During my final year of the BSc Psychology at Queen’s University, I had the privilege of completing a placement with the New Script for Mental Health, a campaign supported by Participation and Practice of Rights (PPR).    It was an amazing workplace to complete my placement within as I felt extremely welcomed by both activists and staff members and acquired a great deal of knowledge.

One of the highlights of my placement was contributing to the preparation for the conference titled “From Ticking Boxes to Transformation – A New Script for Mental Health,” which New Script held on 10 October 2024 for World Mental Health Day. Through this work, I gained a profound appreciation for the critical role grassroot, lived-experience activists play in driving the much-needed transformation of mental health services. It became clear to me that real change must be guided by those most directly impacted by systemic shortcomings.

This placement provided invaluable insights into problems within the current mental health system, which extend beyond the frequently cited issues of lack of staffing and funding. New Script explores deeper, systemic issues such as power imbalances, a lack of accountability, and ethical concerns around practices like Electro-Convulsive Therapy (ECT), in particular, the issue of informed consent.

As part of the preparation for the Ticking Boxes conference, I had the exciting opportunity to attend three meetings in Stormont with MLAs who sit on the Health Committee. These meetings focused on securing support for the rights-based framework known as “The Give 5,” which the New Script launched at the conference.

The conference was extremely successful, and it was amazing to be a part of it and to witness everyone’s hard work paying off. The Give 5 framework received support from former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health, Professor Dainius Pūras and endorsement from a growing number of organisations and bodies.

It was incredibly rewarding to see how New Script’s meeting with MLAs in Stormont influenced the nature of these questions. Issues such as lack of access to mental health services, overprescription of antidepressants were brought to the forefront.

Following the conference, I began analysing mental health related written questions MLAs had posed to the Health Minister, accessed via the Northern Ireland Assembly website. This work aimed to build the New Script evidence base and analysis.  It was incredibly rewarding to see how New Script’s meeting with MLAs in Stormont influenced the nature of these questions. Issues such as lack of access to mental health services, overprescription of antidepressants were brought to the forefront.

However, I was both shocked and disheartened by the responses provided by the Health Minister. Many answers were vague, lacked substance, or sidestepped the issues entirely. Despite this, I was deeply inspired by the resilience and determination of everyone involved in the campaign. They remained undeterred, fully aware of the challenges of engaging with political systems and continued their advocacy by maintaining contact with local politicians and arranging a meeting with the Health Minister.

Overall, this placement was an extraordinary learning experience. It not only expanded my understanding of the complexities within mental health systems but also reinforced the importance of persistence and collaboration in driving meaningful change. I am grateful for the opportunity to have contributed to such an impactful initiative and to have witnessed firsthand the power of grassroots activism.