"Global Mental Health Congress Urges End to Coercive Psychiatric Practices"

At the World Mental Health Congress in Portugal, advocates called for an end to coercive psychiatric practices, aligning with the United Nations and World Health Organizations human rights mandates.

• Bruce Wiseman, a U.S. human rights advocate, emphasized the need to abolish coercive practices like forced electroconvulsive therapy during his speech at the World Mental Health Congress in Barcelos, Portugal.
• The Congress highlighted the ongoing violations of human rights in psychiatric hospitals, urging global cooperation with the United Nations and World Health Organization to address these issues.
• The Citizens Commission on Human Rights supported the call to end coercion in psychiatry, advocating for reforms that align with international human rights standards established by the United States Congress.