The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The five connections: A human rights framework for psychologists

“…Psychologists in clinical practice apply this kind of knowledge to support individuals who have suffered severe human rights violations. As just three of innumerable examples, psychologists have designed methods to assess and treat victims of torture and produce psychological reports to be submitted for international human rights proceedings, others have treated survivors of sexual violence in the context of armed conflict and forced migration and many others have worked to provide therapeutic care while protecting the human rights of children (Hagenaars et al, 2021; Huminuik, 2017; Huminuik, Eslami, et al, 2022). As Herman (2015) argues, applied work of this kind demands that the therapist integrates clinical perspectives with an understanding of the socio‐political context and a strong foundational knowledge of human rights.…”

“…Using a human rights‐based approach to clinical practice, clinicians strive to do no harm, treat people with dignity, promote self‐determination and empowerment, and may employ strategies that support people to speak out against abuses or participate in legal proceedings. Furthermore, a human rights‐based clinical approach would conceptualise psychological therapy for survivors of gross human rights violations as an act of witness and an aspect of reparation, rather than solely a treatment targeted at an individual's symptoms (Hagenaars et al, 2021).…”

“…While states bear the legal responsibility for defending the human rights of their citizens, psychologists must respect human rights. Psychologists bear a heightened ethical obligation to respect, protect and promote human rights because they have specialised knowledge of human behaviour, a unique societal role that confers a position of power in relation to vulnerable people, and because the discipline has been implicated in historical and contemporary injustices perpetrated against diverse populations (Hagenaars et al, 2021; Huminuik, O'Connor, et al, 2022; Huminuik & Wyndham, 2020).…”

“…Many of the clients in clinical practice have been exposed to violence and serious traumatic events, sometimes at the hands of government officials or without recourse to state protection (Hagenaars et al, 2021). While applied psychologists are trained to take an individualistic perspective on mental health, as they work with increasing numbers of such individuals over the course of their careers, they gain aggregate knowledge and can develop an awareness of the conditions, contexts and systemic patterns of injustice that give rise to psychological distress, and this broader perspective can be the foundation for developing a human rights perspective on psychology (Hagenaars et al, 2021; Herman, 2015). Psychologists can identify and document human rights violations at the community level, and the psychological sequelae of violations at the individual level, and in so doing be identified as human rights defenders (Hagenaars et al, 2021).…”

“…The Universal Declaration of Human Rights sets the common standards of freedom, justice and peace for everyone in the world. It consists of 30 articles, with more than 11 rights that are grounded in several core principles including dignity, freedom, equality and inclusion (Hagenaars et al, 2021). The UDHR states: “Recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.” The concept of dignity includes a deep respect for the fundamental value and humanness of all people—and this binds us to consider and care for others, to prevent or alleviate suffering.…”