Taiwan
The Mental Health Association in Taiwan organized a proclamation-signing ceremony at the National Normal University on 9 October, at which about 40 government organizations and NGOs were represented. A special Declaration of Mental Health Human Rights was prepared, and information events were held for numerous target groups (workers; industrial and other managers; women; children; adolescents; the elderly; and various patients’ groups). At the university Professor Ian Neary from the University of Essex in England presented a comparative study of the human rights of psychiatric patients in Japan, Korea and Taiwan.
Declaration of Mental Health Human Rights by the
Mental Health Association in Taiwan
I sincerely recognize that:
- Mental Health is to accept myself as who I am, to get along with others, and to balance the demands of daily life.
- Everyone is entitled to freedom from fear, harm, or persecution.
- It is the right as well as the obligation of everyone to promote a mentally healthy environment.
- The primary task of building a society of mental health is to enhance self-awareness and mutual understanding.
I dedicate myself to:
- Cultivate a society with respect for individual differences and compassion for others.
- Promote a better mental health care system.
- Develop community safety and an integrated system of care.
- Prevent and eliminate misunderstanding or stigma about mental illness by promoting its understanding and acceptance.