July 17, 2009
Mental Health Service
Campaigners celebrate as hospital prison plan scrapped
Northside People West (Wed, 15 July 2009)
News that the Central Mental Hospital (CMH) will not now be located in the planned Thornton Hall super-prison site has been welcomed by local campaigners.
It would not be tolerated in the rest of society…
Sunday Tribune (Sun, 12 July 2009)
At a time when so much is focused on purging the sins of the past, the present state of our mental health services is shocking. Now, advocacy groups are arguing for change. Michael Clifford reports
Lack of facilities forces ill Cavan girl overseas
Cavan Echo (Fri, 10 July 2009)
The treatment of a girl from Cavan for an eating disorder overseas has cost the Health Service €62,000 The girl from Cavan was one of twelve cases of people with eating disorders that were treated for the illness abroad as there were not sufficient facilities for them in Ireland.
Centre empty despite waiting list
Galway City Tribune (Fri, 10 July 2009)
A purpose built community residence given to the HSE four years ago after locals built it remains empty despite Merlin Park mental health patients having nowhere to go on their discharge.
Mental Health
Study shows drug treatment programmes are working
Irish Examiner (Tue, 14 July 2009)
Treatment programmes for heroin addicts are working, according to a detailed research project. A three-year follow-on study of users who entered treatment shows significant improvements in terms of drug use, criminal behaviour and rehabilitation. But the poor mental health of users has continued — and in some cases has worsened — and there has been little change in physical health.
Schizophrenia
Strict drug regulation blamed for deaths of schizophrenic patients
Irish Independent (Mon, 13 July 2009)
Excessive caution by drug regulators has contributed to the deaths of thousands of patients with severe mental illness, doctors say.
Suicide Prevention
Thousands more suicides as the jobless total rises
Evening Herald (Mon, 13 July 2009)
Every 1pc rise in unemployment leads to hundreds of extra suicides a year across the EU, researchers have found. Unemployment also leads to extra murders, the study shows. But road accidents go down as the economy worsens.
