Inequity and Madness

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xviii

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2. Discrimination Against Mental Patients

   1. Mental Illness and Equity: Matters Conceptual

      • José Guimón

      Pages 1-8

   2. Madness, Evil and Reason: Matters Historical

      • José Guimón

      Pages 9-20

   3. Positive Bias: The Myth of the “Crazy Genius”

      • José Guimón

      Pages 21-33

   4. Negative Bias: Dangerousness and Incompetence

      • José Guimón

      Pages 35-45

   5. Prejudices in the General Population

      • José Guimón

      Pages 47-58

   6. Attitudes Towards the Mental Health Professionals

      • José Guimón

      Pages 59-70

   7. Prejudice Against Psychiatric Treatments

      • José Guimón

      Pages 71-85

   8. How to Overcome Prejudice

      • José Guimón

      Pages 87-98

3. Human Rights and Inequity for Mental Patients

   1. The Question of Human Rights of the Mentally Ill

      • José Guimón

      Pages 99-109

   2. Non-Discrimination and Equity

      • José Guimón

      Pages 111-123

   3. Restrictions on Freedom: Involuntary Hospitalisation

      • José Guimón

      Pages 125-134

   4. Uses and Abuses of Psychiatric Diagnosis

      • José Guimón

      Pages 135-144

   5. Dilemmas Arising in Psychiatric Treatment and Research

      • José Guimón

      Pages 145-156

   6. Discrimination Against the Weak

      • José Guimón

      Pages 157-172

   7. The Conditions in Mental Health Facilities

      • José Guimón

      Pages 173-184

   8. Specific Ethical Dilemmas in Mental Health

      • José Guimón

      Pages 185-195

   9. Summary and Conclusions

      • José Guimón

      Pages 197-205

4. Back Matter

   Pages 207-225

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Two ofthe most important notions concerning the rights of people with mental illness are among the most neglected: the first is that human rights and duties are complementary and that both must be considered in constructing a framework for mental health care. The second is that we must strive for equity and not only for equality in developing mental health programs. The first ofthese notions is complex. It refers to the duties ofpeople with mental illness and to the duties ofthose who surround them. Mental illness does not liberate the person who has it from civic obligations. The most basic ofthese is to give support to others and to refuse to harm them Their carers, society and the patient's self-respect all gain through their recognition, even though the fulfilment of these obligations might be difficult or impossible in certain periods ofillness. The duty of those surrounding the patients is to recognise and respect their existence and to make the necessary arrangements to respond to their needs, protect their rights and compensate for their temporary or permanent inability to fulfil their civic duties. A society's social capital is the public good that results from the mutual supportofmembers ofa society: iffor one reason or another, some or all members ofa society fail to offer such support the social capital will diminish and the society will cease to be civic.

• Ethical Dilemma
• diagnosis
• health
• health care
• hospital
• human rights
• quality of life

• University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

  José Guimón

Policies and ethics