NEW COLUMN: No point in sugar-coating the mental health crisis we face in Tipperary

Most of us are aware that mental health in Tipperary has hit a crisis point and just last year, Tipperary had the highest suicide rate outside of Dublin which is a major cause for concern.

Last week, new information was released that showed a 30% increase in people presenting with mental health issues to South Tipperary General Hospital from 2018 to 2019.

There was also a dramatic increase in the number of people being transferred to Kilkenny Psychiatric hospital which increased by 41% year on year.

Overall, there has been a 62% increase in the number of people being transferred from Tipperary to Kilkenny from 2018 to 2020, based on the figures released so far this year.

These statistics, just released last week from Independent TD Mattie McGrath, show a major cause for concern and strengthens the case in the demand for psychiatric beds in the county.

With no adult or child psychiatric beds whatsoever in Tipperary, mental health care has been a talking point in media and conversations had amongst our friends and family for some time.

Patients in the south Tipperary area must travel to Kilkenny while patients in north Tipperary must travel as far as Ennis for care.

Not only is this not acceptable from a cost, logistical and capacity standpoint but it is also extremely distressing for a patient having an acute episode to have to travel such a distance at one of the most vulnerable times of their lives.

We have been calling for a change for some time however unfortunately change does not seem to be on the horizon any time soon.

Prevention within the community is the most important aspect of treating mental health difficulty however if the services are not available, this is making it very difficult.

At present, there is a 24-hour nurse on call for mental health in South Tipperary General Hospital which is welcome however it is simply not enough given the demand for services, especially with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mental health admission can be a grey area and the criteria for admission is based on a psychiatric evaluation which is normally carried out by a psychiatrist.

People who are presenting with mental health difficulties are not always deemed appropriate for a hospital admission. The circumstances that normally adhere to an admission is if the person is either a treat to themselves or others – a criteria that is very difficult to measure.

However, when we are dealing with people’s lives and if they are in danger of self-harming or taking their own life, one would believe they should be admitted to hospital straight away which is not always the case.

Unfortunately, for many, the “ideation” around self-harm and suicide may not be deemed enough of a reason for an admission and they may be sent home.

Individuals and their families are than left in distress as they try to negotiate one of the most difficult times of their lives without adequate professional help.

Therefore, there needs to be a more effective assessment carried out especially if a person is a threat to themselves.

The closure of the psychiatric beds at the St Michaels Unit at STGH in 2012 has caused and is still causing a huge amount of concern and controversy.

People in the community are outraged at the closure as it did not seem like a fair decision. We are aware that conditions in psychiatric hospitals around Ireland are not appropriate and are sometimes, bordering on neglect.

Just last year, patients at Waterford Psychiatric Hospital were left sleeping on the floors in the hospital in the middle of winter due to capacity issues which was widely reported by Waterford Live.

These patients were subsequently brought to the psychiatric unit in Kilkenny, where patients from south Tipperary are also admitted.

Many people have publicly criticised the closure of the unit including people in the community, former staff from St Michaels, voluntary groups as well as Tipperary representatives.

Just last year, former Minister for Mental Health, Jim Daly TD, said the closure was a bad decision which should be reversed. However, there now does not seem to be any movement with regards to the reopening of the acute unit which is a major disappointment.

It seems the people of Tipperary are hitting a brick wall with recent efforts to advocate for the re-opening of psychiatric beds in the county.

In the meantime, there is no point in sugar-coating the crisis we face in Tipperary.

There are voluntary organisations and mental health groups working hard to provide mental health services however there is still no access to beds for people experiencing an acute psychiatric episode.

The need for the beds is there. The argument is strong. We all know that the closure was a bad idea, including the officials themselves.

The €1m funding announced for South Tipperary General is welcome however there is still no funding allocated to mental health at South Tipperary General Hospital.

If you are concerned about your mental health, getting help in the early stages is crucial as a prevention measure is more important than intervention.

This would mean visiting your GP to flag the situation you find yourself in and taking it from there.

Even though the situation we find ourselves in is bleak, we must make sure our voices are heard in this uphill battle we face in getting psychiatric beds back into the Tipperary area.

As a community, we need to stand tall in the face of adversity.

We will need every bit of our resilience and strength to come together in the communities around Tipperary as this is not an easy fight.

All anyone could ask is that you mind your mental health the same way you would mind your physical health however this is difficult when there is not adequate services in place.

People are being sent home from our hospitals when they do reach out for help in desperate times which is simply not good enough.

Cathal O'Reilly

www.cathaloreilly.ie