One-stop-shop could meet young adults' mental health needs

LEADING AUSTRALIAN mental health specialist Prof Patrick McGorry has said Ireland should develop a one-stop-shop for all youth mental health and well-being needs.

Prof McGorry, who was named Australian of the Year for 2010 for his work on modernising mental health services, said demands on mental health services would increase in the coming years.

“This is something that’s not getting better,” he said. Mental ill-health among young people had progressively deteriorated since the second World War, mainly because of social forces such as family breakdown and the loss of supports in the community.

He warned that young adults were in danger of falling between the cracks as they were too old for child and adolescent mental health services and too young to be sitting in waiting rooms with people who were 20 years older.

He said the incidence of mental health disorders was greatest between the ages of 16 and 34 but “the system is weakest where it’s meant to be strongest”.

A New Zealand study which followed 1,000 people from ages 12 to 30 found that half of them had diagnosable mental ill health during the period. Half of those were “quite severe” problems, he said. Prof McGorry said it made economic sense to look after the mental health needs of young adults as they contributed so much to society in terms of working, productivity and paying taxes.

The World Bank had estimated that the 22-year-old was the most valuable member of society in terms of productivity. “It’s an absolute no-brainer,” he said.

Prof McGorry was giving a lunchtime talk organised by Young Ballymun’s Jigsaw project. It works with people aged 12 to 22 to support their mental health and wellbeing and is introducing some of the approaches recommended by Prof McGorry.

He said the Australian one-stop-shop model for youth mental health, known as “headspace” had received huge support. “Every community wants one now.”

The one-stop-shop, ideally in a community setting, should include aspects such as community education, youth-friendly GPs, psychiatrists, family support and experts on mood disorders. Prof McGorry said the stigma around mental disorders must be removed. Otherwise young people would not seek vital help until it was too late.