From international commitments to local practice: examining staff attitudes toward human rights in Lithuanian mental health care facilities

ENThis study explores the attitudes of mental health care professionals in Lithuania toward human rights principles, provisions, and standards as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and their application in mental health care. Employing a mixedmethods convergent design, the study integrates survey data (n = 390) with qualitative findings from six focus groups with professionals and service users (n = 36). The results reveal notable differences across professional roles, institutional settings, and experience levels. Medical psychologists consistently demonstrated more human rights-supportive attitudes, while nurse assistants and professionals in large inpatient facilities were more likely to endorse coercive practices and question the full implementation of rights in practice. Additionally, mid-career professionals and those working in smaller facilities expressed greater openness to reform and the practical utility of the CRPD. Qualitative findings further highlighted systemic barriers such as stigma, biomedical dominance, and resource constraints. These findings underscore the importance of targeted training, institutional reform, and sustained political will to align Lithuania’s mental health care services with international human rights standards. Further longitudinal research is warranted to examine how attitudes toward human rights in mental health care evolve, especially in response to policy changes, reforms, and targeted training initiatives.