Added Value: Using Human Rights to Support Psychiatric Advance Statements

Stavert, Jill

Abstract

Patient autonomy, regarded as a fundamental principle underlying medical ethics,1 is reinforced by numerous international instruments. Integral to this is advance treatment planning, often referred to as ‘advance statements’ or ‘advance directives’.2 These allow individuals with capacity to express medical treatment preferences in the event of subsequent incapacity or significantly impaired decision-making ability and are recognised by both the General Medical Council and British Medical Association.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: 2013-05
• Deposit Date: May 29, 2015
• Journal: Edinburgh Law Review
• Print ISSN: 1364-9809
• Electronic ISSN: 1755-1692
• Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 17
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 210-223
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3366/elr.2013.0155
• Keywords: Advance statements; advance directives; patient autonomy; medical ethics; mental health
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/id/eprint/8386
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3366/elr.2013.0155