Principles for the Protection of Persons with Mental Illness and the Improvement of Mental Health Care

These non-binding Principles were adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1991. They provide basic standards that mental health systems should meet and also include the rights that people with mental disorder should have. It consists of the following main principles-

• It advocates Fundamental freedoms and basic rights for people with mental illnesses. All such persons have civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights and shall have access to best available mental health care.
• It seeks to treat all people with humanity and inherent dignity. They have the right to live and work and no discrimination on the grounds of mental illness.
• Determining a mental illness is to be made in accordance with internationally accepted medical standards and not on the basis of political, economic or social status, or membership of a cultural, racial or religious group, etc.
• Every mental health patient has the right to be treated and cared for, as far as possible, in the community in which he or she lives. Any medication to be given to a patient shall meet their best health needs and no treatment shall be given to a patient without his or her informed consent. A patient has the right to refuse or stop treatment.
• A criminal offender is also entitled to have access to the information concerning his or her health and personal records maintained by a mental health facility.
• States shall ensure that appropriate mechanisms are in force to promote compliance with these Principles and implement these Principles through appropriate legislative, judicial, administrative, educational and other measures.