Minister told of need for joined-up services for people hardest hit by pandemic impact

Mary Butler, Minister of state for mental health and older people. Picture: Gary Ashe 

A support organisation working with people at risk of homelessness has stressed the need for 'dual diagnosis' services to help those using drugs and with a mental illness.

Both the chief executive of Merchants Quay Ireland, Paula Byrne, and researcher Kathyan Kelly, who has conducted research for MQI on the issue of people's experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic, outlined the need for connected supports, particularly for those people with acute mental illness.

The launch of the report, which has tracked the experiences of 10 people during the pandemic, found there was increased suicidal ideation and hospitalisation among the group, even though efforts at tackling their drug use had appeared to progress. The impact of the pandemic was most acute for those with more severe mental illness.

The launch of the research was attended by Minister of State in Department of Health with responsibility for Mental Health and Older People, Mary Butler, who said: "I am keen on the lessons learned on better ways of working ... to be maintained beyond this pandemic."

Joanne Fenton, consultant psychiatrist with the HSE's ACCES service, which was also involved in the study, said it was "heartbreaking" to hear of patients' worries over a lack of face-to-face contact and exclusion from services due to the pandemic.

She said there was a need to continue to attend to and listen to the ongoing impact of Covid-19 on this patient group, including ensuring that services covered recovery from the use of substances and mental illness, including ongoing interagency working.

Researcher Kathyan Kelly said she not had set out to find people with dual diagnosis, yet eight out of the 10 people in the group had those issues, either with acute or mild mental illness.

"We need broader collaboration between the various agencies," she said.