‘Mental health stigma’ leads to treatment delay of up to a year

The stigma attached to poor mental health leads to one in five people delaying seeking treatment for a full year, according to research carried out by St Patrick’s University Hospital (SPUH).

Moreover, this stigma is costing lives, said Paul Gilligan, CEO of the country’s largest independent mental health services provider.

Speaking at the launch yesterday of the SPUH annual report 2011, Mr Gilligan described the stigma surrounding mental health as “often subtle”, “extremely damaging”, and “deeply engrained in Irish society”.