Mental health policies and laws on the island of Ireland

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.