Northern Ireland minister welcomes mental health study

A new study in Northern Ireland has been welcomed by the country’s health minister. Research which formed part of the A Flourishing Society – Aspiration for Emotional Health and Wellbeing in Northern Ireland report was carried out by the Northern Ireland Association for Mental Health (NIAMH).

Health minister Michael McGimpsey has said that positive mental health from childhood to later years is crucial to quality of life for the individual, their family and the community, reports mlwmagazine.com.

He told the news provider: “I congratulate NIAMH on producing this insightful and thought-provoking report on improving the mental health and wellbeing of our population.”The minister added that the findings and recommendations in the report were being considered in the development of the health department’s new Promoting Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

Northern Ireland’s chief medical officer, Dr Michael McBride, who commissioned the report, said that the study had highlighted the areas and approaches that needed more focus.”There has been much good work by people in health and social care and in the voluntary and community sectors,” the officer said.

He added that the department intended to build on this good work and to focus more on improving people’s emotional wellbeing, and the new strategy would set out how to achieve the goals.

According to the Office for National Statistics, one in four British adults experience at least one diagnosable mental health problem in any one year.