New landmark guidance calls on mental health services to put human rights at the centre of care

The Mental Health Commission (MHC) has this morning published landmark national guidance for all Irish mental health services, setting out how a human rights-based approach must become the foundation of care and treatment across the sector.
The new guidance - developed by the MHC on foot of recent collaboration with the World Health Organization, the Department of Health and mental health service providers - follows an extensive consultation process involving over 350 service users, families, carers, and staff. It presents key concepts, including human rights principles and instruments, as well as practical guidance for embedding a human rights approach in mental health services.
It also introduces the RIGHTS framework, a practical tool that includes key themes such as inclusion, dignity and person-centred care that can be used to explore essential considerations and actions for implementing a human rights approach within services.
The multi-stakeholder consultation highlighted serious concerns about how rights are currently experienced in the sector. It showed that over 51% of service users felt stigma remains a significant issue; just 40% of service users and families felt empowered to lead their own recovery journey; while almost 40% of service users reported daily experiences of discrimination.
The guidance sets out clear and practical steps to address these issues, including reducing coercive practices, strengthening informed consent, ensuring equal access to services, and supporting cultural and community inclusion.

Welcoming the publication, Minister for Mental Health, Mary Butler, TD, said: “Prioritising a human rights-based approach through holistic, person-centred care in mental health treatment is fundamental. I fully endorse this new national guidance for all mental health services as I believe it is essential for helping people to recover and to live well - there is no health without mental health. This approach must be the standard everywhere, ensuring that everyone accessing care is treated with dignity, respect, and receives support tailored to their individual needs."

Launching the guidance this morning, the Chief Executive of the Mental Health Commission, John Farrelly, said: “This guidance will empower staff and service users to continue to drive a human rights approach to the provision of mental health services in Ireland. A service that is inclusive and human rights-based is not optional - it is the starting point for every decision. This guidance provides practical tools to help services continue the transformation of the last few years.

“My expectation is that all levels of leadership within mental health services will drive and effectively implement an organisation-wide, human rights-informed approach to care.”

Gary Kiernan, Director of Regulation at the Mental Health Commission, said: “It is the MHC’s experience that, where mental health services adopt and implement a rights-based approach to care, there are improved outcomes for services users, as well as the staff who work in services. We know from our inspection findings that services which prioritise human rights typically show higher levels of compliance with regulatory requirements.

“This practical guidance is evidence-based and informed by people with lived experience. It provides a common language around what good, human rights-informed care looks like and practical steps towards prioritising human rights in busy mental health care environments. The MHC encourages leaders across all mental health services to adopt and implement the guidance and the accompanying training without delay.”

Mr Kiernan added: “By focusing on rights-based practices and openly adopting a human rights-based approach to care, services can make a real difference and help to create positive, meaningful changes. The MHC stands ready to support providers to implement the RIGHTS framework and we will monitor implementation as part of our statutory regulatory role.”

The new guidance was officially launched this morning at an MHC-organised engagement day with mental health service providers in Athlone. Human Rights lawyer, Noeline Blackwell, who was guest speaker at the launch, said: “The RIGHTS Framework gives staff and providers a transparent and clear path forward. By embedding autonomy, dignity, and inclusion into everyday practice, services can build trust, improve outcomes, and truly respect the rights of every individual.”
The MHC is now calling on all providers – public, voluntary and independent – to adopt the new guidance and to work with staff, service users and families to build a rights-first culture across Irish mental health services.

The access the full document please follow this link ‘Guidance for Irish mental health services on the adoption and implementation of a human rights-based approach to care and treatment’.