Patients ‘not able to access’ psychologists

THE “overwhelming majority” of public mental health patients who need psychological interventions are not getting them, the Irish Association of Psychologists in Mental Health has said.

The coalition of 100 HSE psychologists says this means a continued over-reliance on the prescribing of medications, which in many cases is not the right treatment.

Dr Eoin Galavan, the group’s spokesperson, said clinical psychology services are “hugely under-resourced” and this simply is not good enough.