Access to mental health care is a human right enshrined in numerous international legal documents, and specifically the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). State obligations under the CRPD relate to the provision of rehabilitation but extend across several key human rights commitment areas such as

• equality and nondiscrimination;
• progressive realization; 
• international cooperation;
• participation in policymaking processes; 
• the accessibility, availability, acceptability, and quality of rehabilitation services; 
• privacy and confidentiality;
• informed decision making and accountability.

Without a rights-based approach to mental health care that includes the most vulnerable and excluded, the development of ethical and human support and treatment for persons with mental health challenges is likely to fail.