Establishing accountability and promoting rights: the WHO QualityRights contribution to mental health, recovery and community inclusion

Abstract

Attention to human rights as a central pillar of global mental health work has shifted from a focus on the right to healthcare to a deeper examination of the quality of care received, and to the way in which people with mental health conditions are treated in all aspects of life. The QualityRights programme is the World Health Organization’s flagship guidance for promotion of rights-based approaches to mental healthcare, and a means of holding service providers to account for quality of care provided. A recent evaluation of the QualityRights e-training package demonstrates promising impact on attitude change of participants, raising the prospect of an efficient scale-up of efforts to improve dignity in services and reduce stigma and discrimination.