EAP and COVID-19: Sharing the Vision: A mental Health Policy for Everyone

Abstract

The publication of the Vision for Change mental health policy in 2006 set a high standard for the development of mental health policy in Ireland. As a result, there have been many important changes in the past decade aimed at improving people’s health and wellbeing. In recent times, mental health has received much attention. The outbreak of COVID 19 throughout the world created significant stress, anxiety, worry and fear for many people. The disease itself was further compounded by other impacts such as social isolation, disruption to daily life, uncertainty about employment and financial security. The Government response was rapid and a wholeof-population plan was put in place to support healthcare staff and the general population by providing health and wellbeing advice, resilience based training and providing free online interventions such as counselling and crisis texting for all in need. Indeed, the ability to create additional online interventions to augment existing services with such a wide reach, has in many ways changed how we treat the mild to moderate mental health needs of the population. In many ways the pandemic assisted Ireland to improve public attitudes to mental health because of the statutory, voluntary and community commitment to raising awareness and creating positive changes in how Ireland thinks about and delivers mental health services.