16 News Letter, Tuesday, January 11, 2011 16 Mental Health Focus www.newsletter.co.uk Ulster: a picture of our poor state of mind

One in four adults will experience mental health Mental illness: difficulties at some stage of their lives, and one in 100 the facts will be affected by a severe

n It is believed that a variety of factors mental illness. In the first can contribute to the onset of a mental of our Mental Health Focus illness series, LAURA MURPHY asks n These can include physical causes i.e. our genetic make-up, if we suffer how this issue affects people a trauma to the brain (this can lead to in changes in personality and ‘trigger’ symptoms of an illness), if we misuse substances, or if we are deficient in IN 1948, the World Health Organisation said certain vitamins and minerals that health “is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing, and not merely n There are also social and the absence of disease or infirmity.” environmental causes, such as our family In today’s pressured, fast-paced society, the and community support networks, our state of our mental health is more important employment status, and standard of than ever. living At the end of last year, Health Minister Michael McGimpsey said that mental health n Our mental health can be influenced problems are among the most common forms by our psychological state i.e. if we are of ill health and disability in our society. coping with past or current traumatic “It is estimated that approximately 280,000 experiences such as bereavement or people in Northern Ireland are affected,” he abuse revealed. “In Northern Ireland, we have a 25 per cent n There is also some evidence to suggest greater need for mental health services, that heredity can play some part in the however, we spend 25 per cent less on such Dr Philip McGarry, chairman of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Northern Ireland development of some forms of mental services. Given the economic deficit we are illness. However, just because one person currently experiencing, our spend on mental is diagnosed with a mental health issue health services will still be less compared to through statutory, voluntary and community Health and Learning Disability. does not mean that all genetic family the rest of the UK.” sectors are also available, and each Health It made a number of recommendations in members will experience the same one Whilst mental illness can affect any age and Social Care Trust has community mental relation to changes needed to be made to condition group, from children and adolescents health teams providing home treatment and the law and policies on, and provisions for, through to the elderly, women are more likely crisis response services. mental health here. n Michael McGimpsey has named to show signs of a possible mental health Dr Philip McGarry, who is chairman of the “It was a really great document which laid mental health as one of his top priorities issue than men. Royal College of Psychiatrists in Northern the way for a vision for the next 20 years,” and invested in it in recent years. Last In Northern Ireland, inpatient treatment Ireland, says whilst there is “no definitive says Dr McGarry. year a new adolescent unit with 18 beds is provided in Forster Green , answer” as to why mental illness is higher “The difficulty has been that there hasn’t was opened at in Windsor House, the Mater Hospital, here than in the rest of the UK, there is been the funding to implement that. , and a replacement of the 15-place and Knockbracken Healthcare Park in “a clear association between social and “One major recommendation was that we child and family centre was also opened. Belfast, Holywell Hospital in Antrim, the economic deprivation and psychological move away from providing care in hospital He has also said that the construction of Ross Thompson Unit in Coleraine, the morbidity.” and institutional settings.” the first phase of a new Mental Health , the Downshire Hospital And he says whilst it’s hard to “quantify it He explains that the review found that 60 per Inpatient Unit in the Belfast area, in Downpatrick, in exactly”, the troubles also have played their cent of mental health funding was invested to rationalise the three existing and Lisburn, St Luke’s Hospital in Armagh, part in leading to an increased incidence of in hospital care and 40 per cent in community outdated in-patient psychiatric units the Bluestone Unit in Craigavon, Gransha mental health difficulties here. care. and replace them with a modern fit- Hospital in Londonderry, and the Tyrone and Of course, efforts have been made to address “Bamford said we should reverse that.” for-purpose facility, is a priority in the Fermanagh Hospital in Omagh. the issue of mental health in Northern But Dr McGarry adds: “Unfortunately, incoming budget period. A range of other facilities providing Ireland, and perhaps the most significant Bamford has come out at a time when the residential care and other service provision of these was the Bamford Review of Mental economy is moving into recession.” Why we must tackle taboo around mental health IT is uncomfortable to admit, where people have a depression public attitudes and an acceptance “As an organisation, we do tend to but there is still a certain stigma that reflects a mental illness and of people openly talking about a focus on the fact that individuals attached to mental health. it’s not just that they’re feeling a mental health issue which they may experience an episode of Bill Halliday, who is chief executive bit low or down in spirit, but do have or which someone in their mental ill health, but there’s a very of Northern Ireland based charity need treatment for a particular family has. strong chance that they’ll recover MindWise, believes a false public depression.” “It’s not so long ago that people very fully from that,” he says. perception is why lots of people Then there are those people with a would not talk about cancer, for “But if the general perception have difficulty in admitting they are psychosis, which can take the form example. It was one of those taboo is that you’re mentally ill, that affected by a mental health issue. of a type of schizophrenia, bipolar words. And equally, people never will never change for you, and I That perception could be that it is disorder or a personality disorder, talked about their financial matters suppose that reinforces the fact that ‘all in their head’, or that people he says. publicly. you would be very reluctant ever to with such issues are a ‘danger to But Bill believes that wrongly, “Sadly, we would certainly find that discuss it or talk to people about it.” society’ – or that basically, mental people are prone to lumping people are very, very reluctant to However, Bill wholeheartedly health is just too much of a taboo all forms of mental health talk about a mental health problem welcomes the efforts of those in topic to even talk about. issues together – and the because very often, there is a ‘kick the public eye to raise awareness of Bill believes this stance needs to be media, particularly certain TV back’ - for example, if you’re in mental health. broken down. programmes, plays a significant employment, you may be very “I think that Lynda Bryans, His organisation currently provides part in this. frightened that you might lose Stephen Fry and so on do a really support to over 1,000 individuals, He says some of them “do your job if you disclosed to your terrific job, because for public in the form of residential facilities, absolutely nothing to help the employer the fact that you were figures to actually quite openly say resource centres, and advocacy and public appreciate what mental receiving treatment for a mental ‘I’ve had mental health problems or other services. illness really is about. illness.” mental health issues’, makes people It focuses mainly on people affected “They just reinforce the public Shockingly, Bill reveals, a report suddenly think ‘well hold on, by “severe mental illness”, but Bill stereotype – that people with Bill Halliday, chief executive of found that one in five employers they’re very capable and competent stresses that it also “covers the mental health problems are MindWise said they would be reluctant to hire in their job’. whole spectrum” of such conditions dangerous, they are violent, and so anyone who claimed that they had “But that’s not enough in itself – and a very wide spectrum it is. on. “There is very, very little evidence been affected by a mental health – it needs to be reinforced with “For example, you would have the “It’s quite the reverse; people with of people even with severe mental issue, a reality he describes as information taught in schools and whole area of depression, from mental health difficulties are more illnesses becoming violent against “dreadful”. higher and further education, and people who are feeling a bit down likely to be discriminated against others, either within their families A lack of general knowledge about to employers.” at the start of a new year and after by others or be under threat from or others in society generally.” mental health is another reason n For more information Christmas, and things like that, others in society than the other way He continues: “I think there’s a for the stigma associated with the on MindWise, click on www. through to clinical depressions, around. huge distance still to go in terms of issue, says Bill. mindwisenv.org News Letter, Tuesday, January 11, 2011 17 www.newsletter.co.uk Mental Health Focus 17 Ulster: a picture of our poor state of mind

