Rejected petition: Mandate Family Evidence be Crucial in all Mental Health Act Assessments
Rejected on
We need MHA professionals to prioritise family evidence over brief patient assessments that often accept masked symptom denial. Systemic negligence invalidates years of family reports, risking lives. We must recognise that the highest form of suffering is often hidden.
This systemic failure is based on miseducation. Repeatedly, patients successfully mask severe mental illness (like schizophrenia) for an hour of assessment. This single denial then invalidates decades of family reports. This failure risks lives. Patient gets sectioned only after police intervene due to public disturbance; professionals ignore family reports hours before. We need a system prioritising family insight and recognising that the highest form of suffering is often hidden.
Why was this petition rejected?
There’s already a petition about this issue. We cannot accept a new petition when we already have one about a very similar issue.
You are more likely to get action on this issue if you sign and share a single petition.
You may wish to sign this petition, which calls for similar action: "Require family involvement in the care of adults with severe mental illness" https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/750399
We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.