A study published today indicates that 27% of users of mental health day clinics were fully or mostly confident about raising issues with their psychiatrist.
Almost four in ten were a little satisfied with the care of their mental health team or not satisfied at all.
At the launch of Mental Health Reform's report, the Ombudsman, Peter Tyndall, said he was not surprised that two-thirds of the respondents did not know how to make a complaint about Health Service Executive services in the sector.
Mental Health Reform is a coalition of over 50 organisations campaigning for improved services in the sector.
This research is based on an in-depth survey of 76 users of out-patient mental health services in an urban area of high deprivation and poverty.
Key findings included that more than a third of participants felt that they had little opportunity to lead their own lives as they wanted.
The same proportion was not at all happy with their involvement in the community in which they lived.
While slightly over a quarter were fully or mostly confident about raising issues with their psychiatrist, almost twice that proportion had a similar level of confidence in GPs.
Almost four in ten were a little satisfied with the care of their mental health team or not satisfied at all.
One in three participants were very involved in planning their own treatment, with the same proportion involved to a small extent.
Over a fifth said they were not involved at all, while less than one in twenty said they were full partners.
Participants were only a little confident in their ability to advocate for themselves, for instance, with employers and housing, social protection and jobseekers' services.
Mental Health Reform Director Shari McDaid said the study highlighted a clear need for greater access to advocacy supports, as well as information on how to make a complaint to the HSE.
She called on the executive to be proactive about advising service users how to provide feedback, be it positive or negative.
She also called on Minister for Social Protection Regina Doherty, Minister of State for Mental Health Helen McEntee, the Citizens Information Board and the HSE to review the findings and consider how they can ensure that the scope and capacity of Ireland’s publicly-funded advocacy services meet the needs of people with long-term mental health difficulties living in the community.
