Physical and mental integrity

Developing a Compendium of good practices to promote voluntary measures in the field of mental healthcare

In mental healthcare for persons with psychosocial disabilities the focus is shifting towards avoiding recourse to involuntary measures. To assist member States in this shift, the Committee on Bioethics intends to develop a Compendium of good practices to promote voluntary measures in mental healthcare, both at a preventive level and in situations of crisis, by focusing on examples in member States.

objective objective

Safeguarding the rights of persons with mental health difficulties

The issue of mental health is expected to be one of the biggest challenges facing healthcare systems in the future. Mental healthcare should be treated no differently to physical healthcare in that a human rights-based approach should be adopted in both. It is vital that the rights and self-determination of all patients, including persons with mental health difficulties, be promoted and that they may actively participate to the greatest possible extent in all decisions regarding their treatment and care. In this context, the development and use of voluntary measures and practices in mental healthcare should be promoted.

Collection of examples July 2020 – December 2020 Collection of examples July 2020 – December 2020
Round Table on good practices in mental health care Round Table on good practices in mental health care
On 26 November 2019, the Council of Europe’s Committee on Bioethics (DH-BIO) organised a round table in Brussels on the scope and the methodology to be adopted in a study on “Good practices in mental health care – how to promote voluntary measures”. The participants, representing persons with lived experience, medical and health care professionals, and social workers, expressed their support for this project and exchanged with the Rapporteur and the Secretariat of the DH-BIO on the approach to be adopted. Representatives of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly, of the Conference of INGOs, of the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights and of the Secretariat of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment also took part in the exchange. The conclusions reached will inform the further work to be undertaken within the framework of a strategic action plan adopted by the DH-BIO on 21 November 2019.