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Promoting mental health in Northern Ireland: addressing division, inequality and stigma
- Authors:
- DAVIDSON Gavin, LEAVEY Gerard
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Public Mental Health, 9(4), December 2010, pp.6-15.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
The authors review the literature on the impact of sectarian violence, known as ‘the Troubles’, on mental health in Northern Ireland. Three main phases of professional and policy response were identified, starting with concerns about the effects of violence in the 1970s, then several years of collective denial and neglect, until acknowledgement, following the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, of high levels of trauma and unmet need. The authors also explore the impact of inequality and stigma and argue that peace is necessary but insufficient for promoting mental health. The development of mental health services in Northern Ireland are then outlined and the main developments in promoting mental health are discussed. It is suggested that attempts to address the needs arising as a result of ‘the Troubles’ and more general mental health promotion strategies have, to some extent, developed in parallel and that it may be important to integrate these efforts. Routine screening, in primary care and mental health services for trauma, including Troubles-related trauma, is recommended to identify and address these issues on an individual level. However, the authors also argue that more substantial political change is needed to effectively address societal division, inequality and stigma to the benefit of all.