Logical structure of acceptance and exclusion in mental health and welfare history

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K03931
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Social welfare and social work studies
• Research Institution: Aichi Prefectural University
• Principal Investigator: Utsunomiya Minori 愛知県立大学, 教育福祉学部, 教授 (80367573)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 精神病者監護法 / 精神病院法 / 精神衛生法

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study revealed that the duality theory of "rights protection" and "public safety" in modern Japanese mental health policy has been historically repeated with emphasis on legislative and law enforcement processes. From 1900 to World War II, the mission of mental health policy was characterized by dualities: "rights-protection/public security," "treatment/detention," "onset-prevention/birth control," and finally it was inclined strongly into "public security", that is "eugenicity and castration" in a war society. Similarly, after the war, the two-sided debate has appeared repeatedly. Strong social pressure creates a trend towards public safety rather than rights protection. It is a pattern that constitutes the history of mental health policy.

Free Research Field

精神保健福祉学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

精神科医療で行われる非自発的介入ないしは強制介入の権限の根拠には、ポリス・パワー思想とパレンス・パトリエ思想がある。今後の精神保健福祉政策が構築すべき方向は精神病者の権利擁護と福祉実現の見地から医療保護の必要性を根拠とするパレンス・パトリエ思想にあろう。しかし精神病者が関与する社会的事件が発生すると、社会の安全を優先する議論が見えない形で優位になることが歴史的に繰り返されている。本研究成果は、現在の精神保健福祉領域に実践上、生活上に立ち現れる、特に権利擁護に関わる諸問題を理解する際においても、長期的な政策展望を検討する際にも基盤的理論となりうるものである。