Not glossing over insight: insight and capacity assessments

SUMMARY Capacity assessments under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) are a routine part of daily clinical practice in England and Wales. One element of these is the role of insight within the MCA’s capacity criteria. This article focuses on the issue of insight and capacity in a recent Court of Protection judgment, discussing how to assess insight in clinical practice and elucidating key issues regarding the role and assessment of insight within capacity assessments. The article includes a 10-point checklist for capacity assessments that was presented in the judgment, and a discussion of insight assessments that can guide documentation and be implemented in clinical practice.