Human Rights and Mental Health in Peru

"Human Rights & Mental Health in Peru" presents the results of a joint research mission between Mental Disability Rights International (MDRI) and the Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos (APRODEH), conducted between October 2002 and February 2003, focusing on the human rights of persons with mental disabilities in Peru. During this research, the working teams met with a wide range of non-governmental advocacy organizations, including human rights organizations, groups working for the rights of persons with mental disabilities, family organizations, the Association of Psychiatrists, communities displaced by political violence, and government representatives. The research teams also visited facilities for persons with psychiatric and intellectual disabilities, a psychiatric ward in a prison, psychiatric units within social security and police hospitals, and health services in a rural community. This report evaluates Peru's compliance with national and international standards for the treatment of persons with mental disabilities, highlights successful community integration programs, and provides recommendations for the reform of mental health systems and social services.