Coercion is “built into mental health systems, including in professional education and training, and is reinforced through national mental health and other legislation.“
– World Health Organization, June 2021
CITIZENS COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS International denounces American Psychiatric Association (APA) executives for failing to address the World Health Organization and UN Human Rights Council reports that demand psychiatry move away from coercive practices and towards human rights.
The WHO condemned coercive psychiatric practices, which it says, “are pervasive and are increasingly used in services in countries around the world, despite the lack of evidence that they offer any benefits, and the significant evidence that they lead to physical and psychological harm and even death.”
Psychiatry is a coercive practice. One can see this intuitively, as no one would voluntarily subject themselves to psychiatric treatment knowing its devastating consequences.
By ignoring this, the APA supports involuntary detainment and forced treatment, and a lack of accountability for the inherent abuses so rife in the mental health system.
Involuntary commitment laws must be abolished and this unconstitutional and coercive practice stopped.
Any psychiatrist found to be using coercion, threats or malice to get people to “accept” psychiatric treatment, or who hospitalizes a patient against their will should be charged with assault and false imprisonment.
Write, call and visit your local, state and federal representatives and tell them what you think about this.
