The public do not support proposed laws that would make it
easier to detain and treat people with mental health problems
against their wishes, according to a YouGov poll published
today.
The poll, commissioned by the Royal College of Psychiatrists,
showed that 72% of those surveyed do not think that people with
mental health problems should be forced to have ‘treatment’ from
which they cannot benefit. And 68% do not believe that hospitals
should be used to detain people with mental health problems if they
cannot benefit from treatment and have committed no crime.
The results were released in advance of this week’s second
reading of the Mental Health Bill in the House of Commons. The
Government has indicated that it intends to force through
amendments to the current Bill. The Royal College of Psychiatrists
believes that this would bring far more people who cannot benefit
from ‘treatment’ within the scope of mental health legislation and
make it more likely people would be detained and treated
inappropriately.
The YouGov poll also showed that the public views are based on a
first-hand knowledge of mental health issues. 63% of those polled
knew someone who has suffered from mental health problems and 88%
of those did not believe that these people presented a risk to the
public.
“We had a number of serious concerns with the original Bill and
wanted to know whether the general public shared our views,” says
Professor Sheila Hollins, President of the Royal College of
Psychiatrists. “We believe that this poll clearly shows that they
do.
“The danger in such overtly tough, overly inclusive legislation
is that it will deter people with serious mental health problems
from seeking early help. Without such treatment they could become a
risk to the public, while remaining unknown to the very people who
could help them. It may also make patients so fearful of
incarceration that they may not be open with us about their
symptoms. Thirdly it will be a strain on resources. If valuable
hospital beds are filled with people who can’t be helped then they
won’t be available for patients who can be effectively treated.
“The British people clearly understand many of the issues around
mental health and are sympathetic towards people with mental health
problems. The House of Lords has made some very sensible amendments
to the Bill, which if retained would lead to fair and effective
mental health legislation fit for the 21st Century. We call on the
Government and all MPs not to overturn these amendments in The
Commons.”
For further information, please contact Liz Fox or Deborah
Hart in the Communications Department.
Telephone: 020 7235 2351 Extensions. 6298 or 6127