UK community groups reject mental health reforms

The government's green paper on reform of the 1983 Mental Health Act has been widely condemned by those who use mental health services, policymakers, and politicians, despite receiving guarded support from the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

The paper proposes instituting a new process for ordering compulsory care and treatment and extending the use of compulsory orders into the community. An initial assessment process performed by two health professionals would last for seven days, and this could lead to an application to …