Table 1.

Values and principles

Values	Principles
Mental health inseparable from health in general	Mental health services should be integrated into the general health system
	People with mental disorders who need to be hospitalised should be treated in general hospitals
Human rights	People with mental disorders should have all of their rights respected, including the right to adequate care, a home and employment, as well as protection against any form of discrimination
Care in the community	Care should be provided in the least restrictive environment possible
	The decision to hospitalise should only be taken when all alternatives of treatment in the community have been exhausted
Care co‐ordination and integration	Services in each catchment area should be co‐ordinated and integrated, so as to facilitate continuity of care
Comprehensiveness	Services in each catchment area should include a varied range of facilities and programmes, so as to be able to respond to the essential mental healthcare needs of the population
Community participation	People with mental disorders should be involved and participate in the planning and development of the services they benefit from Family members of the mentally ill should be considered as important partners in care provision, and encouraged to participate in this provision and to receive the necessary training and education
Protection of especially vulnerable groups	The needs of especially vulnerable groups (e.g. children, adolescents, women, the elderly and the disabled) should be taken into consideration
Accessibility and equity	Services should be open to everyone, irrespective of age, class, place of residence or social and economic situation
Recovery	Mental health service should create conditions that favour self‐determination and the quest for a right path by people suffering from mental health problems