Call for better mental health supports
The suicide rate in County Monaghan is almost double the national average, Cllr Bronagh McAree (SF) told Monday’s meeting of Monaghan County Council.
Moving a motion calling on the HSE to increase investment in early intervention mental health supports for youth and family-based community services, Cllr McAree said that recent statistics indicated that the annual rate of death by suicide in the county is 16 per 100,000 of the population.
Her motion also called on the County Council to explore opportunities to support local mental health initiatives through its community funding streams. “This is not just a health issue but a community issue,” she stated.
“It is a crisis that has been quietly ignored for quite some time – I wonder why we are accepting this.”
Cllr McAree said very often young people with mental health difficulties don’t get support early enough. “Why are we waiting until people reach crisis point before intervention?” she asked. “Often that is too late.”
The SF representative said that prompt access to a school counsellor could prove the difference between early intervention and crisis intervention.
Cllr McAree added that mental health care shouldn’t depend on whether a charity or voluntary organisation can fill a gap left by the State.
“The HSE has a role here, but Monaghan County Council also has a role to play,” she stated. “We need to say that the situation in our county is not acceptable and the current response is not enough.”
Seconding the motion, Cllr Colm Carthy (SF) said Cllr McAree has an insight from her background in clinical care, but all councillors come across mental health issues in their work as public reps.
Cllr Carthy referred to the waiting lists for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), stating that all councillors have received representations from parents whose children simply cannot wait for such appointments. He agreed that many charities are doing “phenomenal work” but should not be responsible for mental health services.
Cllr Seamus Coyle (FF) commended Cllr McAree for bringing forward the motion. “If someone presents with a physical malady they will receive attention, but people presenting with mental health issues often receive limited responses.”
He branded CAMHS waiting times as “horrendous”.
“Mental health problems will touch everyone in this room directly or indirectly at some point in their lives,” said Cllr Peter Conlon (FG), describing the suicide figures for County Monaghan as startling.
“We encourage people to ask for help,” Cllr Conlon added, “but when this happens, the help needs to be there because, if it isn’t, people may not ask for it again.”
The motion was unanimously supported.