The Clinical Director of Mental Health Services in West Cork, Pat Bracken, has added his voice to a growing campaign aimed at deleting section 59b of the Mental Health Act 2001, which provides for involuntary Electro-Convulsive Treatment (ECT) for psychiatric patients. The campaign to eliminate involuntary ECT has been backed by Mad Pride Ireland, whose founder, Corkman John McCarthy, told the Cork Independent that forced treatments are "an abuse of civil rights".

According to Mr McCarthy, while ECT is held to be a 'life saving' treatment by its proponents, it is used in just 37 per cent of Irish hospitals. "If it's a life saving treatment, then how many of the patients are dying in the other 63 per cent of hospitals?"

An amendment to the Act, aimed at deleting section 59b, was brought to the Seanad in December by Senators David Norris, Dan Boyle and Deirdre de Burca, and is due to come before the Dáil this year.

According to Professor Bracken, who is a Consultant Psychiatrist; "there are a lot of people who are interested in seeing changes to the Mental Health Act".

Changes

"I think, actually, that the Irish College of Psychiatrists… is open to some discussion about how this whole process is defined," he said. "At the moment we have a current Mental Health Act which puts a lot of power and responsibility into the hands of consultant psychiatrists and that is out of tune with the national policy, A Vision for Change."

A Vision for Change is the national policy on mental health, which was published in 2006. It was the result of a research process involving all stakeholders and according to Bracken, "is generally regarded by all sides as very progressive".

"It's important because it signals a cultural shift away from what I would call 'medical paternalism', where the doctor says what's right, and towards a more democratic and patient-centred culture."

'Dramatic and drastic'

"Section 59b provides for involuntary electro-shock treatment, which is quite dramatic and drastic. It involves patients getting a general anaesthetic and then an electric shock to the head which brings on a 'grand mal' epileptic seizure.