Macra na Feirme National President, Alan Jagoe, has called on the Government to heed the HSE’s warning that mental health services for young people are strained.
Martin Rogan, head of mental health services at the HSE, warned that more than 2,000 children and adolescents are on waiting lists for appointments, with the biggest waiting lists in rural areas.
Echoing Mr. Rogan’s statement that it was vital that help was delivered to young people at an early stage of their problems, Mr. Jagoe said, “The Government must provide adequate mental health services to Ireland’s young people and children to ensure early intervention.
“Services outside the capital are particularly strained despite the fact that farmers in rural areas and young men are among those most at risk. Early intervention is possible when adequate services are provided which can radically change the outcome for a young person.”
While Mr. Jagoe welcomed that a redistribution of services was making progress in alleviating the issue, he called on the Government to provide the necessary resources to the mental health service in the HSE to ensure young people are not waiting to be seen.
Macra na Feirme is a partner of ‘See Change’, the national mental health stigma reduction partnership, and is working to actively promote positive mental health among its 8000-strong membership of young farmers and rural young people.
