Community support and mental health
I also wish to express my concerns about the massive opposition this project has faced from local residents. I have been working with Slí Eile for the past four years as an external evaluator and believe I have an understanding of its history and objectives. My response is also informed by extensive research and teaching experience in the area of mental health and my involvement with community mental health initiatives.
It is now well documented that mental health in Ireland is one of the most neglected areas of social care. Community-based facilities have been slow to develop in comparison to other EU member states. The main response to a mental health crisis is hospitalisation, which usually exacerbates peoples’ distress instead of alleviating it. This is not because hospital care is in itself inappropriate but because of the way people lose their dignity by their treatment in this system. Seventy per cent of admissions in Irish psychiatric hospitals are re-admissions. This poses questions about the adequacy and therapeutic role of hospital care and highlights the lack of support following discharge.
It is also well documented that care in the community is a much more effective and efficient treatment as it provides individuals with the skills to live independent and fulfilling lives. Most people with long- term mental health problems are able to live in a supportive community environment and to contribute to their communities.
One in four people will experience mental health problems in their lifetime. Mental distress is part of everyday life. However, there are a lot of misunderstandings about the nature of mental illness which lead to viewing individuals as a ‘threat’. Indeed, there is a threat. This is not posed by people with long-term mental health problems but by a system which neglects them and fails to provide them with support while in hospital and particularly after discharge. Threat is posed by the lack of safe places where people can experience their distress while treated with dignity.
Initiatives like Slí Eile recognise the need for support and continuity of care and can provide this safe space where people can recover while remaining part of the community. Therefore, if we are concerned with safety, we need to advocate for the development of more such facilities rather than oppose them. I hope the community will recognise that Slí Eile is a valuable resource to its well being rather than a threat.
Lydia Sapouna
Lecturer
Department of Applied
Social Studies
University College Cork
