Major barriers to mental health support for homeless, report says

Vivienne Clarke

Nearly nine in 10 homeless service providers have said staff shortages and long waiting lists are major barriers to mental health supports for users.

Homeless charity Depaul said about one in 20 of its service users have access to a psychiatric nurse, while one in 10 can speak to a counsellor.

It said there is a disconnect between homelessness, addiction and mental health services, which need to work together to keep people off the streets.

David Carroll, the chief executive of Depaul, said services need to be restructured to help people move forward successfully from homelessness.

He told RTÉ's Morning Ireland that the majority of people Depaul helps suffer from mental health challenges, including depression and anxiety. Many also have complex underlying issues, such as addiction, and resources need to be pumped into the system to assist them.

The details were revealed in a new report titled Breaking the Cycle: Addressing Mental Health and Homelessness Through Integrated Care that was jointly produced by Depaul and Mental Health Ireland.

Mr Carroll described the mental health system as a "major, major challenge. We need specific access to consult psychiatry. We need more community psychiatry nurses and we need to support our existing staff to be equipped in the best possible way to deal with what they're facing on a day-to-day basis as well."

The report said 16 per cent of Depaul's residents were hospitalised for mental health. That figure rose to 38 per cent among those who self-reported mental health difficulties.

It also highlighted that current practices within community mental health teams – particularly the over-reliance on psychiatrists prescribing medications without holistic interventions – were viewed as "particularly ineffective" by service providers.

Mr Carroll said improvements could be made with better communication and integrated care.

The report pointed out that individuals seeking assistance were told to address their addiction issues before accessing mental health support, despite mental health often being the root issue.

"This creates a cycle where neither service takes responsibility, leaving individuals without help."