Kerala High Court directs State to consider renaming ‘Mental Health Centres’, citing concerns of stigma
Division Bench notes that when other hospitals are not termed 'Centres of Physical Health’, there is no reason for these centres to be tagged as ‘Mental Health Centres’, with the disrepute of catering to a particular kind of disorder or illness.
The Kerala High Court has instructed the State government to contemplate renaming "Mental Health Centres" across the State, citing concerns that the name carries significant stigma. A Division Bench of Justice Devan Ramachandran and Justice Basant Balaji expressed their view that, unlike other hospitals which are not referred to as "Centres of Physical Health", these centres should not be labeled with a name that could convey disrepute or stigma, particularly in relation to a specific type of disorder or illness.
The amicus curiae recommended that the centres should be renamed as "Institutes of Behavioural Management". The court emphasized that this decision was a matter of policy and rested entirely with the State. The court also stressed that vulnerable sections of patients should be shielded from the negative implications of the name and that these centers should be perceived as beneficial to community welfare and development, rather than being associated with a particular kind of illness.
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