Mental Health Policy in Northern Ireland: The Nature and of Extent of 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 ofunprecedented 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.