2010:

March 15: Compulsory ECT is wrong - Psychiatry has a history of using damaging interventions, so it's time to end the magical faith in electroconvulsive therapy, argues psychiatrist Pat Bracken.

Jan 22: Psychiatric unit defends seclusion after complaint - Nottinghamshire NHS trust publicly states isolation used "as last resort" after patient kept in one room for past eight weeks.

Jan 15: "Allow people with mental health problems to be jurors" - campaigners step up fight after claiming government inaction

2009:

Nov 6: Surge in mental health treatment by force - threat of compulsion now "hangs heavy" over patients, says Mind chief executive Paul Farmer.

Sept 14: Objections over government plans for just one psychiatrist to enforce mental health detention - "To take away just about all the safeguards seems a serious step which removes protections for patients and professionals" says Tony Zigmond of Royal College of Psychiatrists.

July 17: Mental health courts launched (Justice Secretary Jack Straw, left,at launch of new courts)

July 1: Psychiatric patient gets £400,000 compensation after failed suicide bid - judge said patient had experienced "undue suffering" after being insufficiently monitored by the staff in hospital

June 15: Managing director wins landmark depression case - council loses after claiming Christine Laird withheld her diagnosis in a job application.

2008:

Oct 23: Use of powers to detain people under mental health law increased by fifth - detentions for mental disorders in England increased by 20% from 1996 to 2006

EXCLUSIVE:
Aug 8: Homicides by mentally ill at record low, states research - new study likely to call into question how best to assess number of killings attributable to mental ill health

July 31: Government to consider repealing "discriminatory" mental health law - ministers could overturn law from 16th century which bars anyone detained in psychiatric hospital from standing for parliament

May 21: Almost all psychiatric patients oppose smoking ban on units, study claims - but patients at Rampton, pictured left, lose test case for right to continue smoking. Judges ruled ban was justified for "health and security" reasons.

March 20: Psychiatric patients launch test case for right to smoke while detained - patients could be only group of people banned from smoking "in the privacy of their own home", judges told

Jan 10: Private psychiatric units increasingly used to detain patients - new figures show 24 per cent increase of detentions in independent hospitals

2007:

Oct 4: New law to protect most vulnerable mentally ill comes into force - Mental Capacity Act "gives people with mental health problems more control over their lives," says Paul Farmer of Mind

July 4: Right to advocate for detained psychiatric patients - new measure welcomed as mental health bill, after five years in the making, is passed in parliament

June 28: Psychologists, nurses and occupational therapists to have new psychiatric detention powers - "it will be possible for clinicians to use this power in the best interest of clients,” says Peter Kinderman, left

May 30: Rampton patient launches human rights test case over smoking ban - Terrence Grimwood accuses hospital of violating his right to respect for his private and home life

May 24: Five professional organisations leave Mental Health Alliance - psychologists, mental health nurses and occupational therapists express frustration at how the alliance has represented them

May 17: Leading psychiatrist turns down OBE in protest at "deeply flawed" mental health bill - Suman Fernando fears planned new law could exacerbate discimination of black people

March 14: Treating psychiatric patients under compulsion in community has no clinical benefit, says report - there is no evidence for decreased hospital readmission, improved medication compliance or patient quality of life, states Institute of Psychiatry international review of CTOs.

Feb 28: Peers defeat government over plans to extend compulsory plans of treatment over mentally ill - controversial bill now due to go before MPs after Easter

Jan 25: Mental health “tsar” accused of encouraging staff to unlawfully coerce patients for treatment - row of words erupts between chief executive of Mental Health Act Commission and Prof Louis Appleby

Jan 25: Clinical psychologists should refuse to detain patients, academic urges - new government law means psychologists will be required to implement “social control”, argues David Harper

Jan 12: Government set to win bid to extend compulsion powers over mentally ill, says MP
- "I do not think there will be a major Labour rebellion," says Lynne Jones of group of MPs with previous "misgivings” over mental health bill.

2006: