Madam, - It was with sadness that I read Vincent Browne's column of May 25th outlining the protests mounted in Charleville, Co Cork over the proposed location of a staffed house for people with chronic mental health problems in a local housing estate.
Enduring mental health problems are a significant cause of disability in both social and occupation spheres, rendering it difficult for sufferers to cope with the challenges of everyday living.
With more enlightened psychiatric care, asylums are fortunately becoming a thing of the past and such individuals are being more appropriately supported in the community. They are a group who are not well able to advocate for themselves and it is up to us as mental health professionals, voluntary groups and families to staunchly advocate on their behalf.
I applaud the initiative of Slí Eile in Charleville and hope that those they seek to help will not be further disenfranchised and stigmatised because of their diagnosis of mental illness. - Yours, etc,
Dr AISLING DENIHAN,
Consultant Psychiatrist in
Psychiatry for Older People,
Kennedy Road,
Navan,
Co Meath.