Dr. Anne Doherty:

The Senator’s question on depression was good. It almost raises another question, in that, if one was to introduce some form of legislation in this regard, should everyone have a mental health assessment? In practice, that would not be workable. For a start, the system would not have the resources to do it. However, the issue should be borne in mind because it impacts how people think and how they perceive the world and the future. The original descriptions of depression in what is called Beck’s triad set out a sense of hopelessness about yourself, the future and the world. As such, this is about being able to tease out the difference between a depressive illness, someone making a choice of his or her own volition, and where one ends and the other begins. Even where people have assessments, it can sometimes be difficult to tease that out. How much is a normal response to someone’s situation and how much may be a treatable condition? This is something that we grapple with every day. Often, we step back and try to see how people manage and respond to changes in other elements around them. However, this matter is a concern and we need to ensure that people have access to the appropriate levels of mental healthcare.