PETER KINDERMAN Professor of Clinical Psychology Division of Clinical Psychology University of Liverpool Liverpool. L69 3GB [email protected]

PETER KINDERMANProfessor of Clinical PsychologyDivision of Clinical PsychologyUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpool. L69 [email protected]

“Psychology is action”

Implementing a human rights approach within

public services:An outline psychological

perspective

Peter KindermanProfessor of Clinical Psychology, University of Liverpool, UK



Psychology and human rights

Psychological science recognizes the commonality of psychological process – of humanity – and of the commonality of basic human needs.

Psychologists also understand that there are collective and shared representations within society of how we relate one to another.

Human rights are seen as the codification of how we collectively understand our relationships and obligations to each other.

Kinderman P. (2004) Psychology and Human Rights. Science and Public Affairs. June 2004: 10.



Human rights and high quality care

These issues of human rights apply in mental health and health and social care more widely; involving issues of fairness, respect, equality and dignity.

Since high quality care necessarily requires attention to human rights issues, improvement in basic care standards is a human rights issue.

Kinderman P. & Butler F. (2006) Implementing a Human Rights Approach within Public Services: An Outline Psychological Perspective. A Report for the Department for Constitutional Affairs.



Human rights and high quality care

Put more simply… we would go a long way to improving human rights issues if we improve standards of care.




Six Principles for Human Rights in Public Services

• The Human Rights Act (in the UK) is a corner-stone of our constitutional settlement

• The values of fairness, respect, equality and dignity (FRED) underpin the Act

• These human rights principles complement existing value systems such as the public service ethos and equality of opportunity

• Human rights principles can contribute to improving public services

• The human rights framework is useful in addressing the challenges of public service provision and

• A human rights approach to public service delivery will constitute best practice at the same time as amounting to compliance with the law.




Care based on psychological principles




Mental health care in the EU is rapidly changing, but many commentators, particularly sociologists and psychologists, view systems as remaining wedded to a medical model and not ‘fit for purpose’. If services are to improve, the way that the services providing care understand mental health problems needs to change radically.

Kinderman, P. & Tai, S. (2006) Clinical implications of a psychological model of mental disorder. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy. 35: 1-14.

Kinderman P., Sellwood, W. & Tai, S. (in press) Service implications of a psychological model of mental disorder. Journal of Mental Health.




i) Services would be planned on the basis of need and functional outcome rather than diagnostic categories. Where residential care is necessary, a concept of ‘hospital’ care would be unnecessary,

ii) Specialist teams, focusing on psychological principles, could be developed,

iii) Services would fully embrace the recovery approach, iv) Services could facilitate genuine service user

involvement, v) Access to psychological therapies based on individual

case formulations could be improved,,vi) Nurses, occupational therapists and social workers

could develop increasing competencies in psychosocial interventions,

vii) Psychologists should offer consultation and clinical leadership, and

viii) Psychiatry would remain a key profession, offering medical expertise in the understanding and treatment of mental disorder to the multidisciplinary team.

Kinderman, P. Sellwood, W. & Tai, S. (in press) Policy implications of a psychological model of mental disorder. Journal of Mental Health.



Conclusions

A number of Articles of the European Convention on Human Rights are highly relevant to mental health: People must be protected from ‘inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment’, everyone has the right to ‘liberty and security of person’ – a situation which demands a definition of ‘persons of unsound mind – and ‘everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life’.

These issues of human rights apply outside of mental health in health and social care more widely; involving issues of fairness, respect, equality and dignity.

High quality care necessarily requires attention to human rights issues, therefore improvement in basic care standards – arguably on psychological grounds – is a human rights issue.



A recommendation…

To protect the human rights of people with mental health problems through the provision of high quality services, we should continue to facilitate international cooperation – on a practical basis –across Europe.



A recommendation…

To protect the human rights of people with mental health problems through the provision of high quality services, we should continue to facilitate international cooperation – on a practical basis –across Europe.



Peter KindermanProfessor of Clinical Psychology, University of Liverpool

Documents

PETER KINDERMAN Professor of Clinical Psychology Division of Clinical Psychology University of Liverpool Liverpool. L69 3GB [email protected]