The Guardian: Hundreds of thousands with mental health conditions being chained, says charity
“Hundreds of thousands of people with mental health conditions in 60 countries are still being chained, according to a comprehensive and damning new study. Human Rights Watch says that men, women, and children — some as young as 10 — are regularly shackled or locked in confined spaces for weeks, months, and even years, across Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas. The report, Living in Chains: Shackling of People with Psychosocial Disabilities Worldwide, examines how people with mental health conditions are often shackled against their will by families in their own homes or in overcrowded and unsanitary institutions because of widespread stigma and a lack of mental health services…” (Beaumont, 10/5).

U.N. News: COVID-19 disrupting critical mental health services, WHO warns
“The global pandemic has disrupted critical mental health services in 93 percent of the countries it surveyed, underscoring the devastating impact of COVID-19 and highlighting an urgent need to scale up funding, the U.N. World Health Organization (WHO) has said. Announcing the findings on Monday, the U.N. health agency also said that the pandemic has increased the need for the vital services…” (10/5).