Ireland’s mental health needs a ‘rebirth’

Ireland needs to undergo a "cultural rebirth", similar to the process Germany engaged in following the Second World War, if it is to become mentally healthy, according to one of the country’s leading psychiatrists.

Medical director at St Patrick’s Mental Health Service and TCD professor of psychiatry, Dr Jim Lucey said much of the country’s history since independence has centred around denial, disassociation and national self-deception.

Speaking at the Merriman Summer School in Glór, Co Clare, where he delivered the keynote address, he argued that this culture of denial was at the expense of analysis and insight and had led us to become a country in distress.

“We may have become conditioned to non-disclosure,” meaning we have individual and collective difficulties discussing mental health because of “our asylum history of shame, fear and guilt” he argued.

Dr Lucey calls upon the country as the State’s 100th birthday approaches, to “begin a cultural renewal based on a genuine dealing with our past”. He said our focus should be on more than “being the best little country in the world to do business”.

“Out of a sincere re-engagement with our history we could make peace with ourselves and rediscover what it is to be truly mentally and emotionally well; so that more people could live independently and work productively.

“A cultural wrestling with our past could lead to the rebuilding of our country on universal principles of human rights.

“Into our second century we could emphasise priorities that would make our young people and our old people strong and emotionally resilient. An emotionally healthy Irish life is not something that will happen by chance,” hesaid. “Certain resilience factors contribute to the development of a mentally healthy, emotionally resilient populations. They include a secure base, education, social competence and friendships, talents, interests and positive values.

“A renewed Irish society dedicated to building these resilience factors might prioritise them as much as finance or foreign affaires, and so future political and cultural decisions could be made congruent with these goals. A renaissance of our culture, of life and work and spirit, balanced with our sport, music and arts and respect for beliefs could emerge from this shift in our priorities,” he said.

Dr Lucey described “mental health as the largest unmet health need in our society”.

“Unfortunately the typical response to mental distress in Ireland is neglect, or postponement at best. It has been said that if your car breaks down today you could probably have it repaired within an hour, but if you or I have a mental break down today it is unlikely that we will get help for at least 18 months.

“The delay is largely in our inability to have the mental health conversation.”

The Merriman Summer School, which has as its theme ‘Emotional Life in Ireland’, is taking place in Glor, Ennis, Co Clare. It will continue until Sunday with poet Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill and writer Carlo Gebler amongst those due to speak.