Northern
Ireland
M e n t a l H e a l t h i n N o r thern I rel and:
Fundamental Facts
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2016
Developing an understanding of the fundamental facts
around mental health clarifies exactly what challenges
we face as individuals, families and communities. As
a UK research, policy and innovation charity that is
committed to building public knowledge and advocacy
around mental health, Mental Health Foundation intends
that our annual Fundamental Facts illustrate the scale
of the challenge and stimulate debate to create change.
Facts on mental health help inform and influence public
debate, can generate greater public awareness and
ultimately change people’s lives for the better.
What should you know about
mental health in Northern
Ireland?
Mental health problems can damage lives and weaken
society yet three quarters of those with mental health
problems receive no ongoing treatment. Mental Health
Foundation’s contribution focusses on prevention:
The figure of 1 in 4 that is used across the
UK for the number of people experiencing
a mental health problem during any
one year comes from the 2007 Adult
Psychiatric Morbidity Survey. This 2007
Survey reported Northern Ireland as
having a 20-25% higher prevalence rate
of mental health problems than the rest
of the UK, with associated costs running
at £3.5 billion1. The Adult Psychiatric
Morbidity Survey is being repeated
this year and will be used to update the
Fundamental Facts in October.
• preventing mental health problems from developing
in the first instance,
• preventing mental health problems from getting any
worse by providing early interventions to individuals
and families experiencing distress, and
• preventing mental health problems from having longterm or life-long impacts by supporting recovery.
As a research charity we know that the evidence exists to
achieve the transformation of Northern Ireland’s mental
health through prioritisation of investment in prevention.
Of course, we also need to invest in research and data
to ensure that we get a clear picture of what the mental
health issues are, who they affect, and what works to
build a mentally healthy society. This includes ending
stigma and discrimination against people with mental
health problems and their families. At the moment only
5.5% of health research funding goes to mental health.
Fundamental Facts is updated annually to celebrate
World Mental Health Day in October. Mental Health
Foundation’s researchers also produce a wide range of
evidence based, mental health information available free
on www.mentalhealth.org.uk.
•
Online A-Z
•
How to Guides (online and in booklet form)
•Infographics
Keep in touch with our work by signing up to our
e-newsletter and following us on Twitter @mentalhealth.
2
is a very significant overall treatment gap
in mental healthcare, with about 75%
of people with mental health problems
receiving no treatment at all. Only 13%
of the NHS healthcare budget is spent
on mental health problems. Figures for
Northern Ireland for the period 20062007 placed spending at 9.3% of public
expenditure, despite the overall cost
in that region being greater than all
conditions combined3.
Depending on the questions asked by
different surveys, the rates of mental
health problems in Northern Ireland vary.
The 2011 Census found that 1 in 5 people
in Northern Ireland reported having
mental health problems.
Mental health legislation
In Northern Ireland, between 2013
and 2014, there were 996 compulsory
admissions into hospitals under the
Northern Ireland Mental Health Order
(1986)4 . Of these admissions:
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In the 2013-2014 Northern Ireland Health
Survey 19% of respondents showed
signs of mental ill health. Of these, 45%
of females and 29% of males were
taking medication for stress, anxiety or
depression. A total of 268 suicides were
registered in 2014 and from this figure,
over 75% (207) of suicides were male2.
54.7% were males
45.3 % were females
2.4% were aged under 18
47.1% were aged 18-44
28.2% were aged 45–64
7.1% were aged 65-74
15.2% were aged 75 and over
Compulsory admissions into
hospitals under the Nortern
Ireland Health Order
The cost of mental health
problems
We have very limited information on the
costs of mental health to the Northern
Ireland economy and society compared
to other parts of the UK. The last costing
of mental health problems in Northern
Ireland was the 2004 ‘Counting the
Cost’ study.
Mental health problems constitute
the largest category of NHS ‘disease’
expenditure in the UK. Despite this, there
3
Access to postnatal mental
health services
Eighty of women in Northern Ireland have
no access to specialist perinatal support.
