What is the Mental Health Act 1983 about?
This act covers the assessment, treatment and rights of people with a mental health condition. People can only be detained if the strict criteria in the act are met. The person must be suffering from a mental disorder as defined by the act. The relevant disorders are detailed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM IV (2000). The application for assessment or treatment, which is made by an approved social worker or the nearest relative, must be supported in writing by two registered medical practitioners. The recommendation must include a statement about why an assessment and/or treatment is necessary, and why other methods of dealing with the person are not appropriate. What is meant by stigma in mental health? People with mental disorders are sometimes subjected to critical and derogatory attitudes. The media, although it is not wholly to blame, often portrays stereotypes or fails to clarify misunderstandings, thus helping to perpetuate myths. People with men
