4858 Mental Health Report - National University of Ireland, Galway

Conclusions and Recommendations
provided with regard to actions on the promotion of mental health on an allisland,
inter-agency basis.
• The establishment of an all-island Mental Health Promotion Steering Group is
recommended in order to take forward the development of mental health
promotion in a co-ordinated fashion and to avoid unnecessary duplication of
effort. The proposed grouping could include key players in the areas of policy,
research and practice in the Republic and Northern Ireland. A network could
also be established to liaise with key players in England, Scotland and Wales in
order to promote shared learning and to stimulate joint research and
development activities on a strategic North-South and East-West basis. Given
the breadth and complexity of the area, mental health promotion requires new
ways of thinking and innovative approaches. As suggested by STAKES (1998),
bringing together key players could in itself be a tool for improved and shared
understanding in the field.
• The integration of mental health promotion across a range of health services
from primary care through to mental health and social services is an important
element of policy development in both jurisdictions. Mental health promotion
is relevant across the entire spectrum of mental health interventions. Effective
mental health promotion strategies will need to engage with a broad range of
services and community development initiatives spanning the range from early
intervention and treatment services through to after care and rehabilitation.
Mental health promotion brings a particular focus on improving quality of life,
creating supportive community structures, countering discrimination and
stigma, and enhancing protective factors for mental health. Ongoing
intersectoral and intrasectoral partnerships and liaison among primary care,
mental health, public health, community, prison, family, social and welfare
services and other relevant statutory and voluntary agencies is therefore
critically important in this endeavour.
• The promotion of population level mental health depends on much more than
health policies alone. In keeping with the basic principles of health promotion,
a multi-sectoral, integrated approach is needed in both jurisdictions that will
ensure mental health promotion is embedded firmly in policy across a range of
sectors such as employment, education, housing, environment and equality.
These efforts need to be co-ordinated across the various sectors and the impact
of all public and social policies on population mental health needs to be
assessed. The extension of Health Impact Assessment to also include mental
health needs to be considered and actively developed.
Collaboration and Dissemination
• Collaboration and consultation with consumers, community groups, service
users, voluntary organisations and professional associations is vitally important
for successful programme planning and delivery. Active engagement with these
different sectors is needed to promote greater understanding of the concept of
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