Mental health issues can affect people of all ages ‘I had never even heard of depression’

WHEN broadcaster Lynda Bryans “completely empty” feeling. once you have identified something was affected by clinical depression 16 “The first symptom that I recognised then I think you’re on the way to getting years ago, its grip on her was so tight was that I just had no concentration,” better,” she says. that even the simplest of tasks became she says, recalling one occasion when The pretty presenter is a household problematic. she was trying to research a story and name in Northern Ireland, and few may She couldn’t remember how to work found it impossible to absorb any of the be able to associate the professional, the dials on her washing machine. information. cool and collected exterior of the person Choosing a pizza from a menu whilst “I was reading the notes, and it was an we have seen on our TV screens, with a out with her husband suddenly became easy story, and I just couldn’t remember woman battling depression. overwhelming. what I had read.” And it is for that precise reason that “I was a total mess all those years ago – I At first, her forgetfulness made her Lynda decided to speak out about her just couldn’t function. I couldn’t do my question if it was something to do with experience. job, I couldn’t look at a camera,” says being pregnant, but as her symptoms “When you are on screen and you’re the popular TV presenter, who is now, got worse, she began to realise “that this looking very confident and controlled, mercifully, back to her effervescent self. wasn’t normal.” people who are maybe just at the end of Indeed, Lynda’s story is a classic “My head was all over the place,” she their tether, who are just a mess, look example of how mental illness can admits. at you and think, ‘well, she got better, strike suddenly on seemingly the most She goes on: “At my worst I was hopefully I can too’. capable, ‘together’ people we know. paranoid. The obstetrician alerted “When I spoke out, it was like a weight The onslaught of her experience set in my GP and he came out to the house lifted off my shoulders,” she says. when she was three months pregnant to see me. I wouldn’t open the door, I Lynda believes the unfortunate stigma with her eldest son, PJ, back in the pretended not to be in. associated with mental health partly 1990s, when the stigma surrounding “I had basically cut myself off from stems from the fact that “we don’t depression was even greater than it everybody and everything, I wouldn’t understand the mind. is now, yet less about it was actually answer the phone, I didn’t want to see “The analogy has been made many known. anybody and I didn’t even feel safe in times – with a broken arm you can see it, “One of the drawbacks for me and my my own home. and you know it is only going to be like family was that we didn’t recognise what “It was really quite debilitating and at that for six weeks, and then that person I had,” she says. this stage I still didn’t know what was is going to be fine again. “I had never heard of depression – I had going on. I thought I was going mad.” “With the mind you can’t see it, and no concept at all of what it was.” Her GP “eventually” succeeded in also, it is such an amazing and deep She compares her experience of seeing her and diagnosed her with part of the body that we still don’t know the condition not to being “sad and clinical depression. the power of it. The depth of it is just crying all the time”, but rather, just a “To me that was a major step because immeasurable.” Broadcaster Lynda Bryans Next week: we take an in-depth look at some of the kinds of mental health issues affecting people