Commentary: a comparative review of involuntary admission of people with mental illness in China and Barbados.

Shao and Xie discuss the changes to involuntary admission laws across seven jurisdictions in China over a 10-year period and the influences on the new National Act. The discussion is important, given allegations of human rights abuses in that country. Strengths and weaknesses of the National Act are raised and compared with our local experience on the island of Barbados. Further discussion of the most appropriate approaches to involuntary admission would be useful.