Being sectioned and detained in hospital to receive mental health treatment is one of the most serious things that can happen to somebody experiencing a mental health problem. The Mental Health Act 1983 (‘the Act’) is the legislation in England and Wales that sets out when people can be detained and treated for their mental health in hospital against their wishes.
It is only when we put those lived experiences at the forefront of change that we can start to create a system which is better for everyone.
In October 2017, the Government commissioned an independent review of the Mental Health Act. Here at Mind, we saw this as an important opportunity to influence how people are treated when they are at their most unwell and to draw attention to some of the wider problems in mental health service provision.
We knew that the best people to direct our work to in this area are the people who have lived experience of the Act itself. It is only when we put those lived experiences at the forefront of change that we can start to create a system which is better for everyone.
To do this we engaged with people in England between April and June 2018 who had experienced the Mental Health Act so their voices formed the cornerstone of our input into the Review.
We worked directly with over 50 people through various activities including:
A steering group made up of people with relevant experience of the Act and/or from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities
A workshop with people from BME communities with experience of the Act
Three focus groups with people with experiences of the Act, one specifically with users of a homelessness service
10 telephone interviews with people with experience of the Act including current inpatients