Mental health in the Republic of Ireland is the subject of state and community sector intervention in

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. The Irish state devolves responsibility for mental health to the

Department of Health A health department or health ministry is a part of government which focuses on issues related to the general health of the citizenry. Subnational entities, such as states, counties and cities, often also operate a health department of their o ...

. Community groups and charities also provide support in the prevention and management of

mental illness A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness, a mental health condition, or a psychiatric disability, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. A mental disorder is ...

as well as

suicide prevention Suicide prevention is a collection of efforts to reduce the risk of suicide. Suicide is often preventable, and the efforts to prevent it may occur at the individual, relationship, community, and society level. Suicide is a serious public healt ...

Government strategy

, the

Minister of State at the Department of Health The Minister of State at the Department of Health is a junior ministerial post in the Department of Health of the Government of Ireland who may perform functions delegated by the Minister for Health. A Minister of State does not hold cabinet ran ...

with responsibility for Mental Health and Older People is Mary Butler, TD. Health services are delivered by the

Health Service Executive The Health Service Executive (HSE) () is the publicly funded healthcare system in Ireland, responsible for the provision of health and personal social services. It came into operation on 1 January 2005. The current director-general is Berna ...

(HSE).

National Suicide Research Foundation

The National Suicide Research Foundation leads research on the topic of suicidology.

Non-governmental organisations

A number of

non-governmental organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...

s have historically been involved in delivery of health and educational services, including by religious orders and congregations. The impact of mental health services has been highlighted by research and media reports in recent decades, and a number of organisations have been created to deal with the area.

Amen

Amen (amen.ie) is a charity based in

Navan Navan ( ; , meaning "the Cave") is the county town and largest town of County Meath, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is at the confluence of the River Boyne and Leinster Blackwater, Blackwater, around 50 km northwest of Dublin. At the ...

County Meath County Meath ( ; or simply , ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. It is bordered by County Dublin to the southeast, County ...

, which works with male victims of domestic violence. It dealt with over 3,600 contacts in 2009. The organisation was awarded a People of the Year Award and a GSK Ireland IMPACT Award in 2016.

Aware

Aware is a

voluntary organisation A voluntary group or union (also sometimes called a voluntary organization, common-interest association, association, or society) is a group of individuals who enter into an agreement, usually as volunteers, to form a body (or organization) to ac ...

which aims to assist people affected by depression. It was founded in 1985 by a group of patients, relatives and health professionals.

Console

Console was a charity that offered suicide bereavement services including a 24/7 Suicide Helpline, Suicide Bereavement Liaison Service and a Suicide Bereavement Counselling Service. Its founder, Paul Kelly, received a People of the Year Awards, award in 2014. Reports emerged in 2016 that the charity was mismanaged and the charity closed. Campaigner David Hall was appointed interim CEO during the winding-down process. A national

Charities Regulator The Charities Regulator () is the operational name of the Charities Regulatory Authority, the statutory authority responsible for the regulation of charities in Ireland. The organisation is made up of a board, with four sub-committees, and as o ...

was appointed in the same year.

Cycle Against Suicide

Cycle Against Suicide is an organisation that seeks to raise awareness and bring support to those dealing with mental health issues. A compilation album ''Simple Things'' was released in 2013 for the charity.

Men's sheds

The Irish Association of Men's Sheds is a non-profit organization which promotes good mental health through creating sheds for men to meet and create projects in. Projects, as varied as

woodwork Woodworking is the skill of making items from wood, and includes cabinetry, furniture making, wood carving, joinery, carpentry, and woodturning. History Along with stone, clay and animal parts, wood was one of the first materials worked by ...

, electronics and jam-making, are chosen by the participants. The organisation was awarded a People of the Year Award. More than 10,000 men use over 300 sheds.

Nightline

Nightline ''Nightline'' (or ''ABC News Nightline'') is ABC News (United States), ABC News' Late night television in the United States, late-night television news program broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC in the United States with a franchis ...

is the name given to various confidential and

anonymous Anonymous may refer to: * Anonymity, the state of an individual's identity, or personally identifiable information, being publicly unknown ** Anonymous work, a work of art or literature that has an unnamed or unknown creator or author * Anonym ...

overnight listening, emotional support, information, and supplies services, run by students for students at universities around the world. Individual Nightlines are

autonomous In developmental psychology and moral, political, and bioethical philosophy, autonomy is the capacity to make an informed, uncoerced decision. Autonomous organizations or institutions are independent or self-governing. Autonomy can also be defi ...

organisations, but are affiliated to the Nightline Association, which is an umbrella organisation founded to facilitate cooperation between Nightlines in the UK and Ireland.

Pieta House

Pieta House deals with suicide prevention and counselling for those bereaved by suicide. The annual Darkness into Light event at locations across Ireland and the world act as a fundraiser for the charity.

Other organisations

The

Brothers Hospitallers of Saint John of God The Brothers Hospitallers of Saint John of God, officially the Hospitaller Order of the Brothers of Saint John of God (abbreviated as OH), are a Catholic religious order founded in 1572. In Italian language, Italian they are also known commonly ...

have run institutions in Ireland since 1882. The

Samaritans Samaritans (; ; ; ), are an ethnoreligious group originating from the Hebrews and Israelites of the ancient Near East. They are indigenous to Samaria, a historical region of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah that ...

charity also runs a helpline for

. SOSAD ("Save Our Sons And Daughters") Ireland is a suicide prevention and bereavement agency which was set up in 2006. International organisations such as

Narcotics Anonymous Narcotics Anonymous (NA), founded in 1953, describes itself as a "nonprofit fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem." Narcotics Anonymous uses a 12-step model developed for people with varied subs ...

and

Alcoholics Anonymous Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a global, peer-led Mutual aid, mutual-aid fellowship focused on an abstinence-based recovery model from alcoholism through its spiritually inclined twelve-step program. AA's Twelve Traditions, besides emphasizing anon ...

operate in Ireland. The Rutland Centre, founded by recovering alcoholic Mary Bolton treats addicts of gambling, narcotics and alcohol.

Youth mental health

Jigsaw is the National Centre for Youth Mental Health. ReachOut.com deals with young people aged 12 to 25. (Previously 15 to 25) Ireland, Childline runs a helpline and online chat service for those under 18. BodyWhys offers online support centring on eating disorder issues. Children at Risk In Ireland (CARI) is an organisation that primarily provides therapy and counselling to victims of child sexual abuse.

Mental health among males

At this current time in Ireland, there is a push to nullify the stigma towards mental health and raise awareness of the widespread epidemic of mental health issues among males (over four in five suicides in Ireland are male) Foundation, N. S. R., 2017. National Suicide Research Foundation. nline/ref>

References

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Human rights in Ireland