Decision-Making Rights of Patients with Limited Capabilities in Healthcare and Mental Healthcare in Estonia, Latvia And Lithuania

What is it about?

The paper looks at how people with limited capabilities or mental or psychological disabilities in three Baltic countries – Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania – can make their own healthcare decisions. It focuses on the decision-making rights of people with disabilities in light of the principles established by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The research reveals that none of the Baltic States has an adequate framework to fully empower individuals with mental health difficulties to make their own healthcare choices and receive the necessary support when needed. There is an urgent need for healthcare legislation reform across all Baltic countries to adopt a human rights-based approach, reducing substituted decision-making and promoting supported decision-making in healthcare.

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