Citation

Walker AM, Klein MS, Hemmens C, Stohr MK, Burton VS. Community Ment. Health J. 2015; 52(3): 272-280.

Affiliation

University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s10597-015-9941-x

PMID

26403304

Abstract

This study presents a survey of state statutes which restrict the civil rights of persons with a mental illness or who have been declared mentally incompetent. Five civil rights (voting, holding public office, jury service, parenting, and marriage) are examined. The results of this study are compared with the results of studies conducted in 1989 and 1999 to determine what changes have occurred over time in the restriction of civil rights of those suffering from mental health problems. This comparison reveals that states continue to restrict the rights of the mentally ill and incompetent, and that there is a trend towards increased restriction of political rights, including the right to vote and hold public office.

Language: en