It’s a Mental Torture’ – A Case Report Highlighting Ethical and Legal Concerns of Treatment in Drug Rehab Centers in India

Introduction: Addiction treatment in India is provided by both government and private hospitals. Inpatient treatment is required in a relatively small proportion of patients. Despite this, there is a huge treatment gap for addiction treatment. This may lead to forced admission by the family members in unregistered/unlicensed rehabilitation centers. Case Report: A male patient presented to us for the treatment of opioid use disorder at our tertiary care hospital and addiction treatment center. Before reaching us, he sought treatment from various private drug rehabilitation centers for 7–8 years. His experience of previous inpatient stays in drug rehabilitation centers consisted of many human rights violations, the absence of qualified mental health professionals, forced admissions, physical and psychological torture, violence, and other legal and ethical issues. Discussion and Conclusion: The case highlights various ethical and legal issues in substance use treatment. There is a need for strict implementation of the Mental Health Care Act 2017 for the treatment of addiction. At the same time, there is a need to provide evidence-based treatment more widely across the country through various government programs and ministries. The central and state governments need to take action against those who flout the rules and regulations of this act. Addressing the shortage and increasing the number of trained addiction professionals is crucial. Finally, there is a need to provide addiction treatment services in government settings more widely across the country. This may decrease stigma and reduce the treatment gap of addiction.