Human Rights Commission Publishes 'Mental Disability Human Rights Report'... "Need to Establish Whole-Government Policies for Human Rights Protection and Promotion"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The National Human Rights Commission of Korea published the "Human Rights Report on Persons with Mental Disabilities (2021)" on the 20th, which outlines the human rights situation and improvement measures for persons with mental disabilities. The Commission recommended the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health and Welfare to establish and implement comprehensive government-wide policies to protect and promote the human rights of persons with mental disabilities.

This report is a comprehensive human rights report analyzing and organizing various aspects such as the daily lives of persons with mental disabilities including employment and housing, the admission and discharge processes in psychiatric medical institutions, treatment conditions, awareness levels, and human rights protection in disaster situations. The Commission explained, "To prepare the report, we conducted surveys and research, and extensively gathered opinions from legal experts, psychiatrists, social welfare professionals, field practitioners, persons with mental disabilities themselves, and their families."

The report fully reflects the harsh reality faced by persons with mental disabilities in Korea. The average length of stay in psychiatric medical institutions in Korea is 176.4 days, which is prolonged compared to OECD countries such as Belgium (9.3 days), Sweden (15.7 days), the United Kingdom (35.2 days), and Spain (56.4 days). The involuntary admission rate is also relatively high at 32.1%. The rate of readmission after discharge is twice the OECD average.

Additionally, the average monthly household income of persons with mental disabilities is 1.804 million KRW, which is significantly lower than the average household income of 3.617 million KRW and the average income of households with disabilities at 2.421 million KRW. The employment rate is also low at 15.7%, compared to other types of disabilities, while the proportion living in public rental housing is the highest among all disability types at 16.0%. Thirty percent of families with members who have mental disabilities responded that they did not marry because they had to care for their family member, indicating the heavy burden on families with members who have mental disabilities.

However, above all, the report pointed out that the most painful issue for persons with mental disabilities and their families is the negative perception of society towards them. The vague prejudice that persons with mental disabilities are dangerous or incompetent, and the laws restricting their acquisition of certifications and employment based on such prejudice, block opportunities for their independence.

The report proposed four fundamental principles for promoting the human rights of persons with mental disabilities: ▲ independence and guarantee of self-reliance based on human dignity ▲ the state's obligation to respect, guarantee, and realize the human rights of persons with mental disabilities ▲ non-discrimination and social integration ▲ community-centered mental health welfare services that ensure a dignified life. It also presented seven core tasks and 27 policy agendas. A National Human Rights Commission official said, "We hope this report will serve as an important blueprint for promoting and improving the human rights of persons with mental disabilities."