Mental Health Patient Rights vs. Neglect

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Mental Health Patient Rights vs. Neglect May 25, 2013 Mental Health Patient Rights vs. Neglect People with mental illness are a vulnerable section of society, whose decision-making capacities are affected by their disorders, so such patients may not seek or accept treatment for their problems (Cady, 2010). At the same time, recognizing and respecting rights of the patient with mental health disorders is essential for a health care provider, especially regarding the fact that evaluation and treatment of such patients can be “more coercive and less open to public awareness and accountability than the treatment of patients with other medical conditions” (Cady, 2010, p. 118). The issue of giving mental health patient rights is a rather controversial one, as often the right of the patient to refuse certain treatment or care may result in serious health consequences for the patient and can be seen as neglect of the healthcare provider. According to researchers and healthcare providers, when a mental health patient is admitted to a healthcare facility, he/she may lose certain abilities, most notably: * The ability to schedule time; * The ability to choose and control his/her activities; * Ability to manage financial and legal affairs; * Ability to make important decisions (Cady, 2010, p. 117). The abilities, mentioned above, are important for decision making and may result in serious health consequences for the patient, so leading health professionals and researchers distinguish between the forms of mental disorders and the extentto which they affect people, differentiating between competent and incompetent patients. According to Buchanan (2004), legal competence requires the following capacities, most notably: * To reason and deliberate; * Hold appropriate goals and values; * Appreciate one’s circumstances; * Understand
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