Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 21 January 2016

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children

Wellness, Well-being and Mental Health: Discussion

9:30 am

Photo of Caoimhghín Ó CaoláinCaoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In welcoming both Bressie and Paul this morning, I must note that the only word which reflects what they have put on the record in their contributions this morning is "powerful". I acknowledge both their contributions. Paul will very well understand that I want especially to commend Niall on his address this morning. I hope that many people watching this engagement will take great comfort and encouragement from his words. I have every confidence they will.

The statistics that are often cited say that one in seven of our population experiences a mental health difficulty in any given year. We are talking about 640,000 people. A lot of the address of mental health is geared towards responding to the symptoms, challenges and difficulties when they present. Niall's contribution brings it back to the time in our lives when the seeds are being sown. It is not just the one in seven who needs the attention, address and engagement around mental health, it is the seven of the seven. In particular, our younger years at school and our formative years in general constitute a very important area on which to concentrate. Everything else is a fire brigade response, which is not what is needed. The other six who do not or will not acknowledge for whatever reason that they too or a number of them may have had an issue or are quietly, privately and inwardly trying to cope in difficult times either have a need themselves or may be unaware of the negative impact they may be having on the young person sitting beside them in classroom, play yard or, in later years, in whatever social setting young people meet, greet and engage.

Reference was made to the slow erosion of the draconian stigma which has ravaged families for generation. "Slow" is most certainly the word. I am sorry to have to say that is my certain view. There are very many encouraging signs, including the fact we are openly engaging here. We have an all-party group on mental health and have been able to agree a pre-budget submission in three of the past five years between Government and Opposition representatives, which is a unique circumstance. People in the media are talking openly about it. However, there are some terrible indicators of the absence of progress that continue to present year in and year out. This includes people who have had the same courage Mr. Breslin has demonstrated in acknowledging the fact they have had bouts of depression and other mental health difficulties but who have found as a consequence that they have suffered severe discrimination in their employment in terms of their career prospects and all sorts. I have instances of that brought to my attention both in terms of the wider public service and in private sector employment. Each of them is absolutely harrowing and devastating, compounding the difficulties the individual has endeavoured to cope with and succeed against only to find that colleagues and others are heaping in place further obstacles and challenges to their recovery and their getting on with life.

The critical message that is often missed is one that people understand in terms of a broken leg or a head or back pain, namely, that people get well. People not only get well from physical issues, they also get well from mental health challenges. That cannot be said often enough.

I ask Niall to elaborate a little bit. I attended a debate on mental health hosted by Mental Health Reform last week. It was very informative in terms of the contributions from the participants, many of whom were from the NGO sector but also from the service user sector who had previous experience in terms of supports. Many of them instanced the ignorance and crass stupidity of people in most eminent positions in dealing with those who clearly were faced with great difficulties. They are part of the six of the seven to whom we do not respond because the fire brigade is not going to them. Where we need to address it is in the school setting. People must understand that bullying, exclusion, marginalisation, name-calling and the rest of these things which seem to be even more hurtful and intrusive to the well-being of individuals today can destroy minds, personalities and beautiful lives. Some of it is because of social media, etc. which was never there in my time.

In the concentration of address, I refer to guidance counsellors in schools.

Sometimes people make a mistake with regard to career guidance. It is not about career guidance, but guidance counsellors properly providing for that whole of class address on the importance of respect being a two-way street, a mutual and absolute requirement and the importance of respecting well-being and mental health. It has to start there. I ask the witnesses for elaboration on this. I have a comment for Dr. D'Alton, which is that equality is the best form of therapy. It is the cornerstone of all our lives and successes in the future. I thank the witnesses.

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