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 Northern Ireland 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 Hospital, answer” as to why mental illness is higher “The difficulty has been that there hasn’t was opened at Forster Green Hospital in Windsor House, the Mater Hospital, here than in the rest of the UK, there is been the funding to implement that. Belfast, 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 Ulster Hospital, 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, Lagan Valley Hospital 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.