Mental Health Legislation in South Asian Countries: Shortcomings and Possible Solutions

Abstract

(from the chapter) Nearly a quarter of the global population of over 6.8 billion lives in South Asia. India with a population of over 1.2 billion is the second most populous country in the world. Pakistan (184 million) and Bangladesh (164 million) have the sixth and seventh largest population in the world. Besides India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, the other countries which constitute South Asia are Afghanistan, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka. All these eight countries are members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) which was formed in 1985. While seven of these countries, were founding members, Afghanistan joined the association in 2007. Being former British colonies, all these countries except Afghanistan, Bhutan and Nepal are also member states of the Commonwealth of Nations. These countries of South Asia share not only a historical and cultural legacy but a common legal heritage as well. Legislation, including mental health legislation is always influenced by the specific historical, political, social, cultural and economic context in which it is enacted. While mental health legislation vary widely across the world, due to the common legal heritage, the current scenario of mental health legislation is largely similar in all the countries of the South Asian region. Broadly, the shortcomings as well as the possible solutions too are similar. To understand the current shortcomings in mental health legislation and their possible solutions, it is essential to provide a background description of South Asia and an overview of the current health and mental health care systems in these countries. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved)