The €34 million spent on drugs would be better spent on therapy

I was interviewed for last Saturday’s Irish Examiner in relation to my views on primary mental health care. One of the quotes attributed to me was that GPs have “no training whatsoever in making connection”.

This statement appears to have caused much offence to GPs. I wish to clarify the context in which the statement was made.

This interview was held at the Irish Association of Suicidology annual conference where I had made a presentation on the importance of making a therapeutic connection with clients as a key component in suicide prevention (in light of the Government’s new ‘Connecting for Life’ strategy on suicide reduction).