Dignity- a fundamental principle of mental health care

The term ‘Dignity’ can be traced to more than 2,500 years back. ‘Dignitas hominis’ in classical Roman thought usually meant ‘status of honor and respect’ which was provided to someone only who was worthy of that honor and respect because of a particular status that he or she had (e.g. because of a specific public position)1. Afterwards, the concept has been influenced by religions, philosophies across hundreds of years until, it was introduced into legal frameworks in twentieth century through the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in its first article which enshrined the notion of universality of human dignity in international law, by stating that, “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”. Article 25 of UDHR has stated that, “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being.., including…. medical care and necessary social services”2. The UDHR has contributed in establishing a moral grounding for improved standards of care on the basis of our basic responsibilities towards each other as equal members of “humanity”3. The concept of ‘universality of dignity’ has also been reflected in several other international treaties and conventions including, most recently, the Convention on Rights of People with Disabilities4. The UK's Royal College of Nursing provides a useful definition of dignity in relation to nursing care, which can be applied to the health care field more generally as “Dignity is concerned with how people feel, think and behave in relation to the worth or value of themselves and others. To treat someone with dignity is to treat them as being of worth, in a way that is respectful of them as valued individuals”. The definition identifies two dimensions of dignity:first is the self-worth as perceived by the individual and the second is the worth of the individual which is reflected in the respectful attitudes and practices of others5. All around the world, many people with mental disorders are deprived of their right to be treated as valued individuals. In fact, they are not only marginalized in their communities but they are also subject to wide ranging forms of human rights violations in treatment facilities.