Irish Examiner view: ‘Tsunami’ of need in mental health

The launch of St Patrick’s Mental Health Services' No Stigma campaign has given us a real opportunity to reframe mental health stigma

The Covid-19 pandemic has presented us with a “new mental health curve that will need flattening”, to quote research by the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland.

The pandemic has thrown up unthinkable challenges but, as many have observed, it has also opened the way to reimagining our lives. That point was made again forcibly yesterday by Paul Gilligan, chief executive of St Patrick’s Mental Health Services, when he said Covid-19 has given us a real opportunity to reframe mental health stigma.

Sadly, that stigma is widespread and enduring. Three in five people believe being treated for a mental health difficulty is seen as a sign of personal weakness, according to a survey taken to coincide with the launch of St Patrick’s No Stigma campaign.