Administrative and legal regulation of the rights of a person receiving psychiatric care

Abstract

The scientific research is devoted to the problems of legal regulation of the rights of a person receiving psychiatric care. International legal acts, Ukrainian legislation and the works of scientists were studied. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the formulation of proposals for amendments to the current legislation. The proposed changes relate to the consolidation of the socio-economic rights of a person who receives psychiatric care, as well as the establishment of administrative responsibility for the violation of their rights. The author’s classification of the rights of a person suffering from a mental illness is given. International (Resolution of the UN General Assembly on the Protection of Persons with Mental Illnesses, Hawaii Declaration) and national (Constitution of Ukraine, Laws of Ukraine “Basics of Ukrainian Health Care Legislation”, “On Psychiatric Care”) legislation is characterized, which enshrines the rights of a person who receives psychiatric care. It is indicated that the rights of citizens suffering from a mental illness include voluntary treatment, protection of the honor and dignity of the patient, access to mass media, confidentiality of correspondence, safety and free psychiatric care, provision of quality treatment. The legislation establishes special conditions and procedures for solving the issue of forced hospitalization of a person in a psychiatric hospital. Only a court can make a relevant decision at the request of a psychiatrist. Criminal liability is established for the illegal placement of a known healthy person in an institution for the provision of psychiatric care. A citizen who has been harmed as a result of illegal hospitalization or during treatment has the right to compensation. It is proposed to enshrine in the Law of Ukraine “On Psychiatric Care” the right of a person undergoing treatment for a mental illness to maintain a place of work during treatment. The need to establish the administrative responsibility of the doctors of the psychiatric care facility for violating the rights of patients is emphasized.