Excluding autism or excluding everything? The problem of broad definitions in the England and Wales Draft Mental Health Bill
The recent Draft Mental Health Bill for England and Wales proposes changes to the Mental Health Act 1983 which will include, for the first time, a legal definition of autism. This article explores the specific potential issue that the definition, owing to its breadth, potentially encompasses a numbe...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
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| Series: | BJPsych Bulletin |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2056469423000608/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1797786208328220672 |
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| author | Peter Beazley |
| author_facet | Peter Beazley |
| author_sort | Peter Beazley |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The recent Draft Mental Health Bill for England and Wales proposes changes to the Mental Health Act 1983 which will include, for the first time, a legal definition of autism. This article explores the specific potential issue that the definition, owing to its breadth, potentially encompasses a number of conditions other than autism, consequently leaving the definitionally dependent concept of ‘psychiatric disorder’ significantly narrowed in scope. The potential implications of this – primarily the concern that a range of other conditions and presentations could be unintentionally excluded from the scope of the civil powers in the Mental Health Act – are discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T01:04:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-266449e9d2d14ae69960751c5bb8c0a3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2056-4694 2056-4708 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T01:04:39Z |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BJPsych Bulletin |
| spelling | doaj.art-266449e9d2d14ae69960751c5bb8c0a32023-07-06T07:13:11ZengCambridge University PressBJPsych Bulletin2056-46942056-47081510.1192/bjb.2023.60Excluding autism or excluding everything? The problem of broad definitions in the England and Wales Draft Mental Health BillPeter Beazley0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8821-1213University of East Anglia, Norwich, UKThe recent Draft Mental Health Bill for England and Wales proposes changes to the Mental Health Act 1983 which will include, for the first time, a legal definition of autism. This article explores the specific potential issue that the definition, owing to its breadth, potentially encompasses a number of conditions other than autism, consequently leaving the definitionally dependent concept of ‘psychiatric disorder’ significantly narrowed in scope. The potential implications of this – primarily the concern that a range of other conditions and presentations could be unintentionally excluded from the scope of the civil powers in the Mental Health Act – are discussed.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2056469423000608/type/journal_articlePsychiatry and lawautism spectrum disordersin-patient treatmentcomorbidityconsent and capacity |
| spellingShingle | Peter Beazley Excluding autism or excluding everything? The problem of broad definitions in the England and Wales Draft Mental Health Bill BJPsych Bulletin Psychiatry and law autism spectrum disorders in-patient treatment comorbidity consent and capacity |
| title | Excluding autism or excluding everything? The problem of broad definitions in the England and Wales Draft Mental Health Bill |
| title_full | Excluding autism or excluding everything? The problem of broad definitions in the England and Wales Draft Mental Health Bill |
| title_fullStr | Excluding autism or excluding everything? The problem of broad definitions in the England and Wales Draft Mental Health Bill |
| title_full_unstemmed | Excluding autism or excluding everything? The problem of broad definitions in the England and Wales Draft Mental Health Bill |
| title_short | Excluding autism or excluding everything? The problem of broad definitions in the England and Wales Draft Mental Health Bill |
| title_sort | excluding autism or excluding everything the problem of broad definitions in the england and wales draft mental health bill |
| topic | Psychiatry and law autism spectrum disorders in-patient treatment comorbidity consent and capacity |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2056469423000608/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT peterbeazley excludingautismorexcludingeverythingtheproblemofbroaddefinitionsintheenglandandwalesdraftmentalhealthbill |