Trauma from problems reflected in higher rates of mental health problems among young people in Northern Ireland – The Irish Times

The intergenerational impact of the problems is reflected in higher rates of mental health problems among young people in Northern Ireland, a leading psychiatrist said.

dr Ciaran Mulholland, consultant psychiatrist at the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, said a 2020 study showed that one in 20 young people in Northern Ireland had a stress-related mental disorder.

“When a young person’s family is affected by the problems, they are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, or engage in self-injurious behavior,” said Dr. Mulholland at a conference in Dublin on Tuesday.

“Many older people are still living with clinically significant PTSD and are not being treated,” added Dr. Added Mulholland. Since 2015 he has been the clinical director of the Regional Trauma Network, which was established to address the psychological consequences of the problems. The network coordinates services across the statutory sector and 48 providers in the community and voluntary sectors.

according to dr Mulholland’s trauma isn’t over yet. “Every year there are killings and punitive attacks, and every week there are new survivors and victims. Northern Ireland has one of the highest rates of antidepressant use [usage] in the world,” he said.

The 2020 Youth Wellbeing Prevalence Survey “showed that 1.5 percent of young people experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and 3.4 percent experience complex post-traumatic stress disorder,” said Dr. Mulholland. He acknowledged that emotional, physical and/or sexual abuse and experience of the riots accounted for that number.

The same survey, which examined young people across communities in both urban and rural parts of Northern Ireland, found that one in four said the problems were affecting their families.

23 per cent of young people and 43 per cent of adults also said paramilitaries continue to foment fear and intimidation in Northern Ireland almost 25 years after the Belfast Accords were signed.

dr Mulholland, speaking at a panel on the impact of conflict on civilians and combatants as part of Creative Brain Week at Trinity College Dublin, said studies had also shown the long-term effects of the riots on those who experienced the violence of the 1970s and 1980s Years.

Around 3,800 people have applied for compensation under the Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme since it was set up in 2021. “Most of these payments are for psychological reasons. It’s very important to acknowledge people’s experiences and to acknowledge the hurt and suffering they have endured,” said Dr. Mulholland to The Irish Times.

Personally said Dr. Mulholland, while an optimist, believed that until “there is a common culture in Northern Ireland” the possibility of conflict remained.

He said: “Not enough people are aware of the risks of violence. Young people in Northern Ireland have the same international culture but they don’t share the same local culture and sport.”

dr Mulholland is the lead author of a forthcoming research paper on the impact of family paramilitarism experience on young people’s mental health.