Mental health laws in India
A critical analysis
Keywords:
mental health, health treatment, psychiatryAbstract
Supportive legislation and policies are needed for human rights and mental health treatment for disadvantaged people. Internationally and regionally, both "hard" and "soft" legislation relating to mental health treatment have been drafted. In the field of mental health care in India, amendments to existing laws and the formation of new laws are frequently necessary and have been seen. So far, mental health care reform has primarily been reactive, but current legislation and policies provide the prospect of proactive change. One of the most serious issues in providing good mental health treatment in India is a shortage of qualified human resources. While postgraduate psychiatric standards prescribe a two-week forensic psychiatry course, this is insufficient to establish the essential competency. As a result, forensic psychiatry requires the development of a specialisation. In addition, forensic psychiatric services must be created, organised, and maintained. In India, one or more centres of expertise in forensic psychiatry are required
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