• Specific Year
    Any

MENTAL HEALTH ACT 2016 - SECT 10 Meaning of mental illness

MENTAL HEALTH ACT 2016 - SECT 10

Meaning of mental illness

10 Meaning of mental illness

(1)
"Mental illness" is a condition characterised by a clinically significant disturbance of thought, mood, perception or memory.
(2) However, a person must not be considered to have a mental illness merely because—
(a) the person holds or refuses to hold a particular religious, cultural, philosophical or political belief or opinion; or
(b) the person is a member of a particular racial group; or
(c) the person has a particular economic or social status; or
(d) the person has a particular sexual preference or sexual orientation; or
(e) the person engages in sexual promiscuity; or
(f) the person engages in immoral or indecent conduct; or
(g) the person takes drugs or alcohol; or
(h) the person has an intellectual disability; or
(i) the person engages in antisocial behaviour or illegal behaviour; or
(j) the person is or has been involved in family conflict; or
(k) the person has previously been treated for a mental illness or been subject to involuntary assessment or treatment.
(3) Subsection (2) does not prevent a person mentioned in the subsection having a mental illness.
Examples for subsection (3)—
1 A person may have a mental illness caused by taking drugs or alcohol.
2 A person may have a mental illness as well as an intellectual disability.
(4) A decision that a person has a mental illness must be made in accordance with internationally accepted medical standards.