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Positive Mental Health News

Western region of the Family Resource Centre are appointing a suicide project worker and developing a national suicide policy for their services.

The Family centre in Castlebar are recruiting a social prescribing officer to work in the Erris region to help to promote positive mental health.

We also welcome Living Links to Mayo.

50/50 Phone a Friend welcome this progressive initiative from these organisations.

Funding Details

IN 2011 suicide prevention funding was 8.7 million compared to road safety funding of 41 million. The success of the road safety authority campaigns in recent years are to congratulated and show how effective a properly resourced and administered campaign can be. It is clear that we need a similar approach to suicide prevention if we are to really address the problem.

Stigma

Stigma continues to be an underlying issue with 60% of respondents saying that they consider depression to be stigmatising. Statistics in the research also revealed that almost a quarter (23%) of people believe that depression is not an illness but a "state of mind". These findings indicate that while awareness of depression has grown, there is still a degree of ignorance around the condition.

Dr Harry Barry, a Louth based GP, said, "It is worrying that 42% of people wouldn't want their friend or family member to discuss their depression with them. Sometimes people just need to talk. It can be the first step towards recovery. By providing a sympathetic ear and encouraging them to get professional help they could be making a real difference in their friend's life. While 70% do say they would find it difficult to talk to their doctor it is reassuring that so many people (77%) cite the GP as the first person to contact for information about depression. So while there is still a reluctance to discuss it at least people know where to go. Mental health difficulties can be very distressing, not just for the person experiencing, but for their loved ones. Approaching a healthcare professional for assistance is one of the most important steps a person can make in taking responsibility for their mental health."

Travelling Community

The shame of admitting mental health problems within the travelling community is …

The shame and stigma of admitting a mental health problem is driving members of the travelling community to suicide, it has emerged. Petra Daly, director of the National Traveller Suicide Project, revealed her office has been told about 12 traveller deaths by suicide so far this year.

Studies show suicide rates among the traveller community are six times higher than in the settled population, accounting for at least 11% of all deaths. Ms Daly said the statistics were horrifying.

"There is an urgent need to begin to deal with and understand the reality of suicide and mental health issues and how they affect the traveller community and other minority groups," she said. "People feel shame and stigma admitting they are struggling and when they do find the courage to look for help it can be extremely frustrating when services don't understand their culture."

There are an estimated 30,000 travellers living in Ireland. Ms Daly said providers and breadwinners in the community believe they cannot discuss their feelings in case it shows a weakness, while those forced into settled accommodation complain of feeling "boxed-in". Discrimination and having their livelihoods curtailed during the recession are also factors, she added.

The Traveller Counselling Service called on the Government to ringfence 5% of the mental health budget to ensure measures to tackle suicide are implemented in a culturally sensitive way.

Women vs Men and Depression

Women are around two-and-a-half times more likely than men to suffer depression, …

Almost two in five Europeans suffer from a mental disorder, with the most common being anxiety, insomnia and depression, according to new research. The study, which covers 30 countries including the UK, found 38.2% of people are suffering with mental disorders, often without the right treatment.

While rates are not thought to be increasing compared with 2005, the proportion of people treated has also not improved, standing at around one in three of all cases. Professor Hans Ulrich Wittchen, one of the study authors, from Dresden University of Technology in Germany, said men and women had about the same rates of mental health problems overall, but experienced different issues. Women are around two-and-a-half times more likely than men to suffer depression, particularly during their child-bearing years, he said.

Overall rates of depression in women have risen since the 1970s and are now about double. "In depression we see 2.6 times higher rates among females, which interestingly and importantly clusters in the reproductive years between the ages of 16 and 42," he said. "It's not this increase after 45 - getting older - that some people think it is. In females, we see these higher rates of depressive episodes at times when they sometimes have their babies - they have to cope with the double responsibility of job and family."

The study, published by the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, covered 514 million people and all major mental health disorders were included, including depression, bipolar disorders, anxiety disorders, insomnia, addiction and schizophrenia. Neurological disorders, such as stroke, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis, were also included. The most frequent disorders seen in people were anxiety disorders (14%), insomnia (7%) and major depression (6.9%). Attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorders in young people accounted for 5% while dementia accounted for 1% of those aged 60 to 65 and 30% of those aged 85 and over.

Paul Farmer, chief executive of Mind, said: "This study demonstrates that the treatment and management of mental health problems and neurological disorders is the biggest issue currently facing healthcare provision across Europe.

"With only one in three people with a mental health problem receiving treatment for their condition, it is essential that significant investment is made into improving these rates so that mental health is given a parity of esteem with physical health."

Check out the recent findings of the Optimising Suicide Prevention Programmes