정신건강복지법 개정에 따른 지역사회 정신건강 서비스 개선 방향

초록

The Korean Mental Health Act was amended to Act on the Improvement of Mental Health and the Support for Welfare Services for Mental Patients (in short, Mental Health Welfare Act) in May 2017. The revised act had major changes in the objective of the law, people who are subject to legal protection, and the definition of the term mental illness. These changes (e.g., involuntary hospitalizations requiring both the need for treatment and threat of harm to self or others, and rigorous assessment requirements applied in the admission to and discharge from inpatient units) are expected to greatly influence the direction of policy for the promotion of mental health, and foster social discussion on the process of hospitalization and discharge of people with mental disorders in Korea. Controversial debates persist (e.g., human rights protection of people with mental disorders vs. guaranteed right for timely treatment). Moreover, as the recent media highlighted criminal cases that might be related to severe mental illness, the need for the optimal infrastructure to provide psychosocial rehabilitation in our community and to provide emergency care at an appropriate time gained great attention. Licensed clinical psychologists are mental health professionals with expertise in the psychosocial evaluation process of severe mental illness and non-pharmaceutical psychosocial treatments. Thus, accurate understandings about these recent legal changes and the debates should be made to ensure proper treatment and human rights of their clients. The current study summarized the major revisions of the amended Mental Health Welfare Act including the changed hospitalization and discharge processes, discussed controversial issues relevant, and suggested a future role of clinical psychologists within a recovery-oriented psychiatric rehabilitation paradigm.

키워드