Mental Inmates Humiliated

As seen in The Australian

Psychiatric patients have been stripped naked, physically abused and injected with sedatives against their will, a damning report into Western Australia's mental health facilities hasfound.

It also reveals that some patients received carpet burns to their faces and other injuries, including severe bruising, while others who had been committed to care were charged $24 a day for the privilege.

The Council of Official Visitors' annual report on the treatment of mental health patients finds there were a number of cases of basic human rights violations and criticises the state Government for a lack of action in recent years.

"The issue about people being secluded naked is very distressing, particularly because we recorded the problem in last year's report and brought it to the Government's attention, and despite all of that there areanother three cases this year," report author Judyth Watson told The Australian.

In 2005-06, the council - an independent body set up to monitor the treatment of patients - had several complaints from patients at the Mills Street Centre, in suburban Bentley, that nurses had removed their clothes while they were kept in isolation.

"One woman complained that on several occasions of seclusion she had her clothing removed and on two of them she was not provided with any coverings," the report says.

Another patient was secluded 13 times and left naked during two of those times.

"It was humiliating and embarrassing for her - her anxiety was heightened when her clothes were removed by a male nurse and when she was monitored naked by close circuit television," the report says.

Opposition health spokeswoman Helen Morton said the council exposed the practice at Perth's main psychiatric facility, Graylands at Mount Claremont, last year.

"One year later, the practice continues at Bentley, sometimes against patients who are seen as difficult," Ms Morton said.

West Australian chief psychiatrist Rowan Davidson said clothing had been removed from some patients because staff thought it was necessary for the patients' protection.

However, he said that practice had since been changed.

State Australian Medical Association spokesman Paul Skerritt said that while seclusion was sometimes necessary and effective, he did not agree with stripping patients naked.

"I can't possibly see how that could be legitimate treatment," Professor Skerritt said.

The council also received complaints from patients that excessive force was used as they were transferred to seclusion.

The report says: "They say they sustained injuries including carpet burns to the face and swollen/bruised parts of limbs. These injuries were seen by Official Visitors."

Dr Watson acknowledged the difficult line nurses had to walk in assessing the risk of patients harming themselves or others.

She said another issue the Government had yet to resolve, despite years of discussion, was a daily fee charged to some long-term involuntary patients at Graylands.

"These are terribly vulnerable patients who have no choice about whether they can leave," she said.

The 41 patients are being charged $23.65 a day for board and lodging.

Health Minister Jim McGinty said every mental health patient was entitled to be treated with respect and dignity. "We are currently drafting a new Mental Health Act to positively enshrine the rights of the mentally ill in the laws of Western Australia. We expect to introduce a bill in state parliament in the first half of next year," he said.