Sir, – Leopold Smith (Letters, September, 21st) accurately captured the deficiencies of the diagnosis and treatment of anxiety and other behavioural-related mental health disorders. There is no "one size fits all" solution. Mental illness in all its guises is not generic, nor is its treatment. As an accredited cognitive behavioural psychotherapist with over 30 years of experience in both public and private practice, I can attest to the fact that unless more resources are allocated to community health centres and community general practitioners, to provide for the diagnosis and referral for treatment, there is little hope for improvement.
In the interim, sufferers are reliant on the goodwill of professionally qualified accredited cognitive behavioural psychotherapists to provide effective treatment options in advance of or in conjunction with clinically prescribed medication treatment options. – Yours, etc,
MAUREEN
McGROARY-MEEHAN,
Bundoran,
Co Donegal.