Ireland’s mental health service suffering from deficits

The country’s “bleeding” mental health services are severely under-resourced and significantly under-staffed, making it harder for people to access treatment, according to a new report by Mental Health Reform (MHR).

The research deals with the Government’s mental health policy A Vision for Change which was published nine years ago and investigates the extent to which the aims set out in the policy have been realised.

It found the policy “incomplete and uneven” despite “pockets of innovation”.

Of particular concern, it said, is the “continued substantial shortfall in staffing” despite recommended levels.

Overall, the mental health services have suffered an 11% decrease in filled posts since 2008, despite an envisaged increase of 1,200 posts.

“Although we have seen additional allocation of funding in recent years, staffing still hasn’t recovered to pre-recession levels and is still almost one quarter lower than the level set out in A Vision for Change in 2006,” said MHR director Dr Shari McDaid. “All of this leads to the current situation of rising child and adolescent waiting lists and difficulties for adults seeking emergency treatment.”

The report said the economic crisis played “a significant role” in cutting mental health service resources, with 1,000 nurses lost in the first years of the recession.

It also claims a wider Government agenda to reduce the size of the public sector hit mental health services “disproportionately”.

At the same time, demand for mental health supports has increased, pushing “a bleeding mental health service” to the limit.

The report reveals primary care mental health services remain under-resourced and unco-ordinated with mental health services, while social exclusion is stillbig issue for sufferers.

It also said the lack of progress in “long-neglected” services such as mental health care for people with intellectual disability and for children and adolescents in the criminal justice system is of particular concern.

These “particularly high risk groups” should be prioritised for mental health service development.

“A Vision for Change highlighted that people who use a mental health service and their families wanted to be listened to, to be treated with respect, to have a say in their own treatment,” said Dr McDaid. “These qualities do not cost money and yet are not universally experienced across the country..”

MHR now intend to produce a submission to the Department of Health with recommendations on the next phase of reform of Ireland’s mental health system.