Mental Health Policies And Laws On The Island Of Ireland

42 Pages Posted: 27 Apr 2022

See all articles by Anne-Maree Farrell

Anne-Maree Farrell

University of Edinburgh - School of Law

Gavin Davidson

Queen's University Belfast

Mary Donnelly

University College Cork (UCC) - Law Faculty

Elizabeth Agnew

Queen's University Belfast

Trisha Forbes

Queen's University Belfast

Rhiannon Frowde

University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Law School

Date Written: April 22, 2022

Abstract

This Working Paper provides a critical review of key policies, laws and institutional arrangements in the area of mental health in Northern Ireland and Ireland. This is done in order to map key similarities and differences as between the two jurisdictions. Drawing on the findings from such a review, it is suggested it would be useful to develop a joint research agenda in mental health policy and law as between the two jurisdictions. Key priorities for such agenda include developing an agreed common mental health dataset; facilitating approaches to support autonomy and reduce the need for compulsory intervention; examining the current laws and mental health service provision applicable to children and young people; and evaluating the implementation of new capacity-based laws in both jurisdictions. The development of such an agenda could provide a basis for considering what this might mean in relation to a potential shift over time towards greater alignment or integration, which would necessarily be informed by broader political developments on the island of Ireland.

Note:
Funding Information: Research for this working paper was undertaken as part of the Wellcome Trust funded project, A Cross-Border Research Network in Healthcare Law, Policy and Ethics: Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland (218831/Z/19/Z). Financial support was also received from the Queen’s University Belfast ESRC Leading Impact Fund.

Declaration of Interests: No authors have any competing interests relevant to this publication.

Keywords: mental health, mental health policies, mental health laws, mental health policies, Northern Ireland, Ireland, island of Ireland

Suggested Citation

Farrell, Anne-Maree and Davidson, Gavin and Donnelly, Mary and Agnew, Elizabeth and Forbes, Trisha and Frowde, Rhiannon, Mental Health Policies And Laws On The Island Of Ireland (April 22, 2022). Edinburgh School of Law Research Paper No. 2022/07, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4090841 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4090841

Anne-Maree Farrell (Contact Author)

University of Edinburgh - School of Law ( email )

Edinburgh
Great Britain

Gavin Davidson

Queen's University Belfast ( email )

25 University Square
Belfast, BT7 1NN
Ireland

Mary Donnelly

University College Cork (UCC) - Law Faculty ( email )

Aras na Laoi
Western Road
Cork
Ireland

Elizabeth Agnew

Queen's University Belfast ( email )

25 University Square
Belfast, BT7 1NN
Ireland

Trisha Forbes

Queen's University Belfast ( email )

25 University Square
Belfast, BT7 1NN
Ireland

Rhiannon Frowde

University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Law School ( email )

Edinburgh
Great Britain

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