February 29, 2008
Mental Health
VHI leaves mentally ill to foot the bill
Irish Examiner (Thu, 28 Feb 2008)
Mentally-ill patients will not have counselling or other non-doctor services paid for by their Voluntary Health Insurance, Health Minister Mary Harney admitted yesterday.
Antidepressants of 'limited' use
Eircom.net (Tue, 26 Feb 2008)
Mental health campaigners today claimed that research indicating new-generation antidepressants work no better than dummy pills was evidence that doctors are over-prescribing.
Sick children more prone to mental illness
Evening Herald (Fri, 22 Feb 2008)
Children who suffer with chronic illness are twice as likely as healthy children to have mental-health problems in adulthood, a conference heard today. If the child's medical condition involves the brain, they are eight times as likely as healthy children to have mental-health problems later in life.
Mental Health Service
Tribunal revokes one in ten orders
Irish Medical Times (Tue, 26 Feb 2008)
Nearly 11 per cent of all mental health tribunals held in January resulted in a patient’s involuntary admission order being revoked.
HSE to close psychiatric hospitals
Sunday Business Post (Sun, 24 Feb 2008)
The Health Service Executive (HSE) is set to draft plans this year to close the remaining large psychiatric hospitals.
Suicide Prevention
Warning of suicide rise in autistic children
Sunday Independent (Sun, 24 Feb 2008)
The Government's inaction towards the welfare of children with autism is going to lead to an increase in suicide, self-harm and prison sentences among their group, according to a leading expert in the field.
Suicide prevention campaign
Irish Medical News (Fri, 22 Feb 2008)
A new campaign has been launched urging young men to be aware of the signs if a friend may be contemplating suicide. The “Mind Your Buddy campaign” identifies a number of factors which could indicate if a friend is in distress.
Eating Disorders
Broken promises on eating disorder services
Irish Examiner (Mon, 25 Feb 2008)
The Government has failed to deliver on its own policies to improve services to treat more than 7,000 Irish people suffering with eating disorders, a campaign group has claimed.
