ABSTRACT
Research exploring the views of people who use mental health services has found people often feel stripped of dignity in the mental health system, even though the maintenance of dignity is recognised as crucial to recovery from mental health problems. This chapter explores the key areas identified within recent policy and research, which require substantial attention if practitioners are to maintain the dignity of people who use mental health services. Treatment in mental health has had a chequered history. In fact, while medical care might have its origins in ancient Greece, mental healthcare only dates back to the Enlightenment era. Complex mental health laws have been developed that enforce treatment for some people diagnosed as mentally ill who are considered to be a danger to themselves or to the public. The chapter identifies the current mental health policy, which supports the need for improvements in the provision of dignified care as part of the recovery and social inclusion agenda.
