Half of mentally ill patients not diagnosed

MORE than half of mentally-ill patients receive no diagnosis and are ignorant of the side-effects of medication, according to a survey.

Carried out by the Irish Advocacy Network (IAN), the survey found 15% of participants knew they suffered depression, and 9% schizophrenia, but 53% said they were not told what their condition was. This lack of information was one of their main frustrations, and 45% said they needed more time with their consultant psychiatrist.

Another 67% said they were not properly briefed on the side-effects of medication.

Mervyn Tierney, IAN's director of development, said the statistics were frightening.

"It is quite alarming when almost six out of 10 people with mental health problems are in hospital without having any idea of what's wrong with them and that an even higher percentage are taking tablets everyday for a condition that hasn't been diagnosed."

Mr Tierney said taking medication for an undiagnosed illness was a serious barrier to recovery. "First of all people don't know what they're fighting against so they don't know what steps to take other than what they are prescribed towards getting better, so it lessens their chance of recovery.

"Secondly, the side-effects of the medication can create more problems than the illness itself and I am speaking from personal experience when I say that.

"Oftentimes if people actually knew how serious the side-effects were, they may never have taken the medication and instead sought alternative treatment," he added.

Mr Tierney said the findings of the survey, carried out in the Southern Health Board (SHB) region, reflected the situation nationwide.

"A similar IAN survey in the Midlands Health Board yielded the same results and assessment forms filled in by our members show that it is reflective of the national picture."

IAN (a user-run, user-led organisation which encourages mental health patients to take control of their lives) carried out the survey on behalf of the SHB as part of its review of mental health services.

The findings were used in preparing the SHB's new mental health strategy 'Focussing Minds ... Developing Mental Health Services in Cork and Kerry,' launched by Health Minister Micheál Martin yesterday.

Strategy director Ann Doherty said both service users and providers had been consulted in its preparation, giving for the first time a consensus of opinion in the way the services should develop.

"The essence of it is that users want an alternative to hospital treatment. They want a switch from institutional to community-based care and we will be working to provide that by setting up community mental health teams (CMTs) and community rehabilitation teams (CRTs)."

Ms Doherty said no money or extra staff had yet been committed to implementing the strategy because the objectives had only just been agreed. Funding will have to come from the Department of Health and no decision will be made before December.