Law and mental health: distrust, excessive expectations, and the battle for human welfare

Ups and downs in the relationship of law and mental health are traced chronologically over the course of the 20th Century. It is suggested that, in this current era of restrictive court rulings and narrowing definitions of the scope of mental health services, law and mental health must enlarge their targets and work jointly to overcome external wrongs, alleviate inner sadness, and uplift the human condition.