The Mental Health Act and Public Perception on Resource Allocation in Bangladesh

Md. Sanwar Siraj; Rebecca Susan Dewey; Md Ikhtiar Uddin Bhuiyan; Kamrul Hasan; Md Yousuf Ali; Ahnaf Tahmid Arnab

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ajpn.20210902.13

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The Mental Health Act and Public Perception on Resource Allocation in Bangladesh

Md. Sanwar Siraj, Rebecca Susan Dewey, Md Ikhtiar Uddin Bhuiyan, Kamrul Hasan, Md Yousuf Ali, Ahnaf Tahmid Arnab

Published in American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience (Volume 9, Issue 2)

Received: 19 March 2021 Accepted: 7 April 2021 Published: 13 April 2021

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Abstract

The Bangladesh government passed a new Mental Health Act in 2018, which formally came into effect on November 14. In order to decrease the significance and endurance of the hundred-year-old statute, the Lunacy Act of 1912, the government enacted the new Act by reformation. The Act is designed to ensure the provision of health services, the preservation of dignity, property rights and rehabilitation, and the general wellbeing of individuals suffering from diseases and disorders associated with mental health. The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of public opinions around mental health with regard to resource allocation by policy makers in Bangladesh. By reviewing mental health policy documents and the political literature on resource allocation in mental health, this study finds that despite the provisions of the Act, the lack of public support in mental health often discourages policymakers from allocating appropriate medical resources in mental health services. Since Bangladeshis generally perceive mental illness as a divine punishment apportioned by devil spirit or jinee, public support for mental health services is lacking. Consequently, Bangladeshi policy makers are discouraged from allocating the necessary resources and services in mental health. At the time of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh, the shortage of facilities and funds for mental health was acute, creating a huge burden on families of people with mental illness. In order to provide psychological and mental welfare services to its mentally ill and disorder-related patients, the government of Bangladesh must allocate the required resources in mental health.

Published in	American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience (Volume 9, Issue 2)
DOI	10.11648/j.ajpn.20210902.13
Page(s)	38-43
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Mental Health, Mental Illness, Resource Allocation, Bangladesh

References

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APA Style

Md. Sanwar Siraj, Rebecca Susan Dewey, Md Ikhtiar Uddin Bhuiyan, Kamrul Hasan, Md Yousuf Ali, et al. (2021). The Mental Health Act and Public Perception on Resource Allocation in Bangladesh. American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, 9(2), 38-43. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajpn.20210902.13

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ACS Style

Md. Sanwar Siraj; Rebecca Susan Dewey; Md Ikhtiar Uddin Bhuiyan; Kamrul Hasan; Md Yousuf Ali, et al. The Mental Health Act and Public Perception on Resource Allocation in Bangladesh. Am. J. Psychiatry Neurosci. 2021, 9(2), 38-43. doi: 10.11648/j.ajpn.20210902.13

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AMA Style

Md. Sanwar Siraj, Rebecca Susan Dewey, Md Ikhtiar Uddin Bhuiyan, Kamrul Hasan, Md Yousuf Ali, et al. The Mental Health Act and Public Perception on Resource Allocation in Bangladesh. Am J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2021;9(2):38-43. doi: 10.11648/j.ajpn.20210902.13

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@article{10.11648/j.ajpn.20210902.13,
  author = {Md. Sanwar Siraj and Rebecca Susan Dewey and Md Ikhtiar Uddin Bhuiyan and Kamrul Hasan and Md Yousuf Ali and Ahnaf Tahmid Arnab},
  title = {The Mental Health Act and Public Perception on Resource Allocation in Bangladesh},
  journal = {American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience},
  volume = {9},
  number = {2},
  pages = {38-43},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajpn.20210902.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajpn.20210902.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajpn.20210902.13},
  abstract = {The Bangladesh government passed a new Mental Health Act in 2018, which formally came into effect on November 14. In order to decrease the significance and endurance of the hundred-year-old statute, the Lunacy Act of 1912, the government enacted the new Act by reformation. The Act is designed to ensure the provision of health services, the preservation of dignity, property rights and rehabilitation, and the general wellbeing of individuals suffering from diseases and disorders associated with mental health. The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of public opinions around mental health with regard to resource allocation by policy makers in Bangladesh. By reviewing mental health policy documents and the political literature on resource allocation in mental health, this study finds that despite the provisions of the Act, the lack of public support in mental health often discourages policymakers from allocating appropriate medical resources in mental health services. Since Bangladeshis generally perceive mental illness as a divine punishment apportioned by devil spirit or jinee, public support for mental health services is lacking. Consequently, Bangladeshi policy makers are discouraged from allocating the necessary resources and services in mental health. At the time of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh, the shortage of facilities and funds for mental health was acute, creating a huge burden on families of people with mental illness. In order to provide psychological and mental welfare services to its mentally ill and disorder-related patients, the government of Bangladesh must allocate the required resources in mental health.},
 year = {2021}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - The Mental Health Act and Public Perception on Resource Allocation in Bangladesh
AU  - Md. Sanwar Siraj
AU  - Rebecca Susan Dewey
AU  - Md Ikhtiar Uddin Bhuiyan
AU  - Kamrul Hasan
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DO  - 10.11648/j.ajpn.20210902.13
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JF  - American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience
JO  - American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience
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UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajpn.20210902.13
AB  - The Bangladesh government passed a new Mental Health Act in 2018, which formally came into effect on November 14. In order to decrease the significance and endurance of the hundred-year-old statute, the Lunacy Act of 1912, the government enacted the new Act by reformation. The Act is designed to ensure the provision of health services, the preservation of dignity, property rights and rehabilitation, and the general wellbeing of individuals suffering from diseases and disorders associated with mental health. The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of public opinions around mental health with regard to resource allocation by policy makers in Bangladesh. By reviewing mental health policy documents and the political literature on resource allocation in mental health, this study finds that despite the provisions of the Act, the lack of public support in mental health often discourages policymakers from allocating appropriate medical resources in mental health services. Since Bangladeshis generally perceive mental illness as a divine punishment apportioned by devil spirit or jinee, public support for mental health services is lacking. Consequently, Bangladeshi policy makers are discouraged from allocating the necessary resources and services in mental health. At the time of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh, the shortage of facilities and funds for mental health was acute, creating a huge burden on families of people with mental illness. In order to provide psychological and mental welfare services to its mentally ill and disorder-related patients, the government of Bangladesh must allocate the required resources in mental health.
VL  - 9
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Author Information