To put this in context, this figure sits at
40% in both Scotland and England, and
at 70% in Wales5.
Abuse and neglect
Adverse, traumatic experiences including
abuse in childhood can lead to significant
mental health problems. The rate of
children subject to Child Protection
Plans and on Child Protection Registers
has increased in all four parts of the UK.
Between 2002 and 2014, there was an
increase of 31% in Northern Ireland which
was notably lower than in England (72%),
Wales (72%) and Scotland (51%)6. During
this period, the population of children
declined in Northern Ireland, as well as
Wales and Scotland, and increased in
England.
Dementia
What is missing?
In 2013, there were 815,827 people living
with dementia in the UK. This means
that 1 in every 79 people of the total UK
population, and 1 in 14 people aged 65
years and over, had dementia. Of the total
amount of people living with dementia,
2% lived in Northern Ireland with the
majority living in England (84%)11 .
When exploring the extent to which
mental health problems affect Northern
Ireland, and the factors relating to mental
health problems, data was far more limited
in comparison with England in particular,
but also when compared to Wales and
Scotland. There were notable restrictions
as a result of this lack of statistics.
In Northern Ireland between 2013 and
2014, 12,741 patients enrolled in a patient
education/self-management programme,
which was a 10% increase from the
previous year. Of these, 18% attended a
programme specifically for dementia12.
Mental Health Foundation has an
extensive dementia programme.
Statistics were more readily available
detailing treatment and care for mental
health in Northern Ireland through
data available through the Department
of Health, Social Services and Public
Safety14.
Informal care
A health survey conducted in Northern
Ireland between April 2013 and March
2014 with over 4,500 responses, revealed
that 52% of carers spent 20 hours or
more per week caring for someone13.
In 2014, there were 1,914 children in
Northern Ireland subject to a child
protection act7. The number was
significantly higher in England at 48,3008
as well as in Scotland (2,882)9 and Wales
(3,135)10.
We are actively lobbying for more mental
health data to be made available and
for greatly increased transparency so
that people can have information on the
prevalence of different mental health
issues in their area and the services
available to help people manage their
mental health problems and to prevent
them occurring.
We will publish an updated Fundamental
Facts every year. New and updated data
will mean that users of Fundamental
Facts can be confident that the content
is current.
When it came to the cost of mental health
services, there are some figures relating
to the economic factors15 available for
Northern Ireland, but the information
is not conclusive and there is a severe
lack of on the other determinants of
mental health, such as the cost of lost
employment, poverty and violence on
people’s wellbeing.
There is also an absence of information
on mental health across all stages of the
life course, and for different groups and
populations such as BME groups, LGBT,
carers, homeless, refugees and asylum
seekers.
It should also be noted that being
on the child protection register may
include children held to be at risk of
abuse Therefore this may lead to figures
being either an overestimation or an
underestimation of the issue.
Similar to the rest of the UK, there is
an urgent need for research and data
gathering on prevention and early
intervention for mental health.
4
5
References
11. Prince M, Knapp M, Guerchet M, McCrone P, Prina M, Comas-Herrera A, Witten-
1. Friedli, L. and Parsonage, M. (2007). Mental health promotion: Building an economic
berg R, Adelaja B, Hu B, King D, Rehill A, Salimkumar D . (2014). Dementia UK: The
case. [online] Northern Ireland Mental Health Association, pp.1-59. Available at: http://
Second Edition. London: Alzheimer’s Society.
www.chex.org.uk/media/resources/mental_health/Mental%20Health%20Promo-
12. The Department of Health (2015). Social Services, and Public Safety: Patient
tion%20-%20Building%20an%20Economic%20Case.pdf [Accessed 1 Sep. 2015].
