MEMBERS of the clergy in Fermanagh have been left “exhausted” as they deal with more and more people suffering from depression, a health professional has said.
Raymond Farrell, a mental health practitioner, has also claimed that one person a day is admitted to South West Acute Hospital with mental health issues. 
With £9.5million spent on anti depressants by the Western Health and Social Trust, Mr. Farrell is calling on a “new and dynamic approach” in dealing with the issue.
“The Western Trust can only work within resources available and we need a blank page full of new evidence based initiatives to support the people as well as staff in the region who are working flat out and deserve our utmost appreciation and respect. Mental illness is not just the Western Trust’s business, it is everyone’s business,” he told The Impartial Reporter.
Mr. Farrell believes the core of the issue is in early investment into “resilience based strategies” into play schools so that children from a very early age can avail of such services.
“The ethos of a school must have resilience and confidence building for each and every child and our teachers need the tools from their training onwards,” he said.
Another option, explained the Ballinamallard man, could be the appointment of a community mentor scheme in which people from the community are trained and skilled in providing psychiatric first aid to their youth group, sports club, community organisation and church. 
“Mental health First Aid needs to be incorporated into every organisational activity rather than in some cases a fully fledged mental health group. A mentor can be the taxi driver, bar staff and village hair dressers who see warning signs in people and have the necessary skills to provide early support and sign posting on.
“I also believe the clergy need support to have the resources to support their parishioners and not be afraid to bring the subject up in the pulpits. I know many clergy in Fermanagh do and many off them feel exhausted and need support themselves.
An innovative approach of a cafe style drop in centre is also something that has been trialled in England and results show a reduction in 33 per cent admissions to hospital,” said Mr. Farrell.
“This safe haven should and could be manned by a trained councillor and volunteers as many people could receive the support and sign posting they need at the right time and so preventing further crisis. Rural Fermanagh needs investment,” said Mr. Farrell.