Mental Health Acts — Perspectives from mental health and law in Ireland and in Portugal

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Date
2024-04-22
Authors
Moreira, Ana Lúcia R.
Whelan, Darius
Colón, Máximo F.
Fouto, Ana Caldeira
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Brill
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Abstract
Mental health legislation is a cornerstone to ensure that individuals with severe mental illness access proper care and treatment. Each country establishes their own legislation. We aimed to compare the Portuguese and Irish Mental Health Acts. We reviewed the respective MHAand the literature. While the definition of mental disorder is similar in general, who, where, when and how one can be detained differ. Judges decide on detentions in Portugal, while consultant psychiatrists may do so in Ireland. Community-based compulsory treatment is possible and used in Portugal while it is not possible in Ireland. Pros and cons of each approach are discussed with a reflection on the protection of human rights. Further theoretical and empirical studies comparing systems in different jurisdictions would be helpful to deepen our understanding of the legislation and guide on how to better serve individuals with severe mental illness.
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Keywords
Ireland , Portugal , Mental Health Act , Mental illness , Law , Forensic psychiatry , Capacity , Jurisdiction
Citation
Moreira, A. L. R., Whelan, D., Colón, M. F. and Fouto, A. C. (2024) 'Mental Health Acts—Perspectives from mental health and law in Ireland and in Portugal', European Journal of Health Law, 31(3), pp. 312-335. https://doi.org/10.1163/15718093-bja10124
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© 2024, Brill. This is the pre-editing version of this article, and may contain errors and/or omissions. When citing please consult the version published in the journal: https://doi.org/10.1163/15718093-bja10124