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Date: November 22, 2024 Fri
Time: 11:47 am
Time: 11:47 am
Results for mental illness (northern ireland) mentally ill off
1 results foundAuthor: Appleby, Louis Title: The National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness: Suicide and Homicide in Northern Ireland Summary: Suicide is a highly complex issue and continues to present a growing challenge for our society despite strenuous efforts across the statutory, community and voluntary sectors together with inspirational support from bereaved families. The individual circumstances for each person represented in the statistics presented in this report are unique. Nevertheless, to reduce the risk of suicide it is important, where possible, to identify common themes and patterns. We are all aware that people are now facing increasing pressures that can threaten their mental health and wellbeing. Substance misuse is a more common feature of modern life, particularly in areas of social and economic disadvantage; secure employment opportunities are not as plentiful; personal debt is rising; the gap in educational attainment remains; and stable family life is not as dominant a feature in society as it once was. This report demonstrates the link between mental ill health and suicide with the finding that 29% of people who died by suicide had been in contact with mental health services in the previous 12 months. However, this figure also indicates that many people who are suicidal, and therefore likely to have mental health difficulties, are not accessing statutory mental health services. Covering a nine year period from January 2000 to December 2008 during which there were 1,865 suicides and probable suicides in Northern Ireland, the report presents detailed data that looks behind the headline statistics. By presenting a better understanding of these deaths, the report will assist in fine tuning policy and practice for the care of people within mental health services and help to prevent deaths. The remit of the Inquiry also covers homicide by people who have been in contact with mental health services and the report notes that 15% of perpetrators of homicide were confirmed to have been in contact with mental health services in the 12 months before the offence. As with homicide in the general population, in most of these cases the perpetrators and victims were known to each other and, more importantly, none of the “stranger homicides” over the review period was committed by a mental health patient. Perceptions around the issue of serious violence by mental health patients can increase the fear and stigma that mentally ill people encounter. The evidence from this report reinforces the important point of the low risk to the general public from mental health patients which should be highlighted in initiatives to combat stigma. The report highlights areas where practice can be improved and presents a series of recommendations covering policy and practice. Work is already progressing that will help put many of the recommendations in place. This includes: the development of updated policy on suicide prevention and the promotion of positive mental health; the development of the second action plan for implementation of the Bamford Review of Mental Health and Learning Disability; ongoing implementation of the “Card Before You Leave” protocol at Emergency Departments; and work with the Department of Justice to improve support for people with mental illness in the criminal justice system. Overall, the report increases our understanding of the risks of suicide in people with mental illness and of how to respond more effectively to those risks. This will help in taking further action to reduce suicide by people who use mental health services in Northern Ireland. Details: Manchester, UK: University of Manchester, 2011. 112p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 30, 2011 at: http://www.medicine.manchester.ac.uk/mentalhealth/research/suicide/prevention/nci/northern_ireland/northern_ireland_full_report.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.medicine.manchester.ac.uk/mentalhealth/research/suicide/prevention/nci/northern_ireland/northern_ireland_full_report.pdf Shelf Number: 121920 Keywords: HomicideMental Health ServicesMental Illness (Northern Ireland) Mentally Ill OffSuicide |