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Margaret Gibney, who cares for a family member living with psychosis, has highlighted significant shortcomings in how Northern Ireland manages and supports individuals with this serious mental health condition. A primary concern she raises is the absence of reliable, official data on the number of people affected by psychosis and those prescribed antipsychotic medications. This lack of information, Ms. Gibney explains, severely undermines patients’ ability to make informed decisions about their treatment options.
The Department of Health acknowledges these gaps and is reportedly developing a system designed to produce high-quality data aimed at enhancing patient outcomes. However, from Ms. Gibney’s perspective, the current mental health care system frequently misses addressing the underlying causes of psychosis. She criticizes the approach of merely managing symptoms through medication without sufficient follow-up or deeper investigation. Furthermore, she emphasizes that without detailed statistics on medication types and dosages, it is impossible to understand the extent of medication dependency or to ensure proper monitoring of those undergoing treatment.
Psychosis is a complex mental health disorder characterized by a disconnection from reality, which can manifest through hallucinations or delusions. It can occur as an isolated episode or as part of a chronic mental health condition. Treatment typically involves a combination of antipsychotic drugs, therapeutic counseling, and family support to help patients manage symptoms and improve quality of life.
Lisa Morrison, a spokesperson for the mental health group New Script for Mental Health, strongly concurs that the absence of data in Northern Ireland amounts to a form of neglect toward people living with psychosis. She contrasts this with England’s practice of publishing quarterly reports on antipsychotic prescribing, facilitating better tracking of medication effectiveness and patient follow-up care. Morrison describes the lack of similar transparent data in Northern Ireland as “unacceptable,” stressing it impedes proper assessment of psychosis prevalence, impact, and available support services.
Ms. Gibney also notes the dangerous consequences of inadequate treatment choices, detailing how her loved one relives traumatic experiences daily due to psychosis. “To be living in that horror is so distressing that so many do often take their own life,” she says. She argues that medication is too often the sole treatment offered, which can leave patients feeling hopeless when other therapeutic options are not provided. Hospital admissions, she adds, can sometimes be more traumatic for psychosis patients, highlighting the need for earlier intervention and support within community or home settings.
While precise numbers for those awaiting psychosis-specific treatment are unavailable, figures for broader mental health services paint a concerning picture. Thousands of people in Northern Ireland currently wait for mental health care, with some delays extending up to seven years. In early 2024, over 5,700 adults were on waiting lists for initial mental health appointments, although the actual number may be higher due to incomplete data caused by the recent introduction of a new electronic patient record system called Encompass. By the end of 2023, about 6,500 individuals awaited psychological therapies, with the majority experiencing waits longer than the official 13-week target.
The Department of Health states that its mental health strategy includes introducing a regional outcomes framework focused on improving service design, delivery, and accountability. It reports considerable progress in embedding health outcome measures within the Encompass system, which aims to enable consistent data collection across all health trusts, thereby supporting better-informed decisions and improved patient care in the future
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