Mental illness should be recognised as a disability
http://www.100md.com
《英国医生杂志》
A House of Commons committee is urging better protection against discrimination for people with mental illness.
Protection should also be extended for people with progressive illnesses and given to people with severe depression that lasts for more than six months.
A joint parliamentary committee that was set up specifically to review the government抯 draft discrimination bill says the bill could go further to provide better opportunities for the estimated 10 million disabled adults in the United Kingdom.
In its report the committee makes 75 recommendations covering a wide range of issues, including illnesses, transport, and housing.
It says that the rules on who is counted as disabled should be changed in light of evidence that people with mental illnesses are not properly protected. At present people have to show that their mental illness is 揷linically well recognised.?In effect, says the committee, this means their illness has to have a name.
揥e recommend the removal of the requirement that mental illnesses must be clinically well recognised. The requirement should instead be that medical evidence must establish the effect of the condition on the person,?says the report.
The committee wants the rules on depression changed too. At present, it says, depression can count as a disability only if it lasts more than a year or if there is likely to be a recurrence. But, it says, serious depression can last less than a year and still have a major effect on the way people do everyday things. It recommends that people experiencing separate periods of depression totalling six months over a two year period should be included.
The committee says it welcomes the extension of the definition to include people with diagnoses of HIV, cancer, and multiple sclerosis but recommends that the government should not be able to exclude some cancers.
The report also recommends that people with progressive conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, should be covered from the time of diagnosis.
揥e congratulate the government for bringing forward the draft disability discrimination bill, but the bill could go further to improve opportunities for disabled people,?said the committee抯 chairman, Lord Carter.
揟he chances to legislate on disability issues are few and far between. The government should seize this opportunity to deliver for disabled people,?he said.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists says the report goes a long way towards removing substantial barriers that currently prevent people with mental health problems making use of the protection of the current Disability Discrimination Act.
揑n our evidence to the joint committee, the college recommended that the definition of disability be extended so that people with mental illness are not excluded from the protection of the act,?said Dr Jed Boardman, chairman of the college抯 general and community faculty.
揥e therefore welcome the extension of the criteria to include the ability to care for oneself, the ability to communicate and interact with others, and the perception of reality. We also welcome the removal of the requirement that mental illness must be 慶linically well recognised.(Abergavenny Roger Dobson)
Protection should also be extended for people with progressive illnesses and given to people with severe depression that lasts for more than six months.
A joint parliamentary committee that was set up specifically to review the government抯 draft discrimination bill says the bill could go further to provide better opportunities for the estimated 10 million disabled adults in the United Kingdom.
In its report the committee makes 75 recommendations covering a wide range of issues, including illnesses, transport, and housing.
It says that the rules on who is counted as disabled should be changed in light of evidence that people with mental illnesses are not properly protected. At present people have to show that their mental illness is 揷linically well recognised.?In effect, says the committee, this means their illness has to have a name.
揥e recommend the removal of the requirement that mental illnesses must be clinically well recognised. The requirement should instead be that medical evidence must establish the effect of the condition on the person,?says the report.
The committee wants the rules on depression changed too. At present, it says, depression can count as a disability only if it lasts more than a year or if there is likely to be a recurrence. But, it says, serious depression can last less than a year and still have a major effect on the way people do everyday things. It recommends that people experiencing separate periods of depression totalling six months over a two year period should be included.
The committee says it welcomes the extension of the definition to include people with diagnoses of HIV, cancer, and multiple sclerosis but recommends that the government should not be able to exclude some cancers.
The report also recommends that people with progressive conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, should be covered from the time of diagnosis.
揥e congratulate the government for bringing forward the draft disability discrimination bill, but the bill could go further to improve opportunities for disabled people,?said the committee抯 chairman, Lord Carter.
揟he chances to legislate on disability issues are few and far between. The government should seize this opportunity to deliver for disabled people,?he said.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists says the report goes a long way towards removing substantial barriers that currently prevent people with mental health problems making use of the protection of the current Disability Discrimination Act.
揑n our evidence to the joint committee, the college recommended that the definition of disability be extended so that people with mental illness are not excluded from the protection of the act,?said Dr Jed Boardman, chairman of the college抯 general and community faculty.
揥e therefore welcome the extension of the criteria to include the ability to care for oneself, the ability to communicate and interact with others, and the perception of reality. We also welcome the removal of the requirement that mental illness must be 慶linically well recognised.(Abergavenny Roger Dobson)