Why are people with mental illness in chains?

On Wednesday, October 7 at 19:30 GMT:
Hundreds of thousands of people around the world with psychosocial disabilities have been shackled or kept in close confinement at least once in their lives, a new report from Human Rights Watch says.

The New York-based rights group found evidence of shackling in 60 low- and middle-income countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas. Its ‘Living in Chains’ investigation uncovered evidence of people with real or perceived mental health conditions being held in unsanitary and cramped conditions that force them to eat, sleep, urinate and defecate in the same space. Individuals are often chained to other people, further denying their privacy. Many of those held are children.

Nearly one billion people worldwide are living with a mental health disorder, the World Health Organization says. But the global median of health budgets allocated to mental health care was less than 2 percent in 2017  – and in low-income countries the median annual spending on mental health is less than $0.25 per head. Human Rights Watch found a dearth of funding for safe, effective and community-based mental health care and treatment in many countries around the world means that families of people with mental health conditions often resort to restraining or confining their loved ones.

Some families consult faith or traditional healers, who often shackle people with mental health disabilities for being possessed, lacking faith, or having sinned. The stigma associated with psychosocial disability means that shackling is a “largely invisible problem” where families hide the practice from neighbours, Human Rights Watch says.

The organisation is now calling for a worldwide ban on the shackling and close confinement of people with mental health disabilities, as well as greater efforts to improve access to medical treatment and support at the primary care level.

In this episode of The Stream we’ll delve into the details of the new Human Rights Watch report and consider what action is needed to combat the practice of shackling vulnerable people with psychosocial disabilities.

On the episode of The Stream, we are joined by:
Shantha Rau Barriga, @ShanthaHRW
Disability Rights Director, Human Rights Watch

Hauwa Ojeifo, @hauwa_ojeifo
Executive Director and Founder, She Writes Woman, @SheWritesWoman_
shewriteswoman.org

Nova Riyanti Yusuf, @noriyu_md
Secretary General of Asia Federation of Psychiatric Associations