Research summary, Queensland Mental Health Act and Human Rights project

The Queensland Mental Health Commission (the Commission) wanted to understand how the new
Queensland Mental Health Act 2016 protected the human rights of adults being treated
involuntarily for mental illness.

Researchers from Griffith University, the University of New South Wales, and University of
Sydney looked at two areas:

• people’s experiences of being treated under the act, along with the views of their carers and families, as well as the views of service providers, experts and advocates;
• how the human rights protections in the Act compared to similar acts in other Australian States and Territories.

The study investigated five areas:

• rights and information for inpatients within mental health wards
• the role of Independent Patient Rights Advisers (IPRAs)
• Advance Health Directives (AHDs)
• the operation of the Mental Health Review Tribunal (MHRT), and
• rights and information about involuntary treatment in the community.

Read more about the project and associated reports on our page Involuntary treatment protections.