Professor Matthew Sadlier:

I know the focus is often on the idea that there is a dichotomy between medications and talk therapies. The benefits of both at times are oversold a bit. One of the best projects I was ever involved with in my professional career was one we did with the FAI in west Dublin where a number of service users went on an eight-week training programme and got a Kick Start certificate. The way it changed their lives and activation was literally a miracle. As well as the non-provision of talking therapies, the non-provision of these group activities that can help mild to moderate depression and anxiety and would be more in the realm of occupational therapy than psychology is also a significant deficit. It is not that I am trying to downplay talk therapies. I just think that when we get into this discussion, this is an area that is often ignored. I know it is often called social prescribing. Certain mental health services throughout the world offer free gym membership, physical exercise, physical fitness or weight control programmes - various aspects that can be done that quite often are very cost-effective because they are done in a group manner and can be just as beneficial as the one-to-one counselling or the use of medications. We must keep an eye on those sorts of programmes as well and not lose them in the discussion.