Involuntary Treatment

Running Head: Involuntary Treatment
Involuntary Treatment
Essay
System04104
5/29/2019

Involuntary Treatment
1
Introduction
In Australia, it is usual that a patient will be legally admitted in the hospital without
any consent of the patient (Carney, Yager, Maguire, & Touyz, 2019). It normally happens in
the context of mental illness of the patient. However, the patient may also be legally forced to
obtain or receive the treatment, medication, or any medical therapy without his/her consent.
These all conditions of medical treatment, where treatment or hospitalization of patient is not
needed any consent of patient is called involuntary treatment, which is really a challenging
job for the medical practitioners. This essay will help to understand what are the regulations
and challenges in involuntary treatment of patients in Australia.
What is Involuntary Treatment?
Involuntary treatment refers to a situation where patient is hospitalized or forced to
take treatment or therapy without the patent’s consent. In almost all situations, this process of
treatment is considered to psychiatric treatment administered even without the patient or
individual’s objections. This type of treatment normally observed in the situation off mental
illness of people or those mental ill people who can create danger for other people in the
society (Mendelson & Lin, 2016).
Governing legislation related to involuntary Treatment
According to the Australian mental health legislation, a person who is suffering from
mental illness and are serious risk for the public safety or other people in community are
subject to involuntary treatment. Apart from this, the Australian government also included in
its law that people who are seriously facing problems and have diminished capacity to take
care of oneself are subject to involuntary treatment in the society (Brayley, Alston, & Rogers,
2015). Any people who are suffering from such type of mental illness and the person can
make the decision about the treatment but the person continuously refuses the treatment
procedure is also can be taken by the involuntary treatment authorities for the involuntary
treatment. However, the MHAs should require to assess the mental conditions of the person
whether the patient has the capacity to make treatment decision or not. This requirement for
MHA is treated as principle or the object of the MHA. However, in Australia this
requirement is the part of involuntary treatment and it is compulsory for the MHA to assess