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DUBLIN’S SAINT JOHN of God hospital has said that half its admissions in the past month have been in relation to the intense pressure that Covid-19 restrictions are placing on people.
The Stillorgan hospital, specialising in mental health treatment and care, says there has been a “dramatic increase” in patients who are struggling with mood and anxiety disorders, addictions and issues relating to severe social isolation.
Acute work-related stress has also seen a number of healthcare workers being admitted to the hospital.
“We have already seen a significant increase in admissions relating to intense pressure that Covid-19 restrictions are placing on people. In the past month alone, half of admissions to the hospital have been specifically related to the impact of these restrictions,” said Emma Balmaine, chief executive of the hospital.
She said the hospital is anticipating the increase will continue in the weeks and months ahead as the immediate crisis begins to stabilise and the country begins to reopen.
“Current admission patterns suggest that those who have long-standing mental health issues may need increased support at this time, but we are also seeing a lot of new referrals from people experiencing mental health challenges as a result of the Covid-19 crisis,” said Balmaine.
Additional planning will need to be done in order to prepare for the surge in demand for mental health services from within the hospital and at Government level.
The Department of Health last month announced an additional €1.1 million investment in online mental health supports to help people, especially health services staff, manage their mental health during and following.
Figures from the Department have shown a tenfold growth in the number of people seeking online counselling through MyMind. Of these, 35% are seeking support for anxiety and stress and up to 20% are making appointments to seek assistance with depression.
According to the Central Statistics Office survey of 4,033 people in Ireland during April 2020 on the impact of Covid-19 on health and wellbeing, 59.6% of the respondents were “somewhat” concerned about household stress and confinement with 17% reporting that they were very concerned. Overall life satisfaction was rated as “high” by 12.2% compared to 44.3% in 2018.
The Mental Health Commission wrote to each political party last week to ensure that mental health is appropriately prioritised within any programme for government.
The Commission said it is of the view that only through the appointment of a fully-resourced task force that a root and branch overhaul of current services can occur and a fit-for-purpose and comprehensive mental health system be put in place.
Writing for TheJournal.ie today, Psychotherapist Gerry Cunningham said it is reasonable to feel worried, anxious, confused and to experience low mood during a pandemic, urging everyone to use the supports that are available.
“Our human brain has evolved to protect ourselves and our loved ones. Anxiety and panic are normal stress reactions during a crisis. The rapid spread of the pandemic gave us little chance to prepare or to process all that has happened in recent weeks.
Our reactions to social isolation mirror a grieving cycle including shock, denial, anger, sadness, fear, frustration and a fear of losing control. Sometimes it is difficult to find the words to understand what is going on. Emotional distress around Covid-19 is not a mental illness but an understandable stress reaction.
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As a sufferer of a disorder myself I can identify. Nothing worse than being in a bad place.
Be kind.
@Fabio Dillon: i am in a bad place at the moment but they won’t hospitalise me. Saying I am safer at home,Where I see a weapon in every utensil, sent me home on bloody tablets.
@Fabio Dillon: hope you’re well and getting through this, have a family member who have their bad times and it wasn’t the virus that got them down it was the lockdown,everytime it was extended you could see their mood go down but thankfully we are getting them through it. Keep well
@sally reid: sorry to hear that Sally, I’ve heard of this all too many times. Are you ok? If you don’t feel great, i hope they gave you some out of hours number but I’m sure you know all that. Just know that you aren’t alone, and that in patient treatment can be the best option but not the easiest. Not an easy time to feel low, or worse. Remember people you don’t even know want you to be ok. Stay safe
@sally reid: contact pieta house , hope you get some help
@sally reid: hope you have support sally. I think u need some help.
@tom forde: thanks Tom
@sally reid: it’s called community care
Not at all surprised
Deprived elderly people who are reliant on interaction with others have been deprived.
Lockdown must begin to end on the 18th
@Luke Redmond: It will be necessary to keep physical distancing and cocooning measures in place, especially for immunocompromised people, until COVID-19 vaccine/s are widely available and approximately 70% of the population has been vaccinated. Amending certain restrictions to allow visitors would be a way of supporting vulerable/elderly people within our communities. But for the foreseeable future, we should all continue to behave as if we are infected with COVID-19.
@Luke Redmond: Although it was initially the right thing to do it should have ended weeks ago.
@mar: Get real, how many more dead would there be if it had ended weeks ago ? Bizarre comment to make.
@Cliff Burnby: Endless list of reasons. Scroll down and read Derek Durkin’s comment to get an idea.
@mar: Would you have been happy to sacrifice yourself or a loved one to end the lockdown weeks ago ? Or maybe my elderly parents, would that have been better for you ? Your attitude to this is sickening, your attempts to deflect from the issues at hand fool nobody.
@Cliff Burnby: Would you be happy if a loved one died because his cancer treatment was postponed or died a lonely death in a nursing home caused by fear?
