Mental Health in Ireland…

Under the Mental Health Act 2001, it’s your right to receive good quality health care; to be informed about your treatment, to have your best interest taken into account and to be treated with respect and dignity.

In Ireland self-harm has increased by 21% among 10–24-year-olds from 2007 –2017.The study titled 'Is an EU-wide approach to the mental health crisis necessary? examines and compares mental health services in Ireland, France and Poland.

In 2022 42% met a diagnostic requirement for at least one mental health disorder, and one in ten adults attempted suicide.

It is essential that the Irish government invests into better mental health services, people have been waiting for years and years and may still not receive the help they need.

I believe one of the major reasons for the decline in mental health is Covid-19. Due to Covid we could not see our friends and families. This results in many individuals feeling isolated.

Although I admit the government attempted to resolve the mental health crisis, it was half-hearted and not good enough.

A solution I think that would be beneficial to all would be licensed therapists and psychologists all across the country that would be paid for by the government. Many people recognize that they need therapy but cannot afford it due to its high cost and scarce availability.

I also believe it should be free to get a diagnosis, whether that’s an intellectual diagnosis, mental health diagnosis or a physical diagnosis.

A great number of people crave to be diagnosed but unfortunately don’t have the means for it. For example, according to dyslexia.ie the fee for a child/young person is €550 and for an adult dyslexia assessment it’s €300 for what? For a piece of paper?

However, I would like to note in the report ‘Is an Eu-wide approach to the mental health crisis necessary?' conveys the suicide rate of 7.6 per 100,000 population which is below the EU average.

How I see it is, the Irish government should get credit for doing better than a lot of countries but still has a long way to go.