Md. Sanwar Siraj

Department of Government and Politics, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Rebecca Susan Dewey

Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
Md Ikhtiar Uddin Bhuiyan

Department of Government and Politics, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Kamrul Hasan

Department of Government and Politics, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Md Yousuf Ali

Department of Government and Politics, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Ahnaf Tahmid Arnab

Department of Government and Politics, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, Bangladesh

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APA Style

Md. Sanwar Siraj, Rebecca Susan Dewey, Md Ikhtiar Uddin Bhuiyan, Kamrul Hasan, Md Yousuf Ali, et al. (2021). The Mental Health Act and Public Perception on Resource Allocation in Bangladesh. American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, 9(2), 38-43. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajpn.20210902.13

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ACS Style

Md. Sanwar Siraj; Rebecca Susan Dewey; Md Ikhtiar Uddin Bhuiyan; Kamrul Hasan; Md Yousuf Ali, et al. The Mental Health Act and Public Perception on Resource Allocation in Bangladesh. Am. J. Psychiatry Neurosci. 2021, 9(2), 38-43. doi: 10.11648/j.ajpn.20210902.13

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AMA Style

Md. Sanwar Siraj, Rebecca Susan Dewey, Md Ikhtiar Uddin Bhuiyan, Kamrul Hasan, Md Yousuf Ali, et al. The Mental Health Act and Public Perception on Resource Allocation in Bangladesh. Am J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2021;9(2):38-43. doi: 10.11648/j.ajpn.20210902.13

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@article{10.11648/j.ajpn.20210902.13,
  author = {Md. Sanwar Siraj and Rebecca Susan Dewey and Md Ikhtiar Uddin Bhuiyan and Kamrul Hasan and Md Yousuf Ali and Ahnaf Tahmid Arnab},
  title = {The Mental Health Act and Public Perception on Resource Allocation in Bangladesh},
  journal = {American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience},
  volume = {9},
  number = {2},
  pages = {38-43},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajpn.20210902.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajpn.20210902.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajpn.20210902.13},
  abstract = {The Bangladesh government passed a new Mental Health Act in 2018, which formally came into effect on November 14. In order to decrease the significance and endurance of the hundred-year-old statute, the Lunacy Act of 1912, the government enacted the new Act by reformation. The Act is designed to ensure the provision of health services, the preservation of dignity, property rights and rehabilitation, and the general wellbeing of individuals suffering from diseases and disorders associated with mental health. The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of public opinions around mental health with regard to resource allocation by policy makers in Bangladesh. By reviewing mental health policy documents and the political literature on resource allocation in mental health, this study finds that despite the provisions of the Act, the lack of public support in mental health often discourages policymakers from allocating appropriate medical resources in mental health services. Since Bangladeshis generally perceive mental illness as a divine punishment apportioned by devil spirit or jinee, public support for mental health services is lacking. Consequently, Bangladeshi policy makers are discouraged from allocating the necessary resources and services in mental health. At the time of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh, the shortage of facilities and funds for mental health was acute, creating a huge burden on families of people with mental illness. In order to provide psychological and mental welfare services to its mentally ill and disorder-related patients, the government of Bangladesh must allocate the required resources in mental health.},
 year = {2021}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - The Mental Health Act and Public Perception on Resource Allocation in Bangladesh
AU  - Md. Sanwar Siraj
AU  - Rebecca Susan Dewey
AU  - Md Ikhtiar Uddin Bhuiyan
AU  - Kamrul Hasan
AU  - Md Yousuf Ali
AU  - Ahnaf Tahmid Arnab
Y1  - 2021/04/13
PY  - 2021
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajpn.20210902.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajpn.20210902.13
T2  - American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience
JF  - American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience
JO  - American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience
SP  - 38
EP  - 43
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-426X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajpn.20210902.13
AB  - The Bangladesh government passed a new Mental Health Act in 2018, which formally came into effect on November 14. In order to decrease the significance and endurance of the hundred-year-old statute, the Lunacy Act of 1912, the government enacted the new Act by reformation. The Act is designed to ensure the provision of health services, the preservation of dignity, property rights and rehabilitation, and the general wellbeing of individuals suffering from diseases and disorders associated with mental health. The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of public opinions around mental health with regard to resource allocation by policy makers in Bangladesh. By reviewing mental health policy documents and the political literature on resource allocation in mental health, this study finds that despite the provisions of the Act, the lack of public support in mental health often discourages policymakers from allocating appropriate medical resources in mental health services. Since Bangladeshis generally perceive mental illness as a divine punishment apportioned by devil spirit or jinee, public support for mental health services is lacking. Consequently, Bangladeshi policy makers are discouraged from allocating the necessary resources and services in mental health. At the time of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh, the shortage of facilities and funds for mental health was acute, creating a huge burden on families of people with mental illness. In order to provide psychological and mental welfare services to its mentally ill and disorder-related patients, the government of Bangladesh must allocate the required resources in mental health.
VL  - 9
IS  - 2
ER  -

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