You should really try to see the bigger picture. Reading the following article might help you with that:
@mar: An article about the NHS ??? Hospital avoidance can and should be dealt with. Mental health services are available. Cancelled treatments are down to a health service that cannot cope, not lockdown. There is no cure for corona virus.
Again I’ll ask you would you have sacrificed your life to end lockdown weeks ago because there would be more dead and dying right now if we had.
@Cliff Burnby: So you didn’t read the article at all?! One last time: In my opinion less lives would have been lost had we not extended the lockdown. In simple terms I believe the cure is worse than the cause. You insinuate that my attitude is sickening. Grow up and learn to accept that not everyone shares your views.
@mar: So you would have been ok with sacrificing the lives of others to shorten the lockdown based on a groundless assumption. That’s all I need to know.
Devon and Cornwall health officials released a report showing suicide in the counties had more than doubled.
One hospital in London said they were treating more attempted suicides than covid 19 patients
@tom forde: reports from Australia are saying the suicide rate is going to far exceed the deaths from Covid….and then add in stress related deaths, cancer victims having no treatment etc and then the oncoming recession that will be nothing like the world has ever seen….it’s the road to serfdom.
@Derek Durkin: agree. Its shocking that there were zero mammagroms carried out by Breast Check in April this year compared to 13k in April last year!
@Derek Durkin: Its probably a global problem also seen reports that there may be an increase in measles and other diseases because children aren’t getting their vaccination shots.
@tom forde: it’s the perfect storm
@tom forde: and that’s the second wave that is being rammed down our throats everyday…..peoples immune systems are going to be completely shattered from the lockdown which will make the first wave like a walk in the park.
@Derek Durkin: their is no comparison to Australia as to ireland for f sake. 92 people died in Australia and 6k positives with 25 million population. I wish the comparisons would end
Yet there are those that blithely state on here that full lockdown should have happened sooner, more severely, and should continue longer. Such narrow definitions of “health” and such disregard to those who exist in a different world to theirs with vastly different requirements
@David Clements: I must disagree because we are dealing with a virus that shows no empathy towards peoples mental health the same way squishy humans do. You can’t release a lockdown to give people a mental boost because the virus will strike out again. You can’t reason with it. We should have given 14 day isolation to arrivals sooner, we should keep things down to be safe. Its a harsh, harsh truth to say but the virus is a harsh, harsh thing. At least we are being kind in an odd distant way but we can’t just release a lockdown in this state.
@Paul Cunningham: listen I agree with the restrictions and I don’t think we’re saying different things but many are of the view that teenagers coming back from Italy in March should have been imprisoned effectively for a fortnight, that ZERO flights should come in, and that it should be extended until the virus is gone. 10 deaths were reported today. How many people made a series attempt on their own lives today? There will come a point where mental health will overtake corona virus again as a more serious and widespread threat. That’s the only point I’m making
@David Clements: And likewise it could be said you are showing disregard for the dead, the dying, the health workers and everyone that has followed the instructions of the experts since this began.
@Cliff Burnby: he hasn’t shown any disregard for any health workers or those that died whatsoever. He simply made the valid point that there are other health issues going on at the minute too, not just Covid-19 that have potential deadly consequences and these are largely being ignored at the moment.
deadly health implications too and suicide is one of them.
@Cliff Burnby: I’ve done no such thing and I don’t see how any reader with all of his or her faculties engaged could possibly infer that from what I said. Read it again and apologise. But I fully expect neither of those suggestions to be followed
@David Clements: Firstly David I was replying solely to your 1st comment as your 2nd one hadn’t appeared yet when I did reply.
You are belittling anyone who thinks the lockdown should have happened sooner and been more severe etc. These measures obviously would have saved lives. Explain to me how that isn’t disregard for those that died and those that tried to save them. We all know the country can’t be in lockdown forever but we have to deal with what is happening now not what may or may not happen in the future. Don’t forget there are mental health services out there, there is no cure for the virus.
The headline is very misleading, and is not supported by the content of the article.While I know this time is more stressful that normal, and it is obviously more difficult again for people who are struggling with anxiety disorders. Publishing sensationalist headlines doesn’t really help anybody
I’ve suffered with depression for years. I’ve learned Happiness is not a right and most people feel bad a lot of the time.
Currently If I feel bad I look at Aljazeera and find many of my problems are first world troubles.
We are in a world we have collectively created. There is nothing we can do but accept the reality of what’s happened and grieve the loss of a world that is never coming back. Killing ourselves won’t bring it back.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Avc6_ftzk3w
Mr Holohan has a lot to answer for!
@Sean Dermody: this I like being a climate denier!
@Sean Dermody: Tony holohan obviously is out to get us all. I’m sure he’d like to be sitting at home watching g box sets rather than doing this job in a pandemic.
I have been out of work and have found it difficult to return as I deal with vulnerable people even though I’m symptom free and Don pose a risk,how will these people return to work
have your say