Fine Gael and Labour have promised an extra €251 million over five years to improve treatment services for mental health, saying the stigmatising of those suffering from mental illness must end.
In their joint policy document announced yesterday, the parties promised substantial additional resources to provide more community health facilities to reduce the need for hospitalisation of the mentally ill; the closure of "inappropriate" psychiatric institutions; a substantial increase in funding for the National Suicide Prevention Office; and increasing specialist and outpatient teams dealing with child and adolescent psychiatric services by 50 per cent.
This would involve an extra €56 million in resources in year one, and €251 million over a five-year period.
Just 20 of the 236 in-patient child and adolescent psychiatric beds were currently available, according to the party's document, and there were shortages of staff in various disciplines dealing with psychiatric problems among young people.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny told a press conference in Mullingar that "mental health is not one of the sexier areas of health policy".
Labour health spokeswoman Liz McManus said one in four people suffered mental illness at some point and this was why they were launching the mental health policy document first, with policies in other areas of health to follow in the coming months.
Pledging extra resources to try to reduce the suicide rate, Mr Kenny said suicide was now the biggest killer of young men in Ireland.
Fine Gael's deputy health spokesman Dan Neville said that last year 62 per cent more people died by suicide than in road accidents, yet the Government spent 800 per cent more on road safety than on suicide prevention.
Labour leader Pat Rabbitte said some people were mentally ill only because the services were not there in time to help them. The joint document proposes measures to ensure early intervention for those at risk of mental illness.
Labour's spokeswoman on children, Kathleen O'Meara, said anorexia and other eating disorders were now major health issues for many young people. Yet there were only three in-patient beds available in specialist eating disorder services. "We will increase this to the recommended 24 and expand services in hospitals and in outpatient teams." Ms McManus promised "a recovery-based approach where, allowing for the limitations of mental illness, people would still be enabled as far as is practicable to have a fulfilling life and a life where they can contribute to their community".
Mental health policy: main points
THE DOCUMENT PROPOSES:
• Specialist multidisciplinary community mental health teams to reduce the need for in-patient care.
• The appointment of adequate numbers of psychiatrists to prisons.
• Specialist child and adolescent intellectual disability services.
• Increasing the budget of the National Suicide Prevention Office to €20 million over five years.
• A Youth Mental Health initiative aimed at teachers and other adults in frequent contact with young people.
• An extra 56 million in year one and €251 million over five years.