Situational analysis of Forensic Mental Health in Bangladesh

Abstract

Forensic Mental Health in Bangladesh is an unattended domain of mental health services. With about 17% of the population suffering from mental disorders per year and more than 80 thousand prisoners in the country, there have not been any studies to look into forensic mental health situations. This research has given an overview of the health and legal systems through qualitative research focusing on a desk review and key informant interviews. Findings show that though there are guidelines in the law and regulatory codes in the judicial systems, implementing those guidelines is not seen in many cases. There are several areas in the health system in terms of capacity, service and resources which needs to be addressed by the government for supporting the healthcare providers, lawyers, judges and mentally ill or disabled people. Our study also portrayed the current referral mechanisms connecting both legal and health systems while addressing different cases of forensic mental health. Finally, discussing the implications of the findings, we presented recommendations from our study and other literature.