Stakeholders’ perspective on mental health laws in Pakistan: A mixed method study

• Published in: International journal of law and psychiatry 2021-01, Vol.74, p.101647-101647, Article 101647
• Main Authors: Khalily, Muhammad Tahir, Rehman, Aziz ur, Bhatti, Mujeeb Masud, Hallahan, Brian, Ahmad, Irshad, Mehmood, Muhammad Ifzal, Khan, Shamsher Hayat, Khan, Bilal Ahmed
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0160-2527; 1873-6386
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2020.101647

The present study explored awareness and opinions pertaining to mental health legislation in Pakistan in the context of the United Nation Convention on Rights of People with Disabilities (UNCRPD) through a mixed method research design. In the quantitative arm of the study, a structured questionnaire examined awareness and opinions of key stakeholders pertaining to national mental health legislation. In the qualitative arm, face-to-face interviews further elaborated stakeholders perspectives pertaining to these topics with thematic analysis conducted. Stakeholders demonstrated a good awareness of legislation pertaining to guardianship (83.0 %) appointment of property managers (89.7%) and salary or pension entitlements (89.2%). Compared to other stakeholders, patients had less understanding of processes pertaining to involuntary admission (χ2 = 20.54, p = 0.02) and appointing a guardian (χ2 = 34.67, p < 0.01). High consensus across stakeholders was noted for processes of involuntary detention (83.5%) and appointment of guardians or property managers (80.0%) albeit patients demonstrated less agreement on these topics (p