Right to Highest Attainable Standard of Mental Health

PIPS/Greater Shankill Bereaved Families Rights Group

Background

The issues of suicide and self-harm in North Belfast have been highlighted extensively by the media in recent years following campaigns by the communities most affected by the issues. Some of the most concerning statistics are as follows:-
  • The average rate of suicide in Northern Ireland is 9.8 per 100,000 - within North and West Belfast the rate is much higher with an average approaching 18 per 100,000.
  • For male 15-35 year olds the average number of suicides per 100,000 was 50.1% in economically deprived areas compared with 21.6 in non-deprived areas.
  • According to figures from National Statistics Office … the highest rate of male suicide in Northern Ireland was found in North Belfast.'

There are a number of barriers to people fully accessing their right to health . According to the North and West Belfast Health Action Zone Taskforce on the prevention of suicide and self-harm (June 2006) -'Services were either not effective, not appropriate or in many cases, particularly in cases of adolescents, not there at all.'

The PIPS (Public Initiative for the Prevention of Suicide) and RAYS (Reaching Across to Reduce Your Risk of Suicide) groups were formed in response to the plethora of issues and barriers people face when trying to access mental health services for themselves, a family member or friends. Examples of issues raised by PIPS and RAYS include: -

  • Lack of due procedure when a family was advised by a Health Trust to take a complaint, e.g. family was told there were 'complaint forms' when there were none – procedures state that you should write a letter. Trust then did not respond within its time guidelines in relation to complaints. It is also medically evidences that members of a family who have lost someone through suicide is considered 'at risk' so these problems and frustrations only add to their health issues.
  • A young man tried to take his own life twice within a few hours. Went to hospital – but once it was realised that he was not 18 his appointment with psychiatrist was withdrawn. GP wouldn't give him tablets prescribed at hospital due to his age – in other words the family was left with very little support.

Promoting a Rights Based Approach

Initial Engagement

During the initial stages of the Project numerous meetings were held with local community activists who identified issues around suicide and self-harm as a potential example of rights violations within the North Belfast area. Following this several meetings were held directly with PIPS and RAYS to gain a deeper understanding of the issues and strategies used to address issues.

Direct Work with Affected Group

Following from this activity, PIPS and RAYS pulled together a group of their members for the purposes of enabling them to assert their right to adequate health to the relevant government departments and statutory agencies. This group started the PPR Training Package on 30th October 2006 2007. It is intended that such training will enable the group to analyse their need through a human rights framework, be able to articulate it as such, engage in activity which begins to examine how the lack of service provision is affecting their rights, and begin organising a campaign with participation and government accountability at its core.

The group has now drawn up a questionnaire (link to questionnaire) to research the nature and extent of these issues. They are carrying out the questionnaires with families who have been bereaved through suicide, other users of mental health services and support organisations (including community groups). The main issues for the research as identified by the group include:-

  • Attitudes of GPs and prescribing issues particularly to under 18's
  • Admission and discharge procedures
  • Quality of accountability mechanisms e.g. complaints procedures

The group hope to highlight their work using a rights based approach to improving mental health services to-date at an event to be held on 31st July (link to events page and detail of event on 31st July) and also start the process of building support for the issues they wish to progress.

Other ongoing support PPR has been able to offer includes referrals for groups and individuals to the Childrens Law Centre, the Law Centre and assisting with complaints about health services.

Building Alliances to Support Communities

On 29th November 2006 a conference entitled Making and Measuring Change – a Rights based Approach to Health was held. This event drew together, amongst others, members of groups affected by suicide and community activists to examine local issues within a rights context. It is intended that some of the participants will come together with campaigners from the NGO field to form a 'Suicide/self-harm Issue Group' (link to definition and list of issue-group members) as an alliance to support the group's campaign. The first meeting of this group is due to take place in September 2007.
 
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