Q:What circumstances need to exist to warrant a mental health assessment, who has the authority and responsibility to initiate the process, how is it carried out, and what followup can be expected if a mental health condition is diagnosed?
We have an older neighbour, married, who I feel has a mental health issue. He has targeted people in five households, including mine, is verbally abusive, threatening some of us by driving a vehicle at us but not hitting us, and using hand gestures as in throat slitting when we are around. The police have not been helpful. We think that he should be committed and given treatment.
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A:You are obviously living in difficult circumstances. I do not want to minimize the concern for your well-being, but I am not sure that you can count on mental health legislation to help you with your problem.
He might be mentally ill or he might be a mean old man. Your preferred option to resolve your problem is to continue working with the justice system, either with your local peace officers or getting yourself legal help and working directly with the courts.
The courts in this country try to be sensitive to the needs of the person and they will order a psychiatric examination if they believe one is necessary. Mental health legislation is designed to facilitate care for people who are suffering from a psychiatric disorder who are reluctant to seek help.
Specific legislation varies from province to province, but in all cases, it commits people to psychiatrists’ offices for assessments or diagnoses and perhaps admissions to treatment facilities.
Our history for treating those with mental illnesses has not always been as sensitive and benevolent as it currently is.
Less than 50 years ago, those who were thought to be mentally ill were stripped of human dignity and locked up in mental institutions. They had no rights, including the right to appeal the decision to incarcerate them.
The legislation then was designed to protect the community from those thought to be insane. Helping or treating the patient was a secondary issue.
Protection for the community continues to be part of mental health legislation, but it is usually superseded by attempts to provide care to those who are in need of assistance.
Protection is the responsibility of our peace officers, not our mental health therapists, and because of that we have a system that will respect the dignities of all people, even at times when it is uncomfortable and when the judicial system does not protect our communities as much as we would like.
The mental health system today is better and more humane and we should make every effort to keep it that way.
RESPECT GOES BOTH WAYS
Dear Mr. Andrews: I enjoyed your article in the March 10Western Producer.You make some excellent comments about the reasons why young people may be disrespectful.
However, analyzing why people are the way they are because of their past does not change anything about how they will behave in the future. That is, unless a person takes a gentle initiative.
I am an older woman and I never concede the place on the sidewalk, nor hesitate to enter a store, where there are teenagers hanging around being sassy. I remember to view these young people as people and show them respect.
Teenagers are often nervous around old people. But, I paid for the sidewalk they are hanging around on through my taxes and I support the stores by shopping in them.
I would encourage your readers to demonstrate to the teenagers a different sort of elderly person, one who leads.
I say quite loudly, but pleasantly, “Excuse me, gentlemen.” Then I wait for them to part and leave me space to pass. They always do.
Now when some of them see me coming, they let me through and even say hi. That is a major change in behaviour for them. Respect everyone. – C.W., Riverview, New Brunswick
Jacklin Andrews is a family counsellor from Saskatchewan. Contact:
