Call for ‘dramatic increase’ in mental health funding due to pandemic

Level of demand on mental health system is ‘beyond crisis point’, according to the Psychological Society of Ireland

Various politicians have given lip service to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on mental health, yet these statements were not followed with action, according to Mark Smyth. Picture: Getty

The Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) has renewed calls for the government to commit to a “dramatic increase” in mental health funding due to the “exponential growth” in the number of people seeking help.

Mark Smyth, former president of the PSI and a clinical psychologist, told the Business Post that psychology professionals felt that they were “holding the finger in the dam” of swelling demand for mental health services, which has been exacerbated by the ...