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Mental Health Act review

Cassandro
over 6 years ago

There's currently a government review of the Mental Health Act (MHA) 1983.

https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/independent-review-of-the-mental-health-act

There are two surveys for mental health service users and for carers available through that page, which are closing in a couple of days. There will I believe be further chances to submit evidence over the next few months.

At the moment the Act follows the psychiatric establishment in seeing autism as 'disorder or disability of the mind'. This is elaborated in the current MHA code of practice, chapter 20. Addiction is excluded from the Act however (so to be blunt, the state can often try to stop you killing yourself, but not drinking yourself to death), and learning disabilities are excluded unless ''associated with abnormally aggressive or seriously irresponsible conduct'.

  • Should autism be excluded in a similar way?
  • Do you know how many people are detained just on the basis of autism or learning disabilities?
  • Do you have any other experience or opinion on the Mental Health Act? What about advance directives, or mental capacity?

Some useful submissions already made:

Parents
  • over 5 years ago

    I know autism is a disability but remember that the Government would love any excuse to cut funding from organisations which support those with mental health issues as well as autistic disabilities.  They would love to treat everyone the same, so they could cut more services, like the Monday Club' which not only supports autistic people but those who have autism and mental health issues.  Autistic people do have mental health issues like anyone else as well as a disability.  I also have  Coeliac disease and lost out on GF food due to cuts having to pay more for expensive bread and things,  I want my rights to mental health support as  a disabled person too, not that cut as well, using my autism as an excuse for not providing help in a crisis as I suffer from anxiety and stress and have come off anti-depressants and am  learning to cope after being on them for eighteen years.

Reply
  • over 5 years ago

    I know autism is a disability but remember that the Government would love any excuse to cut funding from organisations which support those with mental health issues as well as autistic disabilities.  They would love to treat everyone the same, so they could cut more services, like the Monday Club' which not only supports autistic people but those who have autism and mental health issues.  Autistic people do have mental health issues like anyone else as well as a disability.  I also have  Coeliac disease and lost out on GF food due to cuts having to pay more for expensive bread and things,  I want my rights to mental health support as  a disabled person too, not that cut as well, using my autism as an excuse for not providing help in a crisis as I suffer from anxiety and stress and have come off anti-depressants and am  learning to cope after being on them for eighteen years.

Children
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