LOS ANGELES, Calif. – A recent review published in Harvard University’s Health and Human Rights journal has revealed a concerning trend: the dominance of pharmaceutical and biomedical approaches in global mental health policy may be hindering progress on human rights. The review, examining four decades of policy, concludes that this approach conflicts with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which advocates for human-rights-based approaches (HRBAs) to health.
Industry Influence and Coercive Practices
The review’s editors and contributing authors found that mental health systems have expanded coverage without sufficient attention to the quality of care provided, while simultaneously increasing privatization and reliance on pharmaceutical interventions. They warn that multinational drug corporations have profited significantly in ways that potentially compromise patient well-being and public health.
Case studies highlighted how financial incentives and the promotion of the “chemical imbalance” theory – now widely discredited – have contributed to coercive practices and the overuse of medication. The analysis suggests that “institutional corruption,” stemming from vested interests within U.S. psychiatry, influenced the World Health Organization and propagated a flawed model of care, potentially worsening mental health outcomes globally.
U.S. Practices Under Scrutiny
The report draws a stark contrast between international trends and practices within the United States. While the European Parliamentary Assembly rejected a protocol that would have expanded forced psychiatric detention and treatment on December 5, 2025, more than 80% of U.S. psychiatric facilities treating children and adolescents continue to utilize seclusion and restraints. Furthermore, initiatives to expand involuntary commitment and forced treatment are gaining traction at both the federal and state levels.
A 2022 Harvard School of Public Health study found that U.S. psychiatric hospitals continue to employ practices like forced electroshock, chemical restraints, and prolonged mechanical restraints on incarcerated individuals – practices that may violate the United Nations Convention against Torture. Research in the Journal of Humanistic Psychology further revealed that individuals subjected to forced psychiatric drugging consistently describe the experience as violent, dehumanizing, and traumatizing.
A Call for Systemic Change
The Harvard-reviewed papers collectively argue that a shift away from coercion and toward human-rights-based, non-medicalized approaches is essential to address systemic harm. Jan Eastgate, President of CCHR International, stated that dismantling institutional corruption and ending coercive practices are “not optional” but rather “the only path that restores dignity, autonomy, and protection from psychiatric abuse.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)?
The CRPD calls for human-rights-based approaches (HRBAs) to health, meaning mental health care should prioritize the dignity, autonomy, and inclusion of individuals with mental health conditions.
What is “institutional corruption” as defined in the review?
The review defines “institutional corruption” as conflicts of interest and undue influence exerted by “guild interests” – in this case, the psychiatric-pharmaceutical industry – that undermine scientific integrity and public trust.
What was the outcome of the vote on the Oviedo Convention protocol?
On December 5, 2025, the European Parliamentary Assembly rejected the proposed Additional Protocol to the Oviedo Convention, which would have expanded forced psychiatric detention and treatment.
As global awareness of these issues grows, it remains to be seen whether the United States will adopt similar reforms to prioritize human rights in mental health care, or if current trends toward expanded involuntary commitment and forced treatment will continue.
