Over 1,000 children on waiting list more than a year to see a psychologist

Thousands of children in Ireland are currently waiting to see a psychologist.

The number of children seeking medical advice has risen from 6,181 at the beginning of the year to a staggering 6,340. Of these children more than 1,000 have been waiting over a year and more than 100 are under the age of four. According to the Irish Times, Fianna Fail's mental health spokesman James Browne had this to say about the long waiting lists;

“These lengthy waits are not only completely unacceptable from a medical point of view, they are causing immense stress and anxiety to the children and families trapped on the list. This data is yet another illustration of the persistent crisis in the provision of mental health services for children.”

Recent reports have shown that Ireland has some of the highest suicide rates in Europe, so why is it that our mental health services are still lacking? Munster is believed to have felt the worst impact with some of the longest waiting lists in the country. After counties like Cork and Kerry, North Dublin is said to have increasingly growing numbers of children waiting to see a mental health expert. Irish parents have voiced their concerns about these issues for many years but still many young children and teenagers languish on waiting lists with no real solution in sight. If your child is affected by this issue you can contact Aware for more information on where you can receive support.