There is a need for improved and more accessible mental health supports for individuals and communities across West Waterford according to Donnchadh Mulcahy and Conor D. McGuinness. The call was made at the launch of their discussion document ‘Mental Health: A Silent Crisis’, which examines attitudes and services in West Waterford and makes recommendations for major changes in the area. The launch took place in the Lismore Heritage Centre on Friday evening.
Speaking to the Dungarvan Observer Conor D. McGuinness said:
“Both Donnchadh and I are deeply troubled by the numbers of people dying by suicide, as well as the shortage of supports and barriers to accessing mental health services. We see this silent crisis gripping our communities – causing the deaths of people we’ve known all our lives and creating immense harm and hurt for individuals, families and communities.
“Access to adequate and timely mental health services is not assured, and there are gaps in service provision. Our health service is under-resourced as a whole. This is despite the dedication, professionalism and best efforts of staff working within the public health system. Community and voluntary organisations do trojan work to fill the gaps in services and outreach, often times without any state support.
“Children and young people in crisis are being forced to wait months or years to receive care, and adults experiencing mental ill-health are routinely failed by a system that is under-resourced, understaffed and not fit for purpose – despite the best efforts of dedicated staff. Added to all this is the huge impact that the housing and cost of living crises are having on people’s mental and physical health.
“Donnchadh and I sat down some months to discuss the crisis in mental health locally, and to see what practical measures we could take, both as community people and as political activists. Its a topic that has affected us both and we are very passionate about seeing matter improve locally.
“While our colleague David Cullinane has set out his vision for change at national level, we wanted to explore what could be done locally while awaiting more fundamental political and cultural change at national level. Our recommendations include a Crisis Resolution Team for West Waterford and a dedicated Suicide Crisis Assessement Nurse working in the area.
“In putting this paper together we spoke with patients, family members, mental health practitioners, community leaders and people that had been sadly bereaved by suicide. We also surveyed over 270 individuals from across West Waterford on their attitudes and experiences. These were tough conversations, but important in identifying the shortcomings on the ground, and the steps that should be taken locally to address them and to help save lives.”
Donnchadh Mulcahy said:
“All of us have been touched by this crisis in some way. Our aim with this document is to provoke discussion and start an converation in the community. We looked at the services and supports that are already available, and identified the major gaps in the area. We also made recommendations for immediate steps that can be taken locally, including by the HSE and Waterford City and County Council.
“Workers in our healthcare system are swamped, overworked and underpaid. There is a crisis in recruitment and retention and many key posts remain unfilled. The ‘recruitment pause’ means that when vacancies for positions such as Suicide Crisis Assessment Nurse arise, they remain unfilled.
“Economic and social factors have an impact on mental health and wellbeing. Anxiety and stress as a result of the housing crisis, homelessness, financial pressure, debt, addiction, isolation, family law, and employment issues are leading to mental ill-health or exacerbating existing conditions. Similarly, delays in accessing medical treatment, or a shortage of educational or social supports can have a negative impact on mental health and wellbeing.
“The full impact of the housing crisis and the austerity decade on parents and children may never be fully known. There are few communities in the country that have not been devastated by suicide in recent years. Suicide and self-harm are on the increase. This crisis doesn’t discriminate and men and women, old and young are impacted.
“We want to thank everyone who engaged with us, in person or via the survey, and everyone who turned up to our public event in Lismore. We had some tough conversations as part of this research but we are very grateful for the feedback we received, which informed many of the recommendatgiosn set out in our report.
“We encourage everyone that has an interest in the topic to have a read and take an active part in this much-needed conversation.”
Click below to read discussion document.
Conor D. McGuinness TD 