One in 10 calls to Samaritans in Ireland are recession related

STAFF who deal with people in serious financial difficulty should undergo special training, especially those who work in arrears management units, a new report by the Mental Health Commission (MHC) has recommended.

The report, the Human Cost, reveals all areas of the mental health sector are seeing increased demand since the onset of the recession with one in 10 calls to the Samaritans in Ireland during 2010 described as “recession-related”.

A working group consulted for the report concluded that a change in culture and approach by financial institutions was needed, particularly a move away from an adversarial to a supportive, engaging approach.