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Development of the ITHACA Toolkit for monitoring human rights and general health care in psychiatric and social care institutions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 October 2012

J. Randall ,
G. Thornicroft ,
L. Burti ,
H. Katschnig ,
O. Lewis ,
J. Russo ,
T. Shaw ,
K. Wahlbeck  and
D. Rose
J. Randall
Affiliation:
Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London
G. Thornicroft*
Affiliation:
Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London
L. Burti
Affiliation:
Section of Psychiatry, University of Verona, Italy
H. Katschnig
Affiliation:
Ludwig Boltzmann Society, Institute for Social Psychiatry, Vienna, Austria
O. Lewis
Affiliation:
Mental Disability Advocacy Center, Budapest, Hungary
J. Russo
Affiliation:
Mental Disability Advocacy Center, Budapest, Hungary
T. Shaw
Affiliation:
Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London
K. Wahlbeck
Affiliation:
National Institute for Health and Welfare THL, Helsinki, Finland
D. Rose
Affiliation:
Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London
*
*Address for correspondence: Professor G. Thornicroft, Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Background.

Human rights violations are commonly experienced by people in psychiatric and social care institutions. States and private organizations providing such health and social services must comply with international human rights law. Monitoring of such compliance is increasingly recognized as a vital component in ensuring that rights are respected and violations are brought out in the open, remedied and prevented.

Aims.

The Institutional Treatment, Human Rights and Care Assessment (ITHACA) project produced a method to document violations and good practice with the aim of preventing human rights violations and improving general health care practice in psychiatric and social care institutions (www.ithacastudy.eu).

Methods.

A methodological and implementation study conducted across 15 European countries developed and assessed the ITHACA Toolkit in monitoring visits to 87 mental health organizations.

Results.

The toolkit is available in 13 European languages and has demonstrated applicability in a range of contexts and conditions. The information gathered through monitoring visits can document both good practice and areas for improvement.

Conclusions.

The ITHACA Toolkit is an acceptable and feasible method for the systematic monitoring of human rights and general health care in psychiatric and social care institutions that explicitly calls for the participation of service users in the monitoring of human rights violations and general health care practice.

Keywords

Mental healthhuman rightsinstitutionsmonitoringtoolkitrights of persons with disabilities
Type
Original Articles
Information
Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences , Volume 22 , Issue 3 , September 2013 , pp. 241 - 254
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012 

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