The Troubles with Mental Health Services Northern Ireland
"The Troubles" with Mental Health Services Northern Ireland Post-Conflict Care from a practitioner perspective
Blame Game Victims Perpetrators • 26% of all victims aged 21 or • less • 1525 Catholics • • 1250 Protestants • 691 ‘Not N. Irish’ • Civilians account for 53% of • • the total killed • 105 people since 1998 Republican paramilitaries account for almost 59% of all deaths Loyalist paramilitaries for almost 28% British Army for 9% RUC for almost 2%
Conflict 14, 000 bombings 3, 600 deaths 34, 000 shootings Mental ill-health within Northern Ireland
Impacted Population Whole Population
Therapeutic interventions after traumatic incidents in Enniskillen and Omagh Enniskillen Omagh
Healing Through Praxis
More than Medical Needs
Parental imprisonment Suicide Relocation Impact on Youths Parental PTSD Living in the shadow of a brother or sister killed during the Troubles
Divis Flats, August 1994
Prevalence of PTSD (% of population) N. Ireland USA New Zealand Lebanon Mexico S. Africa Israel 0 2 4 6 8 10
cancer Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Panic Disorder diabetes arthritis Agoraphobia PTSD alcohol abuse fibromyalgia chronic fatigue syndrome smoking Heart disease
The more types of adverse childhood experiences Trauma Parental incarceration Parent with poor mental health Parent who abuses alcohol The greater the nuero-biological impacts Anxiety Depression The Smoking greater the health risks behaviours Drinking The more serious the Insomnia Over-eating >50 sexual partners lifelong consequences to health and well being Disease Disability Which gives rise to social problems Homelessness Unemployment Criminal behaviour
59% of adults are either overweight (36%) or obese (23%) 24% of populace indicated that they currently smoke 40% of population rate stress levels as ‘high’ or ‘very high’ 68. 8% of respondents engaged in levels of drinking that were hazardous 20% of population have score of 4 or more in the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ 12) indicating presence of possible psychiatric disorder 32. 6 % had received prescription medication for depression in the last year 37% of people have a long-standing illness
Money spent on Mental Health Services Island of Ireland ROI N. Ireland
Conclusions • Development of mental health services to identify, assess and effectively treat trauma related disorders and to support people with trauma related needs before, during and after therapy • Coordinated action plan to develop comprehensive mental health promotion strategies to reduce the future incidence of mental health problems • Stretch the boundaries of the mental health field to encompass the spatial territory of politics, justice and socioeconomics • New emphasis must be placed on understanding the social psychology of conflict and its consequences
Further Discussion • kate@chwbbelfast. org • https: //www. facebook. com/kathleenlaverty
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