Eduaction/ Self-Management Programmes for People with Long Term Conditions
2. Walker, H., Scarlett, M. and Williams, B. (2014). Health Survey Northern Ireland: First
(2013/14). [pdf] Available at http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/
results 2013/2014. [online] Belfast: Public Health Information & Research Branch,
index/statistics/pesmp-ltc-ni-13-14.pdf [accessed August 2015]
Information Analysis Directorate. Available at: http://www. dhsspsni.gov.uk/hsni-first-
13. The Department of Health (2015). Social Services and Public Safety: Quarterly
results-13-14.pdf [Accessed 25 Aug. 2015].
Carers’ Statistics for Northern Ireland. [pdf]. Available at http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/
3. Friedli, L. and Parsonage, M. (2007). Mental health promotion: Building an economic
index/statistics/carers-ni-q4-14-15.pdf [accessed August 2015]
case. [online] Northern Ireland Mental Health Association, pp.1-59. Available at: http://
14. http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/index/statistics/cc-adults-ni-13-14.pdf
www.chex.org.uk/media/resources/mental_
http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/index/statistics/carers-ni-q4-14-15.pdf
health/Mental%20Health%20Promotion%20-%20Building%20an%20Econom-
http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/index/statistics/pesmp-ltc-ni-13-14.pdf
ic%20Case.pdf [Accessed 1 Sep. 2015].
http://www.rqia.org.uk/cms_resources/Craigavon%20Area%20Hospital,%20
4. O’Donnell,M., Taggart, K. (2014). Hospital Statistics: Mental Health and Learning
SHSCT%20-%203%20December%202013.pdf
Disability :2013/14. Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety. Availa-
http://www.westerntrust.hscni.net/pdf/Operational_Policy_for_Electroconvulsive_
ble at: http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/mhld-annualreport-13-14.pdf
Therapy_for_Inpatients_and_Outpatients.pdf
5. Bauer, A., Parsonage, M., Knapp, M.,Iemmi, V., & Adelaja, B. (2014). The costs of peri-
15. Friedli, L. and Parsonage, M. (2007). Mental health promotion: Building an eco-
natal mental health problems. [online] London: Centre for Mental Health. Available at:
nomic case. [online] Northern Ireland Mental Health Association, pp.1-59. Available
http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/costsof-perinatal-mh-problems [Accessed:
at: http://www.chex.org.uk/media/resources/mental_health/Mental%20Health%20
14 Sept. 2015].
Promotion%20%20Building%20an%20Economic%20Case.pdf [Accessed 1 Sep.
6. Jutte, S. et al. (2015). How safe are our children? The most comprehensive overview
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of child protection in the UK. London: NSPCC.
7. Waugh, I. (2014). Children’s Social Care Statistics for Northern Ireland 2013/14 Table 2.4 Belfast: Northern Ireland, DHSSPS. Available online at http://www.dhsspsni.gov.
uk/child-social-care-13-14.pdf [Accessed August 2015].
8. Department for Education, (2014). Characteristics of children in need in England,
2013-14. [online] London: Crown. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/367877/SFR43_2014_Main_Text.pdf
[Accessed 25 Aug. 2015].
9. Scottish Government (2015) Table 2.1a in Children’s Social Work Statistics Scotland,
2013-14. Available online at http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/03/4375/downloads [Accessed August 2015].
10. Welsh Assembly Government. (2014). Children on child protection register by local authority, category of abuse and age group. [online] https://statswales.wales.gov.uk/
Catalogue/Health-and-Social-Care/Social-Services/Childrens-Services/Service-Provision/childrenonchildprotectionregister-bylocalauthority-categoryofabuse-agegroup
[Accessed August 2015].
F E B R U A RY
2016
mentalhealth.org.uk
The Mental Health Foundation, a UK wide charity, has been in
existence for 65 years. We focus on researching and evaluating
fresh approaches to mental health with a view to advocating
helpful policy change and the roll out of best practice more widely.
Our work is centred on prevention – we believe that there is far
more scope for interventions that prevent people developing
mental health problems and which sustain recovery.
Access to mental health services is critical, but as a society we
also need to focus on bringing down the need for these services
and developing good mental health for all.
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