The overall prevalence of mental illness in Northern Ireland is about 20% higher than in England and Scotland with 2.9% of the adult population claiming Disability Living Allowance because of mental health problems. A Health and Wellbeing survey showed that 19% of people over 16 showed signs of depression, with females being more likely to be affected than men. The rates of depression is closely linked to unemployment, low educational achievement and social deprivation.
Northern Ireland has the worlds highest rate of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder according to a report published in 2011. This is because of The Troubles that occured here from the 60s-70s until the late nineties.
Because of this, Northern Ireland spends 12% of the national income on mental health services. However, some people can still fall through the net. I felt that when I was seen by CMHT, I was dismissed. I was told I was not in need of treatment as I went to university and so was not ill. The first time I was told this, I was in crisis. This could have had a severe effect on me if I did not have a good support network around me. Less than a week after I was discharged from CMHT I took an overdose of sleeping tablets, so clearly was ill.
The number of inpatient admissions under the Mental Health has decreased 28.5% in the three years leading up to 2012/2013. The number of beds available in mental health units decreased 32.5%, probably because admissions is decreasing. In 2012/13, the average number of inpatient admissions per bed was 6.8.
In February 2013, there were 840 patients being treated as an inpatient for mental health problems. 64.4% of these had been residents for less than 6 months but 7.1% have been residents for more than 10 years... 32.7% of inpatients were aged 19-44, 30.8% were 45-65 and 4.2% were aged 18 or under.
One way of reviewing how good mental health services is to analyse the suicide rates. I have researched the suicide rates for my local council, my health trust and Northern Ireland as a whole for the 10 years leading up to 2013. Overall, the number of people who have died by suicide or self-injury increased over the 10 year period. I also researched the numbers of hospital admissions due to self-harm in Northern Ireland and then from my local council between 2003 and 2007. The numbers shocked me.