Keeping depression under Wraps

The Wellness Recovery Action Plan is aimed at men who often find it harder than women to cope with the downturn

IT’S HARDLY surprising that mental health services around the State are seeing an increase in admissions as a result of the economic slump. And it would appear that men are finding it harder than women to cope with the fallout of the downturn – with reduced income, investments gone wrong and unemployment.

A study published by the National Suicide Research Foundation at the end of last year highlighted an 11 per cent increase in the incidence of self-harm in men over the previous 12 months. And the Association for Suicidology has highlighted the fact that unemployed people are 70 per cent more likely to die by suicide.

In his 30-year study of EU countries including Ireland, Oxford University researcher David Stuckler concluded that every 1 per cent increase in unemployment was associated with a 0.79 per cent rise in suicide rates in the under-65s.

It was in recognition of the increasing need for support in this area that St Patrick’s Hospital in Dublin set up a specific therapeutic and lifestyle programme for men last year. This is only one of a number of initiatives that the hospital’s Wellness and Recovery Centre has put in place to provide clients with new avenues of access to their services.

Edel Fortune, clinical manager of the centre, explained: “We have seen an increase in people attending our inpatient and day services over the past year, particularly men. Obviously women are affected as well by current economic events, but men seem to be more affected by it and are coping worse.”

The Wellness and Recovery Centre at St Patrick’s introduced the Wellness Recovery Action Plan (Wrap) concept in 2008. This 10-day programme helps individuals experiencing mental health difficulties to reintegrate into family and community following a period of ill health or hospitalisation.

Developed in the US by mental health advocate Mary Ellen Copeland in the 1960s, Wrap has since become a popular tool – not only in mental health but in chronic health problems – in countries such as the UK, the US and Australia.

The Mental Health Commission recently endorsed the programme for use in all mental health services in Ireland, but due to the economic downturn, the funding has not been available for the public services.

However, St Patrick’s, a private not-for-profit hospital, paid for 14 staff members to train in Wrap and the recovery programme was introduced on foot of this.

“Wrap is not about a cure, it’s about equipping people with the skills or management tools to minimise the health difficulties they are having and to live with them on a day-to-day basis.

“It focuses on the triggers that cause an individual’s mental health to deteriorate and early warning signs, right through to managing a crisis,” said Ms Fortune.

At the end of the programme, each person is given their own individual Wrap plan which documents early warning signs, wellness tools and personal coping mechanisms. There is a huge focus on support from family, friends or healthcare providers.

Wrap also includes crisis planning that lets others know how a patient wants them to respond when they cannot make decisions or take care of themselves. They are equipped with a post-crisis plan to guide them through the often difficult time when they are healing from a crisis.

The Wrap programme at St Patrick’s has proved so popular that the hospital plans to start an evening programme in September to accommodate people who work during the day.

Other wellness and recovery initiatives introduced by the hospital include the opening of a Recovery Cafe, based on the concept of the World Cafe where like-minded people get together to discuss issues relevant to themselves.

The cafe, which is for people who have already been through the recovery programme, is based in the relaxed space of the hospital cafe and there are different themes up for discussion each evening, for example, family difficulties, how to keep yourself well and how to link into your local community.

Ms Fortune is also encouraging people who have been through the Wrap programme at St Patrick's to write about their recovery journeys which will form a book called Stories of Hope.

In an effort to help people struggling with their own mental health or who are concerned about loved ones with mental health difficulties, St Patrick’s has also set up a free phone and e-mail support and information service which is open to everybody, not only patients.

This service, which is available from Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm, is staffed by professional mental health nurses and can be contacted at 01-2493333 or by e-mailing info@stpatsmail.com