MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND RELEVANT LEGISLATION IN A DEVELOPING COUNTRY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32413/pjph.v7i2.49Keywords:
Mental health, Pakistan mental law, lunacy actAbstract
Mental health legislation compiles and integrates fundamental doctrine, principles, goals, objectives and mental health policy. This legislation is required to assure that the self-respect and the dignity of patients is conserved and that their fundamental rights are protected. This article considers legislation in the Indo-Pak subcontinent, especially the Mental Health Act in Pakistan, and asserts that the act has limitation that serve as a barrier to mental health services currently provided in Pakistan. The purpose of this article is to identify the mental health legislation in a developing country like Pakistan. It also emphasizes the need of a modern mental health law that provides priority to protect the rights of patient with mental disorder to promote development of community based care and improves its access.