There is an upcoming UN resolution titled “General Assembly resolution on mental health and psychosocial support for sustainable development and peace”. It was proposed by Mexico and propelled by the global mental health movement. Some of you may remember this debate from 10 years ago, when attempts were made to set “filling the treatment gap” and “reducing severe mental disorders” as a target within SDG 3. A little before that time, leaders of the Global Mental Health Movement had written harshly and dismissively against the CRPD and against our peoples. Among several discriminatory and humiliating opinions generated, as published in a Lancet article (2018, attached below), it was stated that economic crises, community crises, conflicts and violence would befall nations if “the alarming rise of mental disorders” were left untreated. It reinforced the stereotypes of the “violent and dangerous lunatic” who has absolutely no insight, but yet was powerful enough to bring down stock markets, businesses, life in the community and create economic recession. At the time, we, as always, advocated extensively against the culture of coercion established by the mental health system, in the name of ‘treatment’- institutionalization, forced, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatments, and the incapacity laws.

TCI, WNUSP, other groups of users and survivors, and persons with psychosocial disabilities, supported by the international cross disability movement, had thwarted that attempt. Please see below some allied documents created in those days.

A new resolution from New York this month, resurrects this old debate. Unfortunately the resolution, suggestively titled, “resolution on mental health and psychosocial support for sustainable development and peace”, is not put out publicly for consultations and is not available on the UN pages.

It has been a 10-year-old debate! Please see below for some historical context of this discussion.

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