RESTRAINT AND SECLUSION IN MENTAL HEALTH CARE: UNCOVERING HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES AND ADVOCATING FOR REFORMS

Abstract

The stability of mental health has been a pivotal ingredient and a key determinant factor of the overall well-being of individuals. This has been geared towards the preservation of human dignity, the maintenance of a favorable environment for mental health care, ensuring the protection of human rights without compromising the need for individualized care, and the overall goal of promoting a humane and effective mental health care system. The main objective of this research is to critically examine the use of restraint and seclusion in mental health care, uncover human rights abuses, and advocate for reforms to promote human rights. The research adopted the Doctrinal research method to explore the legal frameworks and policies governing mental health care and human rights. Through a thorough analysis of relevant laws, regulations, and case studies, the study provided valuable insights into the use of restraint and seclusion in mental health care. This comparative study contributed to the existing literature on mental health care reform and human rights. The findings in relation to this research boil down to the internal defects of restraint and seclusion that pose a threat to human dignity and well-being, which can be corrected through restructuring and revitalizing of the agencies saddled with the responsibility of enforcement, amendment of some laws in existence, implementation of those Laws related to the protection of mental health Patient and also proffer alternatives to restraint and seclusion in mental health. In the overall, the study contributed to the ongoing discourse on mental health care reform, the negative effect of the use of restraint and seclusion mental health care settings, advocated for a policy and practice reforms that promote human rights and dignity.