Patients' rights advocacy: implications for program design and implementation

Individuals held in mental health care facilities often have been deprived of their basic civil and legal rights. In Canada and the United States, legislation now exists to ensure the protection of these rights, and advocacy programs have been developed to apply and enforce this legislation. It is important for mental health professionals to be aware of the relevance and need for advocacy programs. Equally important is the appreciation of the structural issues involved in developing and administering advocacy programs. In examining a number of patients' rights advocacy programs, strengths, weaknesses, and general success factors are identified. Recommendations are then made for the development, implementation, and modification of advocacy programs. A review of this area indicates a need for empirical research in a number of areas, and directions for future research are discussed.