Urgent need to fill gaps in care for those with psychosis, survey finds

Irish Examiner

07-05-2025

More crisis support outside of hospitals for people with psychosis is urgently needed, along with significant expansion of existing supports, a new report has recommended.
Psychosis affects how the brain processes information, so a person may find it difficult to distinguish between what is real and what is not.
The Psychosis Survey 2024, published on Wednesday, is based on feedback from almost 400 people with this condition and others.
Shine CEO Nicola Byrne said investment in early intervention services is growing, but concerns remain.
She highlighted a 'postcode lottery' that has left gaps in many areas.
Some 42.3% of those who responded said expanding numbers of psychosis teams is their top priority.
More funding including money for staffing was also called for by respondents.
The report quotes one parent saying: 'When my son was involved in X mental health services, I received a lot of support from local mental health services. They were always helpful and there for me and his family.
'My son then moved to a different mental health service, and I feel this service is totally unsupportive to family members.'
Ms Byrne said in regions offering early intervention: 'People have a much better experience, they are much happier and much clearer, they have more understanding of what supports they can get.'
The survey found only 14.4% of people using general mental health services had 'easy access to support' compared to 42.9% of people using early intervention in psychosis services.
In addition over 70% found media portrayals of psychosis 'inaccurate', and 54% experienced workplace stigma.
One person said: 'Almost all forms of media highlight only negative outcomes of those living with psychosis or having violent psychotic episodes which end in harm to others.
The mental illness is incredibly stigmatised and rarely are the lack of supports for patients and friends/family highlighted.
Shine says public education campaigns including schools are needed. This was ranked as the third most important priority by those answering the survey.
'I think we need to be looking at having better conversations about understanding what mental illness is,' Ms Byrne said.
'Until we have that understanding we will never have parity with physical illness.'
Many people said charities help fill the gaps in State services. One person said:
"If it wasn't for the support of Shine, I probably would not have been able to cope having a family member with severe psychosis who still after years has not been treated."
Minister of State for mental health Mary Butler welcomed improvements seen by people using the early intervention services.
'My department allocated funding in Budget 2025 to set up two new early intervention teams in Dublin and Limerick. A further 24 roles are being funded across the two new teams at a cost of €2.8m,' she said.
There are now seven teams.
The survey was carried out by Shine, Mental Health Reform, and the HSE National Clinical Programme for Early Intervention in Psychosis.
It can be read online from Wednesday.