COVID-19 Vaccination in those with mental health difficulties: A guide to assist decision-making in England, Scotland, and Wales

Callum Ross; Penelope Brown; Christian Brown; Arun Chopra; Gwen Adshead; Derek Tracy; Kevin Towers; Colin McKay; Isra Black; Lisa Forsberg

doi:10.1177/00258024221086054

COVID-19 Vaccination in those with mental health difficulties: A guide to assist decision-making in England, Scotland, and Wales

Callum Ross^*, Penelope Brown, Christian Brown, Arun Chopra, Gwen Adshead, Derek Tracy, Kevin Towers, Colin McKay, Isra Black, Lisa Forsberg

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

There is currently no specific guidance addressing vaccine hesitancy in those with mental health difficulties in the United Kingdom. This is particularly problematic when one considers that individuals with serious mental illnesses are at greater risk of infection and have poorer health outcomes for a range of reasons. There are also many individual and system level barriers to vaccination in this group. When an affected adult lacks the capacity to make a decision for themselves, it often falls to healthcare professionals to make a decision on that person's behalf and in their best interests. This article explores this matter with regard to the law in practice in the English and Welsh, and Scottish, jurisdictions and consider this with relevance to the safest approach that doctors and other healthcare professionals should take in working with patients for whom mental disorder may impact on decision-making capacity. The article focuses on psychiatric inpatients, including those who are detained involuntarily, to consider whether, and in what circumstances, COVID-19 vaccination should be given to individuals who cannot or do not consent.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	275-282
Number of pages	8
Journal	Medicine, Science and the Law
Volume	62
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/00258024221086054
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 11 Mar 2022

Keywords

Original articles
Medical law
legal system
law
human rights
COVID-19
vaccination

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1177/00258024221086054Licence: CC BY

Cite this

Ross, C., Brown, P., Brown, C., Chopra, A., Adshead, G., Tracy, D., Towers, K., McKay, C., Black, I., & Forsberg, L. (2022). COVID-19 Vaccination in those with mental health difficulties: A guide to assist decision-making in England, Scotland, and Wales. Medicine, Science and the Law, 62(4), 275-282. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/00258024221086054

@article{8afd1473cb454874855f1026c2e42db2,

title = "COVID-19 Vaccination in those with mental health difficulties: A guide to assist decision-making in England, Scotland, and Wales",

abstract = "There is currently no specific guidance addressing vaccine hesitancy in those with mental health difficulties in the United Kingdom. This is particularly problematic when one considers that individuals with serious mental illnesses are at greater risk of infection and have poorer health outcomes for a range of reasons. There are also many individual and system level barriers to vaccination in this group. When an affected adult lacks the capacity to make a decision for themselves, it often falls to healthcare professionals to make a decision on that person's behalf and in their best interests. This article explores this matter with regard to the law in practice in the English and Welsh, and Scottish, jurisdictions and consider this with relevance to the safest approach that doctors and other healthcare professionals should take in working with patients for whom mental disorder may impact on decision-making capacity. The article focuses on psychiatric inpatients, including those who are detained involuntarily, to consider whether, and in what circumstances, COVID-19 vaccination should be given to individuals who cannot or do not consent.",

keywords = "Original articles, Medical law, legal system, law, human rights, COVID-19, vaccination",

author = "Callum Ross and Penelope Brown and Christian Brown and Arun Chopra and Gwen Adshead and Derek Tracy and Kevin Towers and Colin McKay and Isra Black and Lisa Forsberg",

year = "2022",

month = mar,

day = "11",

doi = "10.1177/00258024221086054",

language = "English",

volume = "62",

pages = "275--282",

journal = "Medicine, Science and the Law",

issn = "0025-8024",

publisher = "SAGE Publications Ltd",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - COVID-19 Vaccination in those with mental health difficulties: A guide to assist decision-making in England, Scotland, and Wales

AU - Ross, Callum

AU - Brown, Penelope

AU - Brown, Christian

AU - Chopra, Arun

AU - Adshead, Gwen

AU - Tracy, Derek

AU - Towers, Kevin

AU - McKay, Colin

AU - Black, Isra

AU - Forsberg, Lisa

PY - 2022/3/11

Y1 - 2022/3/11

N2 - There is currently no specific guidance addressing vaccine hesitancy in those with mental health difficulties in the United Kingdom. This is particularly problematic when one considers that individuals with serious mental illnesses are at greater risk of infection and have poorer health outcomes for a range of reasons. There are also many individual and system level barriers to vaccination in this group. When an affected adult lacks the capacity to make a decision for themselves, it often falls to healthcare professionals to make a decision on that person's behalf and in their best interests. This article explores this matter with regard to the law in practice in the English and Welsh, and Scottish, jurisdictions and consider this with relevance to the safest approach that doctors and other healthcare professionals should take in working with patients for whom mental disorder may impact on decision-making capacity. The article focuses on psychiatric inpatients, including those who are detained involuntarily, to consider whether, and in what circumstances, COVID-19 vaccination should be given to individuals who cannot or do not consent.

AB - There is currently no specific guidance addressing vaccine hesitancy in those with mental health difficulties in the United Kingdom. This is particularly problematic when one considers that individuals with serious mental illnesses are at greater risk of infection and have poorer health outcomes for a range of reasons. There are also many individual and system level barriers to vaccination in this group. When an affected adult lacks the capacity to make a decision for themselves, it often falls to healthcare professionals to make a decision on that person's behalf and in their best interests. This article explores this matter with regard to the law in practice in the English and Welsh, and Scottish, jurisdictions and consider this with relevance to the safest approach that doctors and other healthcare professionals should take in working with patients for whom mental disorder may impact on decision-making capacity. The article focuses on psychiatric inpatients, including those who are detained involuntarily, to consider whether, and in what circumstances, COVID-19 vaccination should be given to individuals who cannot or do not consent.

KW - Original articles

KW - Medical law

KW - legal system

KW - law

KW - human rights

KW - COVID-19

KW - vaccination

U2 - 10.1177/00258024221086054

DO - 10.1177/00258024221086054

M3 - Article

SN - 0025-8024

VL - 62

SP - 275

EP - 282

JO - Medicine, Science and the Law

JF - Medicine, Science and the Law

IS - 4

ER -

COVID-19 Vaccination in those with mental health difficulties: A guide to assist decision-making in England, Scotland, and Wales

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this