Plans have been announced to overhaul the mental health system – with the aim of making it less discriminatory towards black people. Ministers say changes to how people are sectioned in England and Wales will see them treated “as individuals, with rights, preferences, and expertise”. Black people are over four times more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act, relative to population. The mental health charity Mind said the changes “cannot come soon enough.”
“We need to bring mental health laws into the 21st Century,” said Health Secretary Matt Hancock. “I want to ensure our health service works for all, yet the Mental Health Act is now 40 years old. “This is a significant moment in how we support those with serious mental health issues, which will give people more autonomy over their care and will tackle disparities for all who access services – in particular for people from minority ethnic backgrounds.”
The reforms will also ensure that autism or a learning disability cannot be a reason for detaining someone under the act. In future, a clinician will have to identify another psychiatric condition to order their detention.
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-55639104
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