European Psychiatry - Volume 33

24th European Congress of Psychiatry / European Psychiatry 33S (2016) S3–S4

a priority for psychiatry. Common ground for search of a new

consensus between different views on non-consensual treat-

ment in psychiatry could be equilibrium within the principles

of “first, do no harm”, “right to treatment” and “no hierar-

chy within human rights”. For mental healthcare practice, this

would mean that good intentions to provide evidence-based

interventions do not justify the use of force and deprivation

of liberty which threatens dignity and universal human rights

principles.

Psychiatry, while rethinking future directions, should critically

reconsider its current focus on neurobiological paradigm and tradi-

tion of using force in the name of medicine and social control. These

two paradigms, traditionally perceived as strengths of psychiatry

and sources of its power, are now too often misused and increas-

ingly discussed as lacking evidence, ignoring human rights and thus

threatening image of psychiatry. Instead, psychiatry could consider

accepting post-CRPD challenge as a unique opportunity for change,

through strengthening strategic alliance with human rights mech-

anisms, social sciences, general and community medicine, modern

public health approach and users’ perspective.

Disclosure of interest

The author has not supplied his declaration

of competing interest.