Mental health, global policies and human rights

Mental Health Nursing,  Mar 2004  by Savage, Peter

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Books Mental health, global policies and human rights Morrall and M Hazelton (Eds) ISBN 1861563884 Whurr, London (2004) £25 pp 196

A useful book for undergraduates students interested in mental health care, particularly those with an interest in the history of mental health care. Each chapter focuses on a different country and explores the history of mental health care, policy and, in most chapters, human rights in that country.

Many of the chapters demonstrate a theme with case studies or user experiences. One such theme, and perhaps a central theme in the book, is the politicisation of mental illness. It is no real surprise to uncover this theme in Chinese state psychiatry's persecution of groups such as Falun Gong. Indeed, it is no surprise to uncover such practices in the treatment of homosexuality, as discussed in the chapter on Egyptian mental health care. Of course, the politicisation of psychiatry in the Soviet Union is well documented; however, the chapter on Russian mental health care suggests a renaissance of psychiatric abuse during the present stagnation of democracy in Russia. The chapter, by Savenko, relates the present abuse to a parcel of oppressive reactions by the state to the war in Chechnya. This politicisation of psychiatry should warn practitioners in other countries, such as the United Kingdom, of the dangers of similar reactionary policies stemming from our 'war on terror', or the more mundane yet infrequent violent crimes committed by mentally ill people.

The book attempts to introduce the reader to mental health care in a host of countries with which most readers will be unfamiliar. This is, I think, a good thing. However, this does mean that perhaps too little space is provided for a focused exploration of any one country's mental health care policies. Additionally, the concluding chapter is somewhat disappointing, being a summary of the book rather than reaching for conclusions about mental health care for the 21st century.

Peter Savage

Copyright Community Psychiatric Nurses Association Mar 2004
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