Suicide ideation, psychological adjustment and mental health service support: A screening study in an Irish secondary school sample

Prevalence of mental health disorders in children and adolescents in the Republic of Ireland: a systematic review

Referrals to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) have increased in recent years. Services are already under-resourced and the adverse psychological impact of Covid-19 is likely to increase demand. Accordingly, an understanding of prevalence of mental health (MH) disorders among youth is imperative to help inform and plan services.

AIM

To establish prevalence of MH disorders among youth (under 18) in Ireland.

METHOD

A systematic review using pre-defined search terms in PubMed, PsycInfo, Embase and CINAHL was conducted. Empirical studies conducted in Ireland, in youth and focusing on MH disorders were included.

RESULTS

From a total of 830 papers identified, 38 papers met inclusion criteria. Significant variation in rates of MH disorders was evident based on study methodology. Screening questionnaires for general psychopathology reported rates of 4.8-17.8% scoring above clinical cut-offs, with higher rates for ADHD (7.3%). Studies examining depression ranged from 4% to 20.8%, while rates for 'current' MH disorder, determined by semi-structured interview, were 15.5%, while 'lifetime' rates varied from 19.9% to 31.2%. Fewer than half (44%) of those identified as 'in need' of specialist MH services were accessing CAMHS.

CONCLUSION

Data on MH disorders among Irish youth is limited, and studies showed significant variance in rates, making service planning difficult. There is an urgent need for serial epidemiological surveys, with clear operational criteria for clinically impairing MH difficulties. Such studies are essential to understand potential demand and service planning. This is most urgent given the expected increased demand post Covid-19.

Adolescent Suicide Ideation, Depression and Self-Esteem: Relationships to a New Measure of Gender Role Conflict

Among 15-24 year olds in Ireland, completed suicide was responsible for 4.1 times more male deaths than female deaths in 2014 (World Health Organization [WHO], 2017). Few international research studies have investigated the relationship between masculinity [as assessed by a measure of gender role conflict (GRC)] and suicide ideation, and none have done so with Irish adolescents. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationships between a new measure of GRC developed specifically for use with Irish adolescents (I-GRCS-A; O'Beaglaoich et al., 2016), and depression, self-esteem, and negative/protective suicide ideation. A sample of 176 adolescent boys (M = 16.9, SD = 0.94) from a non-clinical population participated in the study. Regression analyses and tests of mediation revealed that depression significantly mediated the relationship between GRC and negative suicide ideation, whilst self-esteem and depression significantly mediated the relationship between GRC and positive suicide ideation. Implications and limitations of the current study are outlined and directions for future research are discussed.

Mental health knowledge and attitudes in a transition year student group: a pilot survey

Introduction Stigma towards mental health disorders remains a significant problem in society. Numerous public awareness campaigns and, to a lesser extent, educational interventions have been carried out to date to help address this issue.

METHOD

A brief questionnaire was formulated and administered to two small groups of transition year students from schools throughout Ireland who participated in a week-long placement in a Psychiatric Hospital in Dublin in 2012. The input was from psychiatry and allied health professionals covering a wide range of mental health topics. It was administered before the first session and immediately after the last session. The input for each group in terms of topics was almost identical.

RESULTS

In all, 24 students participated, and the majority had either gone to school with, had observed in passing, or had a friend of the family or a relative with a mental illness, although only 21% had had knowledge on mental illness up to the intervention. The post-intervention scores demonstrated that the week had an impact on most of these views. Their attitudes to individuals with mental illness as regards employment, treatment, assistance, and recovery were encouraging, even at baseline, and all their responses improved following the sessions. There was a view that those with mental illness were somewhat reluctant to seek professional help.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the results of this study are very encouraging as regards attitudes towards mental health and their response to education, far more research and interventions are needed to explore and address stigma in more detail.