Citizenship rights and psychiatric disability.

J Chamberlin - Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 1998 - psycnet.apa.org
J Chamberlin
Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 1998psycnet.apa.org
Discussions of rights and rights protection for people labeled" mentally ill" are often termed"
the rights of the mentally ill," as if being" mentally ill," or carrying that label, means that this
group has special, or different rights than other people. The author argues that this is the
wrong way to think about rights. She discusses why the supposedly medical diagnosis of"
mental illness" carries with it such a profound effect on the rights of those so labeled and
contrasts it with the rights accorded those with physical disorders. She argues that …
Abstract
Discussions of rights and rights protection for people labeled" mentally ill" are often termed" the rights of the mentally ill," as if being" mentally ill," or carrying that label, means that this group has special, or different rights than other people. The author argues that this is the wrong way to think about rights. She discusses why the supposedly medical diagnosis of" mental illness" carries with it such a profound effect on the rights of those so labeled and contrasts it with the rights accorded those with physical disorders. She argues that paternalism is the ethical system that drives the involuntary commitment, forced treatment, and psychiatric control over decision making of the" mentally ill." In conclusion, she notes the gains made by the patients' movement, but believes there is still a long way to go to reach the goals of full citizenship, equality, and human dignity.(PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)
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