We should do more to prepare young people for the reality of emigration, Mr John Ryan, a social worker in Kilkenny, told the conference. He was speaking about the contribution of emigration to the mental health problems of Irish people in Britain, where they are two-and-a-half times more likely to end up in mental hospitals than the indigenous population. Mr Ryan worked with Irish emigrants in the London borough of Brent.
Irish women in Britain were also two-and-a-half times more likely to be diagnosed as depressed, he said, and when in hospital Irish people were more likely to receive drug treatment than psychotherapy. Single people were more likely to be diagnosed as mentally ill than the married.
He felt the mental problems of Irish emigrants were linked to their marital status, a failure to put down roots in the new society, and cultural differences with the indigenous population.
Most Irish people emigrated as single people. Irishmen were more likely to remain single, especially those with lower skills levels. They tended to drink heavily and lacked social skills. They also experienced rootlessness. "They're too near home. They think there's no point in getting a mortgage. Their hearts are always in Ireland, they're going to come home when they've made it."