Under the Mental Healthcare Act 2017, if an unmarried adult with mental illness lacks capacity and has not made an Advance Directive, who is the default Nominated Representative?

• A The treating psychiatrist
• B An adult offspring
• C The district magistrate
• D The natural caregiver ✓

Explanation

The Mental Healthcare Act 2017 establishes a hierarchy for the Nominated Representative when a person lacks capacity. For a married adult, the spouse is the default. For an unmarried adult, the default is the natural caregiver. The treating psychiatrist is explicitly barred from being a Nominated Representative to avoid conflicts of interest.

Reference: Mental Healthcare Act 2017, Bare Act ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.