065 671 9021
MAR 24 2022
clareecho.ie
A TRUE PATRIOT
Young people at risk as mental health waiting times spiral
PÁRAIC McMAHON
paraic@clareecho.ie
N Kathleen Guilfoyle, better known across Co Clare as Mrs Guilfoyle, stands outside her home in Feakle waving the Irish flag on St Patrick’s Day
Photo by Ruth Griffin
UMBERS of young people in Clare awaiting mental health appointments have risen by 34% in three years, with some youths on the waiting list for up to two years. At the end of 2021, 82 people from the county were waiting on appointments with the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). Not alone is the amount of persons on the list growing but so too is the waiting times, last year 10 individuals were left waiting between one to two years for an appointment with CAMHS. This compares with 74 at the end of 2020 and
61 for 2019. Annual figures for 2022 are not yet available, the HSE stated in response to a query from Cllr Cillian Murphy (FF) at Tuesday’s meeting of the Regional Health Forum. For 2019, the amount of persons waiting up to three months for an appointment was 43 compared with 14 (3-6 months), 3 (6-9 months) and 1 (9-12 months). Numbers rose in 2020, the 0-3 month period included 31 persons with 10 (3-6 months), 7 (6-9 months), 8 (9-12 months), 4 (15-18 months) while a total of 14 people were waiting over a year for an appointment. Last year, 33 individuals were on the waiting list for between 0-3 months, 19 (3-6 months), 14 (6-9 months), 6 (9-12 months), 2 (1518 months), 5 (18-21 months) and 3 (21-24 months).