TREATMENT CONSIDERATIONS FOR WOMEN PSYCHIATRIC PATIENTS Donna E Stewart, MD, FRCPC University Professor and Chair of Women’s Health, Senior Scientist, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Canada
INTERNATIONAL CONSENSUS STATEMENT ON WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH
Approved WPA General Assembly Cairo 2005 World Psychiatry 2006;5: 61-64
WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH • WHO: Can only be understood by considering the biological, social, cultural, economic and personal context of their lives • WFMH 1996: “Psychological distress for women often has social origins. Discrimination against women in employment, education, food, healthcare, and resources for economic development, renders them vulnerable to physical and sexual violence, psychiatric disorders and psychological distress.”
CONTEXT • Women’s Mental health must be considered within the context of women’s lives, and cannot be achieved without access to basic human rights: - autonomy of the person, education, safety, economic security, property and legal rights, employment, physical health, including sexual and reproductive rights, access to health care, adequate food, water and shelter
CONSENSUS • Mental health a critical aspect of public health • Health promotion, prevention, policy • Social, economic, cultural aspects as well as biological • Focus on broad determinants of mental health • Education is the key to empowerment: schools are vital • Primary health care sites for MH promotion, ID, Rx • MH information and services available for all groups • Strong gender perspectives to guide multidisciplinary teams and stakeholders • Only by societal attitude shifts will women realize their full potential and MH
Positive women’s mental health benefits the health of women themselves, their families, and the general population, and promotes women’s participation in professions and leadership
TREATMENT • The setting for care should be nonstigmatizing and within their economic means, by adequately skilled health professionals with access to appropriate treatments • Treatment settings should be safe, and free from breaches of fiduciary trust by health care providers and staff
• Women’s preferences for informed medical decision making should be respected whenever possible • Quality of care should be assessed by indicators that are consistent with best current knowledge, informed by gendersensitive research • Women who have been sexually abused, or who have strong preferences for female health care providers, should be accommodated whenever possible
• Appropriate services for adolescent, peripartum, midlife, older, immigrant, refugee, disabled and incarcerated women are essential • Acute and continuing care, supportive and rehabilitative mental health services across the life span are essential to enable mentally ill women to achieve their optimal level of functioning and wellbeing
RECOMMENDATIONS Appropriate governmental, nongovernmental, health and international organizations should integrate girls’ and women’s mental health as a priority in policy and program development and:
1. Support psychological health promotion programs that encompass the life context of girls and women to include equal access to basic human rights, education and employment, the elimination of violence and discrimination and the reduction of poverty 2. Support women’s marital, sexual and reproductive choices and ensure access to safe motherhood
3. Support public education and awareness campaigns that increase recognition and reduce the stigma of mental illness in girls and women 4. Support safe, respectful, appropriate, gender sensitive comprehensive mental health and physical health services for girls and women across the life cycle irrespective of the economic and social status, race, nationality or ethnocultural background
5. Support timely access to adequately
skilled mental health professionals who provide quality of care consistent with best current knowledge and availability of appropriate therapy, technology or drugs and who take women’s special needs into consideration 6.Support the development and use of culturally appropriate diagnostic systems that consider the sociocultural context of women’s lives, and biological differences when they are salient
7.Support the provision of accurate information and respect choices in treatment decision making by girls and women whenever possible 8.Support the provision of mental health care for girls and women that is free from breaches in fiduciary responsibility 9.Support increased attention to research on girls’ and women’s mental health including those factors which enhance or inhibit the development of resiliency
10. Support the provision of core training and education about gender issues for health, and mental health, professionals 11. Support gender equality in practice and promotion within mental health services and organizations including equal opportunities for advancement and eradication of gender harassment, intimidation or unjustified discrimination on the basis of sex.
UNITED NATION’S INSTRUMENTS RELEVANT TO M.H • Protection of Persons with Mental Illness • Protection and Promotion of Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities • Declaration of Human Rights • Economic, Social, Cultural Rights • Civil and Political Rights • Against Torture, Cruelty, Degrading Treatment
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION & REGIONAL INSTRUMENTS • WPA – Declaration of Madrid and following… - Consensus Statements – on Women’s Mental Health & VAW • African Charter on Human Rights • Interamerican Convention on Human Rights • European Convention on Human Rights • Council of Europe Recommendations on Psychiatry and Human Rights
PROTECTION OF PERSONS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS and THE IMPROVEMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE http://www.un-document.net/a46r119.htm Office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Dec. 1991, Adopted by General Assembly
• 1.1 right to best available care • 1.2 treated with humanity and respect * • 1.3 protection from exploitation, abuse and degrading treatment * • 4.3 family, professional, moral or cultural conflicts never a determining factor in diagnosis
• 8.1 right to received care appropriate to health needs • 8.2 protection from harm • 9.3 in accordance with applicable standards of ethics • 9.4 directed towards enhancing personal autonomy
• 11.1 no treatment without informed consent • 11.4 right to refuse treatment • 11.12 sterilization never carried out as treatment • 13.2 living conditions close to those of normal life • 13.4 labour of patient never be exploited • 19.1 entitled to access to own health and personal records • 20.2 right to receive best available care
UN CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ADOPTED 2006, FORCE 2008 • Sets out legal obligations on states to promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities • Article 1: Includes those with long term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others
GENERAL PRINCIPLES • Respect for inherent dignity , autonomy and independence • Nondiscrimination • Full and effective participation in society • Respect for differences and acceptance of persons • Equity between men and women • Accessibility to health services • ---• ----
RIGHTS • Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse • Respect for privacy • Right to health care • Right to work • Right to adequate standard of living
CONCLUSIONS • There are special issues for women psychiatric patients • Power/autonomy/informed consent issues • Respect/modesty issues • Sexual abuse issues (staff and patients) • Safety issues • Access to appropriate/sensitive care • Needs education, policy, more training