A New Mental Health Act for India : An Ethics based Approach

The paper makes the case for a new mental health act for India in view of the deficiencies of the current act. It argues that any new mental health act must be grounded in sound ethical principles, value basic human rights, provide powers to those who treat mental disorders and reflect the values and trends of the modern world. It favours a quasi-legal system with opportunities for independent scrutiny, allows treatment consistent with ethical and legal principles, one that makes way for a more transparent and accountable system. Such a system, the paper asserts, will be legally, ethically and clinically relevant, responsive, accessible and available at the time of need and therefore user-friendly. It recommends the linkage of the act with existing mental health policies of the government, thereby making the act powerful and interwoven in the tapestry of health care delivery initiatives of the government.