'Odyssey of Hope': The role of carers in mental health tribunal processes and systems of mental health care

This article examines carers' involvement in the interconnected processes of mental health care planning and mental health tribunal hearings, decision-making processes which often dramatically impact on carer-service-user relationships and effectively impose obligations on some carers to assist in implementing legally binding orders. It explores concerns expressed by carers about difficulties accessing information about, and contributing to, these processes, and identifies associated dilemmas and conflicts. Whilst carer involvement may not be appropriate in all cases, the article concludes that carers should be better engaged at the service delivery level from the first point of contact and on an ongoing basis. It argues that a more consistent approach which assists and encourages carer participation in tribunal processes should be adopted. It also suggests that there is a need for additional processes and efforts to deal with conflicts arising between service-users, carers, and health services in the mental health context.