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What we know
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| What we know | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The causes of mental illness are multi-factored with both genetic and environmental elements. Due to social inefficiency some individuals appear to fall down the social scale and classically are over–represented among the homeless and other socially excluded groups. There is much research about causation but little is as definitive as in other fields of medical practice. We still struggle to understand why some people suffer while others do not. Most research has been driven by observation of empirical improvements in patients after casual treatment which was administered for another reason. Drug research is aimed at identifying treatments using similar molecules to achieve better results. Research has also demonstrated that for many patients institutional care has been negative and so today the tendency is to maintain patients in the community rather than hospital. In Northern Ireland research into mental illness has not been well developed up to the present time. Mental illness is different from most other
aspects of medical care in that it has its own legislative background.
It has been changing legislation more than any other factor which
has driven change in the pattern of patient care throughout the
U.K. |
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| What information do we have about the Eastern Board area? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| What is the result of this on our health locally? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Patients with mental illnesses are well looked after with modern treatments and knowledgeable staff. There are currently problems in dealing with acute crises and, in particular, ensuring rapid assessment with possible hospital diversion. It is felt that many patients are admitted for conditions which could have been treated with enhanced community services. Overall, there has been emphasis on developing community services and the trained staff resources have been drawn from in-patient services. In the short–term this transfer of personnel has resulted in a mismatch between supply and demand. It is felt that better early intervention could maintain greater numbers within the community but to be successful community services would require more options. The same process could be applied
across almost all aspects of mental health / learning disability
with improvement to the patient journey. However, the engineering
of new services is quite demanding. |
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| Policies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A Regional Strategy is in the process of development under the auspices of the DHSSPS. This has been influenced by national level leadership through NICE / Public Enquiries and forth-coming legislative changes surrounding the Mental Health Act. There is a review of Mental Health legislation anticipated which should support the Regional Strategy. The Eastern Board has also carried out a
Strategic Review of Mental Health Services which has both informed
and been informed by cross – representation on the Regional
Strategy. |
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| What is happening in the Eastern Board area? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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For further information on this topic please contact us at publichealth@ehssb.n-i.nhs.uk Eastern Health and Social Services Board Champion
House, 12-22 Linenhall Street, Belfast BT2 8BS Telephone: (028)
9032 1313 Fax: (028) 9055 3681 Text Phone:(028) 9032 4980 Website:
www.ehssb.org
E-mail: pr@ehssb.n-i.nhs.uk |
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