News from: media

September 12, 2008

Headline News Highlights (5th-12th September 2008)

Mental Health

Cancer patients 'need psychological support'
Irish Times (Mon, 8 Sep 2008)
Designated cancer centres need to provide increased psychological support to patients, the Irish Cancer Society has said. The society, which held a national breast cancer conference in Dublin on Saturday, stressed the need for cancer centres to offer dedicated psycho-oncology services to recognise and treat distress in cancer patients.

Public lectures on OCD to begin soon
Irish Health (Mon, 8 Sep 2008)
A series of public lectures on obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is to begin later this month, OCD Ireland has announced. With OCD, people experience repetitive and upsetting thoughts and/or behaviours. There are two main features of the condition, obsessions and compulsions. An example of this is where a person becomes obsessed with dirt or germs and as a result, feels compelled to wash their hands excessively.

UK teens learn about mental health from celebs
The Argus (Sun, 7 Sep 2008)
Many British teenagers have admitted that everything they know about mental health issues comes from hearing about celebrities' problems. New research has found that young people in the UK are largely ignorant on the subject; almost half of 12 to 18-year-olds there can not name a single condition.

Mental Health Service

Harney under fire to scrap hospital relocation plans
Irish Examiner (Thu, 11 Sep 2008)
Health Minister Mary Harney came under fresh pressure to scrap plans to move patients from the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum to a new facility next to the planned prison in north Co Dublin. Both the relatives of residents at the Central Mental Hospital and the Irish Mental Health Coalition called for the plan to be scrapped, claiming the process by which the Government arrived at the decision was flawed.

Director supported CMH site, hearing told
Irish Examiner (Wed, 10 Sep 2008)
The Department of Health came under fire last night after it claimed the decision to relocate the Central Mental Hospital to a site adjacent to the proposed new prison at Thornton Hall was taken based on initial support from the hospital's clinical director. Prof Harry Kennedy has long voiced his opposition to -the proposed relocation, claiming that moving patients to a facility next to a prison goes against best international practice and will stigmatise clients.

Govt rejects CMH location motion
Irish Health (Wed, 10 Sep 2008)
The Government has rejected a Fine Gael motion to review the decision to relocate the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum to a site adjacent to the new prison at Thornton Hall in north Dublin. Fine Gael proposed a motion seeking a review of the decision at the Oireachtas Health Committee on Tuesday. However it was blocked by Government representatives.

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia costs €460 million per year
Irish Health (Fri, 12 Sep 2008)
The economic cost of schizophrenia in Ireland has been estimated at over €460 million for 2006, new figures indicate. According to a study from University College Dublin (UCD) and the National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG), informal care provided by family members of people with schizophrenia accounted for €44 million in 2006.

Suicide Prevention

Number of recorded suicides increased 12% to 460 last year
Irish Times (Thu, 11 Sep 2008)
The number of people who took their own lives in Ireland increased by 12 per cent last year, according to official figures.The rise, the first this decade, has been described as "very disappointing" by suicide prevention campaigner Dan Neville.

Low priority for suicide prevention is criticised
Irish Times (Wed, 10 Sep 2008)
Little to no progress is being made in tackling suicide, the president of the Irish Association of Suicidology has said. Dan Neville TD, who is also Fine Gael spokesman on mental health, said it was clear that the Government was unwilling to address the issue properly given that the budget for the HSE's National Office of Suicide Prevention remained frozen at €3.5 million. despite recommendations that it be increased to €5.5 million.

Suicide to be made an election issue by charity
Irish Times (Tue, 9 Sep 2008)
The suicide prevention charity set up by solicitor and property developer Noel Smyth is planning to use next year's local elections to put pressure on the Government to act on the issue.

Researcher backs low suicide claims
Irish Medical Times (Fri, 5 Sep 2008)
A leading researcher on suicide believes the death toll in Ireland is again being masked by inquests citing undetermined intent.Dr Ella Arensman of the National Suicide Research Foundation issued cautious support for the claims of TD Dan Neville, who last week decried the lack of funds for prevention.

Self Harm

Deliberate self-harm cases increase
Irish Health (Wed, 10 Sep 2008)
Deliberate self-harm cases presenting to hospital A&Es are on the increase, according to a report published today to mark World Suicide Prevention Day. The National Suicide Research Foundation report shows that in 2006, 10,700 presentations were made to emergency departments, involving 8,200 individuals, while in 2007, 11,100 presentations were made.

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