“These two surveys demonstrate we still have some way to travel to ensure the service user is at the heart of mental health care in Ireland,” according to Mr Farrelly. “Ensuring all people using mental health services are treated with dignity and respect must be a key focus for the country’s services providers.”Just 29 per cent of service users said they had a good experience of HSE mental health services overall, with 42 per cent saying their experience had been poor.
Overall, six out of 10 people reported a high focus on medication as part of their treatment and care, and one-third said they were not involved as much as they would have liked. However, six out of 10 said they had been referred to “talking therapy” by community mental health services.