Bangladesh needs to put a stop to malpractice in mental health-care services

Mohammad Kadir, Md Omar Faruk, Shamsul Haque, Muhammad Kamruzzaman Mozumder, Azharul Islam, Tarun Kanti Gayen, John Martin

Research output: Contribution to journalLetterpeer-review

Abstract

Bangladesh passed its National Mental Health Act in 2018, replacing the century-old Indian Lunacy Act (1912), and passed its National Mental Health Policy in 2022. The National Mental Health Act offers guidelines on monitoring mental health hospitals and rehabilitation centres nationwide. The act also includes rules for assessing, admitting, and treating people with mental health problems.1 The National Mental Health Strategic Plan (2020–30) highlights an urgent need to develop a management structure for mental health programmes and deploy a new leadership within the health services department to monitor programmes and services based on well planned guidelines; however, no indication is given to form a regulatory body involving mental health experts that could devise a code of practice to help streamline psychological services. Bangladesh needs a registration system for practising psychologists to ensure ethical practice and accountability of those responsible for violating client and patient rights and safety.
Original languageEnglish
Number of pages2
JournalThe Lancet Psychiatry
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024

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