Taiwan to Allow Remote Compulsory Psychiatric Assessments in 4 Scenarios Including Epidemics and Traffic Disruptions
Taiwan's Ministry of Health and Welfare has announced a draft regulation under the "Mental Health Act" that will permit remote compulsory psychiatric assessments via video conferencing. This will apply in four specific situations where a psychiatrist cannot be physically present, such as during epidemics, disasters, or in remote areas lacking specialists. The move supports the new Mental Health Act, effective in August, which transfers the authority for involuntary hospitalization to the courts. Chen Po-hsi, Director-General of the Department of Mental Health, stated the measure enhances flexibility and reduces risks associated with transporting patients to court.
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- 📰 Published: May 20, 2026 at 18:32
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TAIPEI, May 20 (CNA) – The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) is progressively establishing subsidiary laws for the "Mental Health Act" and has pre-announced a draft on "Emergency or Special Circumstances for Compulsory Assessment." In the future, for cases involving involuntary hospitalization procedures, remote compulsory assessments via video conferencing will be permissible under four types of situations, including disease outbreaks, remote locations, and traffic disruptions. The Department of Mental Health at MOHW pre-announced the draft on the 19th, stating that if four types of conditions are met, "equipment for mutual transmission of sound and video" can be used for compulsory assessments. The draft notice period is 60 days. The four situations include: being in an epidemic area or having infection control needs; force majeure events such as disasters or traffic disruptions preventing a designated psychiatrist from being present; lack of a designated specialist in outlying islands and remote areas; and the presence of only one designated specialist in non-remote areas. Department Director-General Chen Po-hsi told the media today that after the new "Mental Health Act" system takes effect this August, involuntary hospitalization will be decided by the courts. The subsequent process will no longer be just an administrative review but will incorporate judicial procedures. He explained that the public often confuses "compulsory assessment" with "court ruling." In fact, "compulsory assessment" is still a medical evaluation of the patient's condition by a psychiatrist. Only after the doctor proposes the necessity of compulsory treatment will an application be made to the court for involuntary hospitalization. Chen pointed out that considering factors like safety risks, distance inconvenience, or emotional instability when moving psychiatric patients to court during emergency placement, judges will be able to use video equipment in the future to connect the patient in the hospital directly with the courtroom, reducing the risks of patient transport. Furthermore, Chen mentioned that in the future, some procedures related to compulsory community treatment might be conducted in places equipped with video facilities, such as community mental health centers, in addition to hospitals, making the integration of the judicial and mental health systems more flexible. (Editor: Wu Su-jou)