Mental Health Policy in Northern Ireland: The Nature and of Extent of User Involvement

2009 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 451-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deirdre Heenan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Service User ◽  
Policy Design ◽  
Mental Health Policy ◽  
User Involvement ◽  
World Health ◽  
Service User Involvement

In a recent review of the mental health policies of its 42 member states in the European Region, the World Health Organization highlighted the need for further analysis of service user involvement in the policy making process. In the UK, a plethora of recent government policies and initiatives have stressed the importance of service user involvement in the design and delivery of health and social services. Their input is described as a fundamental requirement of a modern, flexible, responsive healthcare system. This paper reviews mental health policy in Northern Ireland, which has undergone a period of unprecedented activity and explores the extent to which service users have influenced the process of policy design and development. It raises questions about the extent to which a genuine commitment to and investment in user involvement has been achieved and comments on the prospects for the future.

A scoping review of the literature on the involvement of service users in personality disorder services

2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 233-243
Author(s):  
L. Montgomery ◽  
M. Donnelly
Keyword(s):  
Health Policy ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Service User ◽  
Mental Health Policy ◽  
User Involvement ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Service User Involvement ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Policy Makers

BackgroundService user involvement is receiving increasing support from mental health policy makers, service planners and research commissioners. However, we lack a good understanding of the nature and extent to which service users are involved in personality disorder (PD) services and the effects of involvement in these services.ObjectivesTo review and appraise published sources; increase understanding about service user involvement in PD services; and highlight knowledge gaps and related issues.MethodsA scoping review methodology was adopted. Data were ‘charted’ to illustrate the landscape of writings and views and a qualitative analysis synthesized the results in terms of key emergent themes.ResultsOnly a small amount of published work was identified with significant gaps in the literature. Effects were reported mostly in terms processes and emotional and practical benefits for service users. Emergent themes were wellness and health, recruitment and support for service users.ConclusionsThis scoping review uncovered a lack of published work despite service user involvement being a key strand of health policy. There is a need for outcomes-focused research regarding service user involvement. Successful user involvement in PD services requires attention to be focused on the context, recruitment, support and ‘wellness’ of service users.

scholarly journals Systematic synthesis of barriers and facilitators to service user-led care planning

2015 ◽  
Vol 207 (2) ◽  
pp. 104-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Penny Bee ◽  
Owen Price ◽  
John Baker ◽  
Karina Lovell
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Service User ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Evidence Synthesis ◽  
Mental Health Policy ◽  
User Involvement ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Care Planning ◽  
Service User Involvement

BackgroundService user (patient) involvement in care planning is a principle enshrined by mental health policy yet often attracts criticism from patients and carers in practice.AimsTo examine how user-involved care planning is operationalised within mental health services and to establish where, how and why challenges to service user involvement occur.MethodSystematic evidence synthesis.ResultsSynthesis of data from 117 studies suggests that service user involvement fails because the patients' frame of reference diverges from that of providers. Service users and carers attributed highest value to the relational aspects of care planning. Health professionals inconsistently acknowledged the quality of the care planning process, tending instead to define service user involvement in terms of quantifiable service-led outcomes.ConclusionsService user-involved care planning is typically operationalised as a series of practice-based activities compliant with auditor standards. Meaningful involvement demands new patient-centred definitions of care planning quality. New organisational initiatives should validate time spent with service users and display more tangible and flexible commitments to meeting their needs.

Mental Health Policy in Ireland 1984–2004: theory, overview and future directions

2004 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 61-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brendan D Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Mental Health Policy ◽  
American Psychological Association ◽  
Transnational Migration ◽  
World Health Organisation ◽  
World Health ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Health Report ◽  
The Eu

Recent years have seen renewed emphasis on the importance of mental health policy as a key component of health and social policy at both national and international levels. In 2001 the European Commission produced a public health framework for mental health in the EU. In the same year, the World Health Organisation devoted its annual health report to mental health and called on countries to formulate, update and implement mental health policies. The EU and WHO initiatives both recognised that the challenges facing mental health policy makers are increasingly transnational in scope, related to issues such as rapid demographic change, increased transnational migration, the protection of human rights and the implementation of a growing number of international laws, directives and protocols in relation to mental health care.Significant progress has been made in the development of Irish mental health services over the past 40 years. Nevertheless, many challenges remain. The aims of this paper are to outline:• Prevailing theoretical perspectives on mental health policy• Mental health policy in Ireland since the last major policy revision in 1984• Relevant economic and demographic changes in Ireland since 1984• Relevant clinical, legislative and policy developments in relation to mental health• Future directions for mental health policy.Electronic literature searches were performed using Psyclit (American Psychological Association, 1887–2003), Medline (United States National Library of Medicine, 1985 – 2003), with broad search terms related to mental health policy. Additional books and papers were identified by tracking back through references and consulting with colleagues. Policy documents and selected literature on Irish psychiatric services were reviewed and related to recent literature on mental health policy.

Facilitators and Barriers to Service User Involvement in Mental Health Guidelines: Lessons from The Netherlands

2013 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 712-723 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alida J. van der Ham ◽  
Laura S. Shields ◽  
Roddy van der Horst ◽  
Jacqueline E. W. Broerse ◽  
Maurits W. van Tulder
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Service User ◽  
User Involvement ◽  
Service User Involvement ◽  
Facilitators And Barriers ◽  
Barriers To Service
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