2021 Volume 18 Pages 105-128
Revision of the Mental Health Act of 1987 has been framed as a law revision
in consideration of human rights, caused by international criticisms to Japanese
mental health system with the case of Utsunomiya Hospital as a trigger. Previous
studies with critical perspective to such historical frame have pointed out
that revision of the Mental Health Act of 1987 was not intended by the victims
of the Utsunomiya Hospital, but reflected on intentions of organizations for families,
psychiatrists, and lawyers exclusively. However, they have not described
claims of people with psychosocial disabilities. So, descriptions of history without
people concerned have been repeatedly quoted. This study aims to clarify
the claims of the social movements of people with psychosocial disabilities
against revision of the Mental Health Act of 1987. It analyzes the historical descriptions
of such social movements and their claims. The analysis clearly
demonstrated that the focus of social movements of people with psychosocial
disabilities was on abolition rather than revision, because the Mental Health Act
was an authority for involuntary hospitalization with peace preservation nature.
The claims of movements highlighted promotion of discriminative opinions of
citizens who alienated people with psychosocial disabilities by portraying them
as dangerous and excluded them thorough involuntary hospitalization. Such
claims were unique to people with psychosocial disabilities in term of pointing
out commonality between abolition of the Mental Health Act and opposition of
security measures. As above, this study reveals claims of social movements of
people with psychosocial disabilities, which have been invisible in previous his
torical descriptions of a law revision on Mental Health Act with exclusion of
persons concerned.
