Election Campaign: People with a mental illness and their families have been forgotten, with the share of the health budget devoted to mental illness almost halved in the past two decades, according to Mental Health Ireland (MHI).
In addition to seeking better funding, MHI is targeting local politicians in a campaign to secure basic housing and support services.
In a briefing document launched later today in advance of the local elections next month, MHI and its 100 local Mental Health Associations urge local election candidates to commit themselves to better community services for people with mental illnesses.
They also ask for the development of measures, including community recreational and educational facilities, to promote positive mental health.
"The share of the non-capital funds for health services going to mental health has declined from 12 per cent of the total in 1985 to less than 7 per cent in 2004, in marked contrast with other areas of the health services," says Mr Brian Howard, chief executive of MHI which represents and supports people with mental illness and their families.
While people with mental illness constitute "a forgotten constituency", says MHI, the problem affects large numbers of people, suggests research conducted for the organisation. It found 73 per cent of the population know someone close to them - family or acquaintances - who has or had some form of mental illness. More than 10 per cent have suffered some mental illness themselves, the research suggests. Depression is the largest single factor, affecting 50 per cent of those who have a mental illness.
Despite this, there was no increase in funding for mental health services this year, apart from €1 million allocated to the Central Mental Hospital. "There is a need for immediate investment in mental health services which cannot wait until a new strategy or expert group report is published," MHI tells candidates in the briefing document.
Local authorities have failed to provide enough housing for mentally ill people, it argues, and quotes the report of the Inspector of Mental Hospitals for 2002 which stated: "As a result, many in-patients had to remain in hospital unnecessarily."
"Priority must be given to identifying the total number of people with a mental illness who are homeless or living in inadequate accommodation and to securing suitable housing in partnership with health boards and local voluntary agencies," the MHI document says. And it asks for the retention of Community Employment Scheme projects for people with mental illnesses, not many have to leave jobs in the market economy.
"Many people will experience a mental health difficulty while in work," it says. "Others will withdraw from work due to illness and will experience significant barriers and discrimination in seeking to return to training, education or employment."
And it seeks support for the introduction of rights-based disability legislation "including an entitlement to an independent assessment of need, the delivery of that need and advocacy services". The document stresses the need for a two-pronged approach: services for those who are mentally ill and services which promote mental health.
"Mental health is far more than the absence of mental illness," it says. "It is relevant to everybody every day and can be defined as how we feel about ourselves, how we feel about other people and our capacity to cope with the demands of life.
"Mental wellbeing is influenced by many factors, including genetic inheritance, life events, levels of social support, as well as factors like adequate housing, employment, financial security and access to appropriate healthcare. "Many of these factors that influence mental health lie outside the remit of health and social care and fall directly within the responsibility of local authorities." Local authority development plans "should explicitly recognise the importance of their role in promoting positive mental health in their local communities", it says.