One in seven had mental or emotional problem in past year
The study conducted for the Health Research Board involved telephone interviews with a little more than 2,700 adults.
It found that one in seven people had experienced a mental, nervous or emotional problem in the past year.
However, eight out of 10 people described their quality of life, physical and mental health as good or very good. But senior researcher at the research board, Dr Donna Tedstone Doherty, described the number of people experiencing mental or emotional problems as significant.
“It is important that this fact is recognised and accepted by society so that informal and formal supports required by people experiencing distress are developed,” she said.
The important role of the GP in assessing and treating mental health problems also needed to be recognised.
Dr Doherty said the range of mental health professionals, such as counsellors and psychologists within the primary care network who could be accessed by GPs, must be increased.
There was also need for the development of better links between primary and secondary care for mental health so that there was continuity of care for people needing specialised mental health services.
All these issues had been highlighted in the national strategy for mental health — a vision for change endorsed by the Government almost two years ago, she pointed out.
About 6% of those who took part in the study had been prescribed medication for mental health problems, and the majority found that the treatment was either moderately effective or very effective. However, the results showed more than a quarter of those given antidepressants found they were only slightly effective or not at all effective.
Dr Doherty said more research was required into the effectiveness of various medications to treat mental health problems.
A mere 2% reported having taken non-prescribed or alternative medication for mental health problems in the past year.
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