Mixed views over mental health reforms
People with mental health difficulties and their families are still not seeing the improvements envisaged in the national mental health policy — A Vision for Change — more than 13 years ago, a rights group claims.
Mental Health Reform, the national coalition on mental health in Ireland, has published two national surveys on people’s experience of HSE mental services and it is very mixed. Around 40% of people had a poor experience; 30% found it was “neither a good nor poor experience”, while 30% had a good experience.
More than half had a change of psychiatrist at least once in the last two years, while one in six had a change of psychiatrist more than four times over the same period. Of those who went to a hospital emergency department for support for their mental health, 50% felt did not get the support they needed but a third believe they did.
About 60% of people feel there was a “high focus” on medication as part of their treatment and care. The My Voice Matters reports, funded by the HSE, include the experience of 1,188 service users, while the other reflects the views of 786 family members, friends and carers or supporters.
Director of Mental Health Reform, Shari McDaid, said it is very concerning that those supporting someone with a mental health difficulty are unhappy with the information provided by the services.
“This group also reported a lack of support for themselves as individual providing long-term care for service users, including a lack of individual or family counselling or the provision of a key worker to provide them with supports,” she said.
Chief executive of the Mental Health Commission, John Farrelly, said the reports show there is still some way to go to ensure the service user is at the heart of mental care in Ireland. He said the commission works with the HSE and with groups such as Mental Health Reform to ensure human rights in mental health care are respected and that service users enjoy the right to self-determination, privacy, dignity and recovery. HSE assistant national director for mental health operation, Jim Ryan, said they funded the reports because they are committed to continued engagement with service users, their families and carers.
