabling people who are sectioned to have a say in their care.
Findings When assessing how well countries are doing in ensuring the rights of people with disabilities, the
first papers authors concluded that all groups must participate inthe evaluation, even though there are many
different agendas. The second paper reported on how professionals and parents could come to a shared
understanding of how children might be wrongly given a diagnosis of ADHD and jointly suggested some
solutions. The third paper illustrated how important advocacy is, and the difference it can make to the lives of
people who are sectioned.
Originality/value The first papers authors are engaged in ground-breaking research to assess whether
disabled peoples rights under the UN Convention are being honoured. The second paper raised vital
questions about the misuse of diagnosis, contravening the UN Convention on the rights of the child, and
illustrated how parents and professionals can come together in support of these rights. The third paper
reported on the first systematic national study on the implementation of advocacy services to defend the
rights of people who are sectioned to have a say in their care.
Keywords Mental health service users, Children, Advocacy, Human rights, Mental Health Act, Diagnosis
Paper type Viewpoint
Introduction
In this paper I discuss three recent papers. The first poses some questions about how different
countries can address the human rights of people with disabilities (which includes people with
mental health diagnoses) to be full participants in society. The second paper reports on
participatory research looking at how childrens rights can be better respected in relation to
mental health diagnostic practices. The third paper reports on advocates in mental health, who
support people detained or treated in England under the Mental Health Act, promoting their right
to have a say in their treatment.
The rights of people with disabilities
Sherlaw and Hudebine (2015) suggest that the United Nations Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities (United Nations Organisation, 2006) can be used by different nations to
DOI 10.1108/MHSI-02-2016-0008 VOL. 20 NO. 2 2016, pp. 67-73, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 2042-8308
j
MENTALHEALTH AND SOCIAL INCLUSION
j
PAG E 67

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