People considered mentally ill, disabled or retarded are among the groups regularly experiencing limitation and violation of basic human and civil rights. Minors (children and adolescents) are among the most vulnerable persons in a great part of the world. Children and adolescents with unconventional behaviour, extreme mood swings or intellectual capacity deviating from the average often suffer from deprivation of their rights. Their needs are frequently neglected and often coercive services are available for them.

One of the main aims of mental health advocacy is the enforcement of human and civil rights of people at the receiving end of mental health services. Advocacy for services satisfying their users' needs better is a practical realisation of the above mentioned human rights activity.

There are several crucial aspects of advocacy that determine its usefulness for the users. Some of the many essential questions are as follows:
 

• Who is to determine what kind of services are good?
• What resources are available for advocacy groups?
• Who is in a controlling position in advocacy?

One-sided medical approaches to minors with emotional/behavioural/intellectual difficulties do not empower them to become autonomous adults but they can endanger their exisiting learning capabilitites.

In my talk I shall argue for
 

• involvement of the minors in the services provided for them
• more resources to self-help of adolescents
• empowerment of parents
• de-medicalisation of non-medical problems of minors with difficulties and their families
• involvement of adults who were recipients of services when they were children/adolescents