Question: One of the key aspects of the Mental Healthcare Bill 2016 is …
(a) Criminalizing suicide attempt
(b) Decriminalizing suicide attempt
(c) Monetary penalty for suicide attempt
(d) None of the above.
Ans: (b)
- The Mental Healthcare Bill 2016, that provides for mental healthcare and services for persons with mental illness, and also decriminalises suicide attempt, secured parliamentary approval on 27th March, 2017 with the Lok Sabha’s assent to the legislation.
- The bill, passed by the Rajya Sabha in August 2016, ensures every person shall have a right to access mental health care and treatment from mental health services run or funded by the appropriate government.
- It also assures free treatment for such persons if they are homeless or poor, even if they do not possess a Below Poverty Line card.
- One of the clauses in the bill decriminalises suicide, stating that a person who attempts suicide should be presumed to have severe stress, and shall not be punished.
- As per the bill, it will be government’s duty to provide care, treatment and rehabilitation to a person, having severe stress and who attempted to commit suicide, to reduce the risk of recurrence of any attempt.
- The bill also provides that a person with mental illness will have the right to make an advance directive that states how he/ she wants to be treated for the illness and nominate a representative.
- The Mental Healthcare Bill, 2016, aims to provide for mental healthcare and services for persons with mental illness and ensure these persons have the right to live a life with dignity by not being discriminated against or harassed.
- The Bill defines “mental illness” as a substantial disorder of thinking, mood, perception, orientation or memory that grossly impairs judgment, behavior, capacity to recognise reality or ability to meet the ordinary demands of life and mental conditions associated with the abuse of alcohol and drugs.
- The Bill empowers the government to set-up Central Mental Health Authority at national-level and State Mental Health Authority in every State. Every mental health institute and mental health practitioners including clinical psychologists, mental health nurses and psychiatric social workers will have to be registered with this Authority.
- These bodies will (a) register, supervise and maintain a register of all mental health establishments,(b) develop quality and service provision norms for such establishments, (c) maintain a register of mental health professionals, (d) train law enforcement officials and mental health professionals on the provisions of the Act, (e) receive complaints about deficiencies in provision of services, and (f) advise the government on matters relating to mental health.
- A Mental Health Review Board will be constituted to protect the rights of persons with mental illness and manage advance directives.
Reference:
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/parliament-mental-health-care-bill-approved-today/1/914339.html
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/all-you-need-to-know-about-the-mental-healthcare-bill/article17662163.ece