Pressure on beds in mental health hospitals means that many patients are discharged before they are completely well, an Oireachtas committee heard today.
The director of Schizophrenia Ireland, Dr John Saunders, told members of the Health Committee that "vulnerable" people are often sent back into the community due to overcrowding in the country's psychiatric units.
"Many psychiatrists will tell you that they often have to discharge before the person is completely well because of the pressure to admit someone else," Dr Saunders said.
"You have this revolving door syndrome were there is a pressure on beds and people are well enough to be discharged but haven't made a complete recovery. "In other words, they're quite vulnerable."
The committee's vice-chairman, Dr Jimmy Devins, described this situation as "pretty shocking" and promised to make mental health issues a priority in the coming year.
Dr Saunders also pointed out that much overcrowding in psychiatric units was due to the fact that 70 per cent of all admissions were readmissions and sometimes frequent ones.