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Living in Chains - Shackling of people with psychosocial disabilities worldwide

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
October 2020

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In order to show the scale and scope of shackling of people with real or perceived psychosocial disabilities worldwide, Human Rights Watch conducted a study of mental health legislation, relevant policies, and practices across 60 countries around the world.

This report includes research and testimonies collected by 16 Human Rights Watch researchers in their own countries. We worked closely with partner organizations to visit private homes and institutions in Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Liberia, Mexico, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Palestine, Russia, the selfdeclared independent state of Somaliland, South Sudan, and Yemen. Human Rights Watch researchers interviewed more than 350 people with psychosocial disabilities, including those who were shackled at the time of research or had been shackled at least once in their lives, and more than 430 family members, caregivers or staff working in institutions, psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses and other mental health professionals, faith healers, lawyers, government officials, representatives of local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), including organizations of persons with disabilities, and disability rights advocates. The testimonies were collected between August 2018 and September 2020 through in-person and phone interviews.

Desk research and consultation with international disability experts was also undertaken

#COVID-19 ASL

CENTRE FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION (CDC)
April 2020

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A series of 11 short videos in American sign language giving information on various aspects of COVID-19

Greece: Refugees with Disabilities Overlooked, Underserved

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
January 2017

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Refugees, asylum seekers, and other migrants with disabilities are not properly identified and do not enjoy equal access to services in reception centres in Greece.  On the basis of research carried out in mainland Greece and on the Greek islands in October 2016 and January 2017, and follow-up phone interviews in December 2016 and January 2017, Human Rights Watch found that asylum seekers and refugees with disabilities are not properly identified in Greece, in part because of a rushed registration process and the need for better guidance for staff. Without an adequate understanding of the scale and needs, aid agencies cannot respond effectively. Problems with equal access to water and sanitation services, food distribution, shelter, and health care including mental health and psychosocial support are reported.

UN CRPD: What is Art. 27 and the right to work?

MENTAL HEALTH EUROPE
2017

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This short animated video seeks to explain what Art 27 and the right to work and employment means for all people with disabilities, including people with psychosocial disabilities and focuses on the right to reasonable accommodation

UNCRPD: What is Article 12 and legal capacity?

MENTAL HEALTH EUROPE (MHE)
June 2016

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Article 12. of the UNCRPD wants to ensure that every person with disabilities including people with psychosocial disabilities may enjoy equal recognition before the law which requires legal capacity.

This short animated video seeks to explain what legal capacity is all about and recalls that everyone has the inherent right to make their own choices including people with psychosocial disabilities. 

Living in hell : abuses against people with psychosocial disabilities in Indonesia

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH (HRW)
March 2016

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This article with a video is related to a report examining the abuses—including pasung—that persons with psychosocial disabilities face in the community, mental hospitals, and various other institutions in Indonesia, including stigma, arbitrary and prolonged detention, involuntary treatment, and physical and sexual violence. It also examines the government’s shortcomings in addressing these problems.

Based on research across the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra, Human Rights Watch documented 175 cases of persons with psychosocial disabilities in pasung or who were recently rescued from pasung. 

 

Andrew Mohanraj : mental well-being, disability and disaster risk reduction

MOHANRAJ, Andrew
January 2015

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This video is an interview of Andrew Mohanraj, Regional Mental Health Development Advisor from the Christian Blind Mission (CBM) International. He explains why mental well-being and disability are important issues to consider in disaster preparedness and recovery, how efforts to reduce disaster risks can better address the needs of persons with mental and physical disabilities, and lessons learned from his own experience

Women institutionalised against their will in India

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH (HRW)
December 2014

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This short video highlights the situation of female patients with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities at institutions in India. In conjunction with the report by Human Rights Watch, it calls for the better treatment of women and girls in institutions and increased de-institutionalization

 

Note: Full report, summary and easy-to-read version also available

Expert group meeting on mental well-being, disability and disaster risk reduction

ITO, Akiko
December 2014

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This Expert Group Meeting was organised by United Nations University International Institute of Global Health (UNU-IIGH) and Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability, and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, in close collaboration with the World Bank Tokyo Development Center (TDLC) and the National Institute of Mental Health, Japan.  This video provides an overview of issues, trends and international norms and standards, as well as good practices and lessons learned from different countries related to mental well-being, disability and disaster risk reduction that were discussed

Expert Group Meeting on Mental Well-being, Disability and Disaster Reduction

Tokyo, Japan

November 2014

Community not confinement

ZAJA, Tomislav
KLEIN, Judith
March 2013

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This short video by film-maker Tomislav Zaja chronicles the stories of persons with disabilities in Croatia and Romania and their testimonies about institutional care and independent living in the community. The supporting article by Judith Klein, Director of the Mental Health Initiative at the Open Society Foundations, gives further background to the fight for the right to independent living in the community for and by persons with disabilities, and refers to a petition submitted to the European Union by  the  Open Society Mental Health Initiative. This video will be useful to anyone working particularly on social inclusion issues in eastern Europe

A feeling of belonging : an example of a community mental health project in Rwanda

FINEL, Elodie
PEGON, Guillaume
Eds
November 2012

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This video documentary and accompanying booklet present Handicap International’s approaches taken since January 2007 to restore the Rwandan population’s psychological well-being and its social cohesion after the genocide. Knowledge about setting up and implementing a community mental health project is shared for the information of Handicap International team members, partners and the public. General guidelines are offered to share expertise and technical perspectives in the field of mental health and psychological support

WHO : mental health

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)

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This video provides an overview of the global mental health situation with detailed information and statistics. It highlights the mental health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) which is an WHO initiative that advocates for proper care, psychosocial assistance, and medication in limited resource settings for the treatment of depression, schizophrenia, and epilepsy and for the prevention of suicide

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