Human rights framework: An ethical imperative for psychiatry

Abstract

Mental health legislation, policy and practice can affect human rights (Dudley et al., 2012). This intersection of human rights and mental health has been a subject of considerable attention recently. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), 2006 highlighted the issue of human rights of people with mental disabilities by including mental disabilities in its ambit. It is imperative for the profession of psychiatry to adopt human rights discourse into its training, practice and language, to champion the goals of mental health promotion and advocacy. This would involve a comprehensive understanding of contemporary human rights framework adopted by the CRPD and its implications for involuntary treatment and economic, social and cultural rights of people with mental disabilities.