4858 Mental Health Report - National University of Ireland, Galway

Collaborative Practice and Policy
A summary of the key findings concerning cross-border collaborative practice and
policy in both jurisdictions is now presented.
Policy
Health Promotion Unit, Department of Health and Children, Dublin
The Health Promotion Strategy (Department of Health and Children 2000) has a
strategic aim in relation to mental health, with greater focus on promoting
positive mental health and efforts to reduce the percentage of the population
experiencing poor mental health. There is a commitment in the Health Promotion
Strategy to initiate the development of a national mental health promotion
strategy. However there is no agreed timescale on this.
The new recently published health strategy document, Quality and Fairness: A
Health System for You (2001), also has a focus on mental health which is seen as
being a critical element of achieving better health for everyone. This strategy
specifically recommends programmes to promote positive attitudes to mental
health and the need for suicide prevention programmes. This adds a new impetus
to what is already included in the Health Promotion Strategy.
Performance indicators on mental health are being developed with the health
promotion managers in the health boards and these should be available in 2002.
There will be indicators specifically for mental health promotion and this will
bring a greater focus on mental health promotion work.
Health Promotion Agency and Department of Health, Social Services and Public
Safety, Belfast
A draft mental health promotion strategy called Minding Our Health was
submitted to the Department of Health in 1998. A wide range of voluntary and
community groups and statutory organisations were consulted on this document.
Feedback was incorporated into the discussions and a working group has been
established to draft the strategy/action plan for promoting mental health.
The aims of the strategy are to:
• improve people’s mental and emotional well-being, in particular that of
people at risk or vulnerable, and people with identified mental health
problems, their carers and families.
• prevent or reduce incidence and impact of mental and emotional distress,
anxiety, illness and suicide.
• raise awareness of the determinants of mental and emotional health at public,
professional and policy making levels and reduce discrimination against
people with mental health problems.
• ensure that all those with a contribution to make are
knowledgeable, skilled and aware of effective practice in
mental and emotional health promotion.
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