Legislation passed in 1983 that outlines the assessment, treatment and rights of a person with mental health problems in England and Wales. The MHA is divided into sections covering the rights of people in different situations, including being detained in hospital involuntarily (also called being sectioned), consenting to treatment, leaving the hospital, being treated in the community, and the rights of family and friends. Someone who is at risk of harm to themself or others, or who needs urgent treatment for a mental health disorder, can be sectioned in a hospital or treatment facility under the Mental Health Act.
