Mental Health Commission welcomes report on youth in adult psychiatric wards
The Mental Health Commission has today welcomed a report on the admission of young people to adult psychiatric wards in Ireland.
The document was commissioned to examine the factors contributing to under 16's being admitted to such units, and the challenges facing health providers of meeting the mental health needs of these young people.
This report singles out Limerick as a place where young people are admitted to inpatient beds more easily than in other parts of the country.
It says admitting patients for a period of assessment and treatment carries significant risks and, in this respect, Limerick is "out of step" with the rest of the country.
While the report's author also notes the Government's plan to provide 108 child and adolescent inpatient beds across the country is generous by today's standards, it is not yet certain all these beds will be provided.
It is also described the deadlines for ending the admissions of 16 and 17-year-olds set out by the Mental Health Commission as ambitious.
The report warns of an "apparent lack of engagement of community care services and other partner agencies" in offering support to children and families in crisis.
That means some children and young people may be receiving a mental health service, when their needs are in fact social.
Responding to the report, the Mental Health Commission says the recommendations form a solid basis for discussion on how best to deliver psychiatric services to children and adolescents in Ireland.
