The Mental Treatment Act 1945 in Ireland: an historical enquiry.

The Mental Treatment Act 1945 had a decisive influence on the provision and development of psychiatric services in Ireland. This paper examines: (a) the historical and psychiatric backgrounds to the introduction of the Mental Treatment Act 1945; (b) the main provisions of the Act; and (c) the international context of the Act, especially in relation to institutional and legislative trends in other jurisdictions.