Mental Health Act
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Mental Health Act 1983: law under which a person can be admitted, detained, treated in hospital against their wishes.
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Applicable in England and Wales
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The act is composed of: rights that patients have whilst they’re detained, how they can be discharged from hospital, and aftercare that they recieve.
What is a mental disorder?
Under the Mental Health Act 2007 a mental disorder is defined as: “any disorder or disability of mind”.
This includes conditions such as the following: schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, OCD, eating disorders, autistic spectrum disorder, dementia, behavioural changes due to the brain injury and mental disorders due to drug use.
Learning disability is only included if it’s associated with ABNORMALLY AGGRESSIVE or SERIOUSLY IRRESPONSIBLE behaviour.
What patients recieve help under the mental health act?
The majority of psychiatric patient recieiving treatment have ususally consented to do so and are known as informal patients. However there are patients who must bedetained and treated against their will in order to prevent harmto themselves or others known as being "sectioned". These patients are known as informal patients.
The document titled "What happens in which section?" gives a clear picture of what happens to patients depending on their situation, and what rights they are entitled to. Click on the document below to learn more.
