Suicide is a serious issue in 21st century Ireland, with one senior coroner describing it as “rampant”, particularly in rural areas. This tragic situation is not helped by the fact that, while there are a number of mental health organisations operating throughout the country, there is no single point of contact for people who feel themselves in need of help. This is the view of Michele Kerrigan, Chief Executive of GROW, Ireland’s largest community-based mental health service. She believes that the gradual erosion of the traditional rural way of life has left thousands of people isolated and vulnerable, and that these people often do not know where to turn if there are signs of stress or mental illness. Says GROW CEO Michele Kerrigan: “Human contact in rural areas is more or less gone, especially for older people. There is no true sense of community anymore, and this is exacerbating any issues that people might have with their mental health. Maybe people have lost their job, and they are at a point in their lives where, because of their age, they may not be selected for new employment. Or maybe they have lost a loved one, or they are struggling with issues around their sexuality. But whatever its causes, the overall message is that suicide is not simply something that affects young men – it affects every part of society.” While there are places where people suffering from stress or mental health issues can go, Michele feels that there is a problem with accessing these services because of their fragmented nature – and she is calling for a comprehensive central point of information where people can find out about the appropriate services for them. Says Kerrigan: “There are a lot of mental health organisations out there, but the trouble is that people don’t know where to turn. Unless you know a particular organisation, how would you know where to go? This is why there needs to be some sort of coordinated information hub that includes all individual mental health organisations, each of which has their own expertise.” Because of the particular issues with suicide in rural Ireland, GROW is concentrating some of its resources in Midlands counties for the rollout of its Gatekeeper Programme. Aimed at everyone in the community (including mental health professionals), Gatekeeper is a six week course that teaches people about what good mental health looks like, as well as identifying the daily issues that can affect mental health. Admission is free for the latest running of Gatekeeper, which started this week in Longford. As part of Gatekeeper, GROW introduces attendees to the concept of “Safe Talk”, which is a National Office for Suicide Prevention initiative designed to train people to identify persons with thoughts of suicide and connect them to suicide first aid resources. These specific skills are called suicide alertness and are taught with the expectation that the person learning them will use them to help reduce suicide risk in their communities. Says Michele Kerrigan: “If you suspect that a person is at risk from suicide, you shouldn’t be shy about opening a conversation around suicidal thoughts. That’s what “Safe Talk” teaches people (Tell, Ask, Listen, and Keepsafe). Asking about suicidal thoughts or feelings won't push someone into doing something self-destructive. In fact, offering an opportunity to talk about feelings may reduce the risk of acting on suicidal feelings. The trouble is that none of us knows how to start the conversation. But if we were all trained, maybe we would be in a position to save someone’s life.”
Announcing
Survey: Mental health patients 'shunned' (October 2010)
Nearly all mental health patients have been treated unfairly because of their condition, a survey revealed today. A report by Amnesty International said it had uncovered uncomfortable truths, stigma and hidden prejudice affecting people in work, at home and among friends. Colm O'Gorman, Amnesty's executive director in Ireland, called on Government agencies to investigate the true extent of the problem. "Unlike racism, sexism or ageism, there is no '-ism' to describe discrimination on the grounds of mental health. It remains the hidden, permissible '-ism', but it must be challenged," he said. He added: "In Ireland there is no clear evidence of overt direct discrimination by the state in its laws, policies or practices. The real issue however is the hidden, indirect discrimination and inequality people face. "We know that people with mental health problems have lower employment rates and are more likely to have left education early, suggesting the reported unfair treatment from the research is having a very real impact on people's lives." Dublin City University's School of Nursing interviewed 300 patients on behalf of Amnesty and found devastating levels of discrimination and prejudice and a lack of care across society. - A total of 95% of participants reported unfair treatment because of a mental health problem and subsequently 86% suffered distress. - Almost two thirds were shunned because of a mental health problem. - In their home life, 61% reported being treated unfairly by family. - On the employment front, 43% said they were treated unfairly when it came to keeping a job, a third felt unfairly treated in applying for work and as a result two thirds decided not to apply for work. The Amnesty report, Hear my voice: challenging prejudice and discrimination, was published as part of the organisation's mental health and human rights campaign. Mr O'Gorman said at the heart of the study were personal accounts of the suffering. Caroline McGuigan, founder and chief executive of Suicide or Survive, lived through mental health problems herself. She said: "It's not the big things that stay with you, it's the little things. Like being told that because you have a mental health problem 'you can't cope. You're not able'. "People talking behind your back. It is horrible. "Job opportunities for me were suddenly limited. It's like everything I had achieved in my life previously had disappeared from view. I was educated, had been running my own business. But out of the blue, the goalposts changed. "It became, 'You are mentally unwell and this is all you are capable of'." "Being vulnerable and struggling is a part of life, yet mental health issues are still a taboo subject and the old myths are still around. These attitudes and behaviours have to change because they are what are destroying lives and communities." Phil Mac Giolla Bhain, an author and freelance journalist who experienced depression, said: "Fear of prejudice and discrimination
Announcing
Suicide The Real Cost (March 2009)
GROW in Ireland today (Monday March 9th) announced a one day conference themed “Promoting Positive Mental Health in Young People” on the 24th June, 2009 at the Tullamore Court Hotel, Tullamore.
Announcing the conference Michele Kerrigan, GROW in Ireland’s Chief Executive said
“Ireland is suffering a sharp increase in suicides, particularly among young men. With approximately 500 lives lost to suicide each year Ireland is now the fifth highest in Europe with one in four suicides occurring amongst those aged between 15 and 24.
Carl O'Brien, Social Affairs Correspondent
The largest mental health support organisation in the State has said it is is being forced to scale back services for people with mental health problems due to a lack of State funding.
Grow, a national network of more than 145 groups that help people who have suffered, or are suffering, from mental health problems, said it is being forced to reduce staffing and support services in some areas, despite unprecedented demand for help.
In the north-east area alone, it said it is shutting its regional office, while support services in the Cavan-Monaghan region are under threat.
In other parts of the Republic, it said it needed to double staffing levels to provide support to those most in need.
Following the release of the budget 2008 by the Minister of Finance, the Irish Mental Health Coalition has called for clarification by Government of its funding for the development of mental health services in Ireland.
In 2006 the Government endorsed the new mental health policy 'A Vision for Change' and committed to responding to the resource allocation requirements of that policy. 'A Vision for Change' required a minimum of an additional 25 million euro in current expenditure for a six-year period to allow full implementation of the objectives outlined in the policy. This commitment was realised in 2006 and 2007, but to date there is no clear evidence that this money was actually spent on mental health services and responses by the HSE to parliamentary questions seeking specific information on this point have failed to answer the question. To make matters worse, it now seems that there is no additional funding in 2008 allocated for the implementation of 'A Vision for Change'.
Perhaps the best way I can illustrate how GROW works is to start by telling you a little about how I became involved.
I was, perhaps, an archetype of the many young men we hear about today. I became caught up in a spiral of alienation, alcohol, isolation and despair. I was tormented by massive levels of anxiety, bordering on terror, at times I was hearing voices and misinterpreting sounds. I could see absolutely no hope for the future. Eventually I decided to look for help. I was given a label of pathological shyness and Librium. My first experience of help wasn’t a happy one although the psychiatrist in question was very warm and friendly. I was unfortunately asked if I minded if students sat in on the interview. I did.
The turning point for me was meeting my wife Fran. She was a very brilliant and beautiful young woman. She was however very much at risk, from a highly dysfunctional family and from many extremely distressing personal experiences.