Fears 'final tsunami' of mental health problems will peak when pandemic ends
Experts are warning that now is the time to flatten the mental health curve as otherwise services will be "overwhelmed with terrible consequences for the mental health and economic recovery of our country".
Senior mental health experts have warned of the lasting impact of the pandemic here into the future, including a "final tsunami" that will not appear until after the pandemic has eased and could last for years.
The experts are warning that now is the time to flatten the mental health curve as otherwise services will be "overwhelmed with terrible consequences for the mental health and economic recovery of our country".
The article, published in the Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine, is written by a group which includes the HSE's National Clinical Lead for Early Intervention for Psychosis, Dr Karen O'Connor, and University College Cork's lead for Student Mental Health, Michele Hill.
Referring to the HSE-established expert working group which included the authors, the article outlines four waves of health need associated with the pandemic, involving both physical and mental health and exacerbated by delayed intervention caused by the ongoing public health crisis sparked by Covid-19.
"The largest and longest fourth wave of healthcare need will encompass the psycho-social and mental health burden associated with this pandemic," it said.
"This final tsunami will not peak until some time afterwards (months) and will sustain for months to years after the Covid-19 pandemic itself," the experts say.
The authors said a proportion of this need can be met quickly at primary and community care level, but a "significant proportion will require specialist intervention from secondary care mental health services".
Among vulnerable groups are Covid-19 survivors, people bereaved during the pandemic, frontline workers, those with fewer social and economic resources, and those at the "extremes of the population demographic", including those with dementia, older people and younger people.
It also states vulnerable groups include those with an intellectual disability, pregnant women or those who have recently given birth, and those with an established mental illness, who are in danger of relapse or exacerbation of symptoms.
Referring to the "consistently low" level of funding for mental health services, the article states the case for ringfencing funds for a specific Covid-19 mental health response and said youth mental health services are already "ill-equipped to manage the full range of presentations that seek help.
"Without funded vertical integration pathways and ring-fenced funding to secondary care, there is a risk that already limited funding in AMHS and CAMHS will be channelled away from where it is most needed," it said.
The authors said digital mental health - such as online resources - needed to be addressed as a priority, as well as a specific budget to support and protect the implementation of the National Clinical Programmes during Covid-19.
"Because of Covid-19, secondary care mental health services are facing a huge escalation of mental health need. It is emerging now, will peak in a few months’ time and will last for many months to years. Now is the time to flatten this curve. Unless we anticipate, plan and invest in all our secondary care mental health services as a priority, they will be overwhelmed with terrible consequences for the mental health and economic recovery of our country."
