Understanding Treatment Without Consent

Ian Shaw is Professor of Social Work and Head of Social Work at the University of Nottingham, UK. Hugh Middleton is Associate Professor in the School of Sociology & Social Policy, University of Nottingham, UK. Jeffrey Cohen is former Head of Policy of the Mental Health Act Commission, and freelance researcher on mental health services.

• Contents: Introduction, Ian Shaw; A short history of mental health, Ian Shaw; Tracing the development of the Mental Health Act Commission and its predecessors, Jeffrey Cohen; Exploring visiting activities of the Commission, Ian Shaw, Hugh Middleton and Martin Chamberlain; The reform of the Mental Health Act, Jeffrey Cohen; Socially determined perceptions of risk are reflected in the decision to request a 2nd opinion appointed doctor's visit, Hugh Middleton and Ian Shaw; To treat or not to treat? Should the treatability criterion for those with psychopathic disorder be abandoned? Conor Duggan; Law, regulation and the Mental Health Act Commission, Simon Boys and Michael J. Gunn; Reforming the Mental Health Act: a successor to the Mental Health Act Commission, Jeffrey Cohen; Index.

'This book concerns a very important area of health and social care - the regulation of the ways in which British citizens of all ethnicities can be deprived of their liberty where they have a mental illness that might cause harm to themselves or others. Since new UK legislation is struggling to develop new ways of extending these powers for those deemed to have severe personality disorder, this is a very timely and welcome review of the context in which such powers are regulated, and the experiences of patients subject to detention. Ian Shaw and Hugh Middleton have assembled a rich multifaceted collection of chapters covering history, data, analysis and legal argument to illuminate the contemporary issues and future for regulation, and the strengths and weaknesses of the alternatives available.' Nick Manning, University of Nottingham, UK 'This is a timely publication coming on the eve of the operationalization of new mental health legislation covering England and Wales...Understanding Treatment Without Consent contains eight brief chapters covering different aspects of the work of the Mental Health Act Commission...the first providing a brief history of mental health, and the last considering the future without the commission...' Metapsychology Online Reviews '... this is a highly useful book for anyone concerned with mental health and the balance between individual and community rights. The intractability of the problem is brought home by the editors pointing to the fact that despite all the improvements in treatment and laws for protection, the basic science of mental health has not advanced much and the hospitals still provide poor care.' The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 'This book describes how the Commission carries out its tasks and the sort of information it collects. But it also goes further..For those who wish to understand better what the MHAC does this book is worth reading.' The British Journal of Psychiatry 'Don't be deterred by the book's focus on legislative change in the UK: it is far from a dry read. Its relevance to practice and the lived experience of mentally ill persons who cannot give lawful consent for treatment is robustly demonstrated in the way the authors present and flesh out all sides of the current debates. Given the scarcity of publications on mental health in Australia, and the issues ensuing from asylum closure and community-based care, the book should be of great interest to local psychiatric and legal practitioners, policy-makers and students of health sciences, social sciences and legal studies.' Health Sociology Review 'This book "does what it says on the tin" with a detailed account of the soon to be disbanded Mental Health Act Commission (MHAC) and in particular its function in relation to treatment without consent...[it] provides interesting and informative material charting the developments of mental health and the strong legal associations that presently exist but did not always. The authors are well respected in the mental health field and the book reflects their considerable experience...an important reference point for students, researchers and practitioners who want to learn about this important aspect of health and social care.' Practice: Social Work in Action