Sir, – Recent debate on these pages and other media seems to cast a clash between psychology and psychiatry as the primary focus and problem.
This is neither helpful nor productive for the mental health of our citizens. Psychiatry, psychology and other allied mental health disciplines all have a role to play in our mental health system.
What would be more helpful and in line with the national mental health policy, Sharing the Vision, is to see our mental health services resourced and supported appropriately. Not every child and young person with mental health difficulties needs child and adolescent mental health services (Camhs). If we take a population view and actively support the mental health of all young people where they live, learn, work and play, we can then focus on the some who may need support through our primary care and NGO mental health services and the few who would need the specialist care that Camhs provide.
It is time for us all to share this vision and ensure our young people’s mental health is both valued and supported. – Yours, etc,
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Dr JOSEPH DUFFY,
CEO,
Jigsaw,
The National Centre
for Youth Mental Health,
Dublin 2.