Debate contribution: Mental Health Provision in Northern Ireland

Debate contribution by Mr Mark Durkan on 30 September 2024.

MLA

Mr Mark Durkan

Party at the time

Social Democratic and Labour Party

Date

30 September 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Opposition Business

Heading

Mental Health Provision in Northern Ireland

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4563979

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

I thank everyone for their contribution to the debate. I am sure that there is not one person here who has not been affected by poor mental health in some way or other or even by the scourge of suicide. I am sure that most of us struggle with stuff ourselves, and I also commend Claire Sugden for speaking out this morning about her own issues and for reminding others that they are not alone. We talk about how bad things are, but we should never forget that there is help out there and that people should seek it if they need it. While advocates speak up every day to raise awareness of their mental health battles, their work is not being backed up by adequate financial investment from government. It is deeply concerning that, in a time of relative peace here in the North, the number of lives that are lost to suicide now exceeds the number that were lost during the Troubles. While we have moved away from the violent conflict of the past, many now face a silent crisis — a mental health epidemic that continues to claim lives. While the suicide statistics are shocking, they are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the lives that are lost and destroyed due to poor mental health. Fostering reconciliation and true peace is about more than the absence of conflict. It is about creating a society where people feel more resilient and can access help when they need it. It is completely unacceptable that, today, half of the children and adults who are in crisis are waiting longer than nine weeks to access mental health support. The escalation both in the numbers and severity of illnesses has been heartbreaking to bear witness to. Those who are at the coalface are buckling under the weight of demand, and I place on record my gratitude for the invaluable work of organisations in my constituency and right across the North and beyond who are shining examples of the approach that we need to take to tackle the crisis head-on. I would start naming names, but I am fearful that omission might lead to offence. Yet instead of expanding government funding to meet rising demand, we see some of those lifeline services shrink or disappear altogether. I recently raised the plight of Men's Action Network in my constituency. That double blow leaves vulnerable people without the support that they desperately need, pushing them further into crisis. Mr Middleton referred to the success of local charity Have Your Tomorrows, and I joined him at the opening of their brilliant new premises on Friday. That is a remarkable achievement, particularly so given that it achieved it without one penny of government support. A key issue that has been touched on is the need for tailored services. One of the areas that I am concerned about — I have raised this before in the Chamber — is the lack of bespoke mental health services for individuals with autism. As we know from the devastating statistics, autistic adults are nine times more likely to die by suicide and autistic children are 20 times more likely to self-harm, yet we still have mental health professionals who are not trained in autism working with autistic people, which is potentially negligent. There is no mention in the autism strategy of plans to support autistic adults with their mental health. I will no doubt return to that with the Minister to try to establish what autism-specific support we will see for people with autism and to see whether he will work to introduce mandatory autism training for all mental health practitioners. I do, however, accept that this is just one piece of an absolutely massive and complex puzzle. Another vital element of this discussion is the co-occurring conditions of addiction and mental ill health and the need for a dual-diagnosis approach. Both conditions remain a harrowing feature in the lives of so many people here, and it is a cycle that can prove difficult to escape from, especially for those suffering socio-economic disadvantage. Those brave enough to seek support often find themselves passed from pillar to post in efforts to find meaningful and appropriate services and support. The lack of clear targets, comprehensive data and transparency remains a significant barrier to effective care and accountability. It makes assessing needs, allocating resources and tracking progress extremely difficult. I commend, as others have done, the work of Participation and the Practice of Rights's New Script campaign, advocating for these improvements, which would ensure that services are effective and targeted. The amendment would, in our view, remove that accountability from the Executive. If the DUP agrees — it does — with making the prevention of poor mental health and suicide a priority across all Departments, why remove reference to the Programme for Government? Our concern is that, if the amendment passes — we hope that it does not — will we merely be paying lip service again, without any real intention to act, or will we be removing accountability for not acting?

Certainly.

I thank the Member for his intervention. I certainly agree with his point. It is crucial that we tackle the siloed approach. Collaborative work, involving Departments, the PSNI, the public and local organisations, is the only way to achieve meaningful results for people who are suffering. It is not all bad news. Progress has been made, and that has been referred to today. Like others, I am pleased to see the roll-out of perinatal mental health services across the region and the long overdue recognition of the importance of maternal mental health, helping to build healthier families and stronger communities. We must build on that model across the vast spectrum of mental health need. A few Members spoke about early intervention, which is key. The earlier, the better. One example is the Healthy Happy Minds counselling programme for primary-school children, which Michelle Guy mentioned. It is a tragedy that the programme was cut with seemingly no hope of return. Teachers, parents and children alike felt the positive impact of the initiative. Mandatory mental well-being should be ingrained at an early age. The earlier we invest, the earlier we can empower children with the tools and skills that they need to become resilient adults. That will not only identify issues before they escalate and reduce future strain on the health system but will mean that people will live healthier lives, building the foundation for a healthier, more resilient society — the kind of prosperous and peaceful society that we dreamed of for the peace babies generation. This issue is about so much more than investing in mental health services. It requires a whole-system approach, a system that does not force working families, or any families, to queue for food banks, where children have somewhere to call home and where people are not shifted from hotel to hostel to B&B, unable to put down roots. Building families and societies on such an unstable footing means that an entire generation has been left without the village that they need to raise their children and the support networks from which they can build their lives. Creating a bonded, thriving society requires shared responsibility in communities and collaboration across Departments. A refusal to enshrine improved mental health and suicide prevention in a new Programme for Government is a refusal by the Executive to take that responsibility.

1,250 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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