Do Psychiatrists do enough to advocate for Mentally Ill rights?

[ivana]

In general,do you think Psychiatrists speak up enough regarding

1.Stigma reduction or
2. The respectful,dignified treatment of people in Psychiatric Wards?

I can think of a number who do.
For example,the Psychiatrist who exposed to the media that this Government had asked them to erase the figures/stats about poor mental health in Asylum seekers.
Also Ian Hickie,Patrick Gorry and a few others try to help.
Aside from those though,most seem to keep pretty quiet on these matters...

[Neb]

I know one of my docs was a whistle blower, and had the usual hideous time over it. So yes, some do...the college of psych. Probably has some input. MH people are notoriously vulnerable and a long term " problem". I personally believe, that advocacy needs to come from the consumer and peer group supports like here for example.

When I was first admitted into the state health system, honestly a rabid dog or a prisoner would have had better care. It was repellant and demeaning.i hope this has changed, but I would not like to check it out. There are outside people who act as some sort of advocate when you are sectioned, I dimly recall...but i cannot really speak on that as those years were really fuzzy. I just went into my head and stayed there!

[ivana]

What did your doctor whistleblower about?
Was it regarding the way patients were being treated demeaningly?

[Neb]

I believe that was the case, naturally he was not going to discuss the grubby details with his patient, and I do not like interrogation. I cannot imagine he won many friends either professionally or politically. The patients were too vulnerable too. It was a long time ago at the beginning of his career so it was very courageous of him.

I nursed for a long time, and discovered horrors in general health, eg profoundly intellectually handicapped kids who were basically wards of the state....it was very evident that they had been interfered with, whether by other wards or staff or even family who could say....it certainly did not make me proud that I worked for the state health system. No, I never was a whistleblower.