Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to speak to Deputy Hayes's motion and congratulate him on bringing it forward. Childhood and adolescent psychiatric services account for 5% to 10% of spending on mental health services while serving 23% of the population. This underinvestment has resulted in a child and adolescent service which is at best sporadic and at worst non-existent. Autism is not a mental illness but a condition, but I want to raise an issue on mental illness. People with autism or Asperger's syndrome are especially vulnerable to secondary mental health problems, particularly anxiety and depression, especially in late adolescence and early adult life.

However, problems with communicating feelings and impairment of non-verbal expression can mean that mental illness in people with autism spectrum disorders is often well developed before it is recognised, with possible consequences such as total withdrawal, obsessive behaviour, aggression and threatened, attempted or actual suicide. Any suicide prevention strategy for people with autism spectrum disorders must focus on the promotion of mental health well being rather than seeking simply to restrict potentially suicidal behaviour. Experts in the field have highlighted the striking lack of systematic, scientific research on suicide, suicide rates and the prediction of suicide in those with autism and Asperger's syndrome.

In 2001, the National Autistic Society of the UK published a major report on the life experiences of adults with autism spectrum disorders. Of the report's sample, 32% had experienced mental health problems and of these, 56% had suffered with depression while 8% had felt suicidal or had attempted suicide. Evidence from practitioners supports this pattern of suicidal impulses in people with autism spectrum disorders. A sample of 27 patients assessed at the autism research centre in Cambridge University found that 14 had felt suicidal and four had either planned or attempted suicide, which is way above the national average.

For people with autism spectrum disorders, a first step to mental well being is prompt and accurate diagnosis. It is recognised that the stage from birth to five years of age is critical in the promotion of mental health well being. This is greatly assisted for people with autism spectrum disorders if correct diagnosis is made early. However, to prevent the development of secondary mental illness in people with autism spectrum disorder, practitioners must address the issues of prevention and early intervention. Prevention means dealing with bullying and social isolation, while early intervention means recognising mental health problems in the context of autism spectrum disorder. The lack within our mental health services and the almost complete absence of mental health services for children and young adults is an absolute disgrace. The fact that some children are waiting for mental health assessment and intervention for four years in certain parts of this country contributes to people with autism developing serious mental disorders. According to the UK study, up to 32% could develop such problems.

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