On this paper, I described the history of mental health and mental welfare policies in Japan, from 1900 to 1997. about 100 years.
Mentally ill detention law was implemented in 1990. This law allowed the mentally ill to be detained and cared at home. In 1919, Mental hospital law was introduced due to much criticism on the conditions of the private care. The law encouraged hospitalization of the mentally ill.
Then, in 1950 after five years from the end of the second world war, Mental Health law (MHL-1) replaced the above two laws. This act, which was setup by the members of the Congress, promised to provide adequate medical treatment and protection of the mentally ill.
Two years after the MHL-1, the government established the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), which became the research base for prevention of mental disorders and improving mental well-being of the population. In 1954, the government conducted the first nationwide survey on mental health and it was estimated that the numbers of the mental disorders were around 1.3 million. The second national survey was conducted in 1963. The estimated numbers were 1.24 million, in which 80 percent were said to be able to return to the society through rehabilitation.
Following these developments, MHL-1 was amended in 1965, allowing home care for the disordered. In the same year, to improve research strength on day care management, the social rehabilitation department was established within the NIMH.
After 22 years of service, MHL-1 was revised to become MHL-2 in 1987. The aims of this revislon were;
1. To improve the citizens mental health
2. To protect the rights of the mental disorders
3. To promote rehabilitation of the mental disorders
The law legitimized rehabilitation center for the disordered and helped to make the trend from hospital care to rehabilitation care. It also stated the able citizens' responsibilities to help these rehabilitation processes. For the human rights protection, the law emphasized on the importance of imformed consent and the mistreated patients were able to appeal to the Mental medical care committee which had been set up for this purpose.
After studying the “midterm opinion on community mental health care policy”, “mid term opinion on the patient with treatment difficulties” and “Future tasks on mental health policy”, Public Health Committee (Ministry of Health) initiated the revision of the MHL-2 in 1993. The revision has contributed the shift of the public opinion on the mental disorder care, that is, from care in rehabilitation center to care in community. This has helped the rehabilitation process of the mental disorders, though the emphasison the citizens' mental well-being has been relatively taken back.
Furthermore, in 1993, Basic law of the Disabled was also enacted. This law recognizes mental disorder as a type of diability and also recognizes the importance of the welfare implications along with health and medical treatment.
Following this move, MHL-2 was extensively revised and became. Mental health and the welfare of the mentally disordered law (commonly known as “Mental health and welfare law”). Meanwhile, Community care act was introduced in 1994.
In conclusion, the official policy on the mental disorders has been moving gradually towards community care. To support this trend, mental health, psychiatric treatment and the welfare policy on the mental disorders need to be well, coordinated. The issue of two mental emergencies, that is, medical emergency and social emergency will be a major pressing concern. These are the issues that should be tackled in future.
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