| Abstract: | Reviews the book, Canadian Mental Health Law and Policy by John E. Gray, Margaret A. Shone, and Peter F. Liddle (2000). The authors of this book have produced a multidisciplinary text that succinctly summarizes the main points of Canadian mental health laws and the variability across provinces and territories in these laws and in their typical interpretation and application. This book offers a concise guide to the laws dealing with key issues such as involuntary hospital admission, authorization of psychiatric treatment, and treatment refusal. Although not always an easy read for those unfamiliar with legal terms and writing, the book is geared to a wide audience that includes legal and policy specialists, mental health professionals, and advocates for the mentally ill. These authors are to be congratulated for their efforts to disseminate and explain information on Canadian mental health law and to promote a more humane and scientifically grounded set of legal standards and interpretations that are pertinent to the disposition and treatment of Canadian citizens with severe mental disorders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
