Dr. Dainius Pūras, former UN Special Rapporteur of Mental Health from 2014 to 2020:

“Persons with psychosocial disabilities continue to suffer too often from discriminatory laws and practices. There is an urgent need to end this sad legacy and to fully embrace the field of mental health with a human rights-based approach. For so much needed change to happen, strong voices should be supported.

Among such voices I would first of all commend the great work of MindFreedom, the international organization that is demonstrating for many years leadership in the field of mental health.”

Benedetto Saraceno, former Director of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse of the World Health Organization (WHO), 2008:

“I believe MindFreedom is doing remarkable work nationally and internationally to promote the protection of human rights in mental health.

In my experience, MindFreedom has been a fair, transparent interlocutor.

WHO has different views from MindFreedom in some areas, such as the definition of mental disorders or mental disability, or the assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of psychotropic medicines, but WHO also shares many common views with MindFreedom concerning the right of choice about treatment and, above all, the need of addressing the global emergency about the violation of human rights.

On several occasions, MindFreedom’s Director David Oaks has expressed the same concerns as WHO and I think it is possible to build up a fair collaboration on those issues on which we agree, more than having no collaboration based on issues on which we disagree. I think the global debate about human rights and mental health needs the contribution of people like David Oaks.”