Public health expenditure on mental health peaked in 2018 amounting to ** million euros, the highest expenditure recorded. In 2022, spending on mental health decreased to just ** million euros, likely due to precedence given to the coronavirus pandemic. This statistic displays the capital public health expenditure on mental health in Ireland from 2010 to 2022.

Ireland invested in 2019, around 373.2 million Euros in mental health hospitals. This was an increase of expenditure of almost 90 million Euros since 2014 for these institutions and around four million Euros since 2018.

Ireland invested in 2019 around 23.8 billion Euros in healthcare providers, like hospitals, mental health and substance abuse facilities, medical and diagnostic laboratories, and providers of home health care services and others.

This was an increase of expenditure of over 5.2 billion Euros for such services since 2014 and around 1.3 billion since 2018.

English Irish sample, hierarchical regression models (blocks 1 & 2).

Score distribution for anxiety and depression scale by severity.

Overall sample, hierarchical regression models (blocks 1 & 2).

Moderating effect of vertical and horizontal individualism on time spent on social media on depression (Block 3).

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a significant increase in mental health issues which general practitioners are now witnessing and managing in communities across Northern Ireland. Unfortunately, this new tsunami of patients with mental health issues has put tremendous strain on our already overburdened health system. As a result, Northern Ireland currently holds the unenviable record for prescribing more anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medication than any other country in the world.Methods: Data was obtained from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA), Family Practitioner Services, General Pharmaceutical Services, Annual Statistics 2020/2021 (published June 2021) and 2021/2022 (published June 2022). Data was analysed by age, gender, district, and socioeconomic class on prescription medication [according to the British National Formulary (BNF)].Results: From 2020/2021 to 2021/2022, the prescribing culture for anti-anxiety and/or anti-depressant medication in Northern Ireland did not abate (24% vs. 14%, female to male, respectively). The postcode and index of multiple deprivation (IMD) was analysed and a mean IMD for each constituency was taken as an estimate of the overall IMD to establish if money spent per patient was related to the IMD in each constituency. North Down, South Antrim, and East Antrim were least deprived, as indicated by their high IMD. Whereas, Foyle, and Belfast West were most deprived (low IMD). The cost of mood and anxiety medication per patient was compared against constituency; patients in Belfast West and Belfast North, followed by Foyle, had the highest costs per patient, and the lowest IMD (most deprived).Conclusion: This review concludes that there has been no change in the prescribing culture for anti-anxiety or anti-depressants across Northern Ireland (2020–2022). The cost of mood and anxiety medication per patient did not correlate with the index of multiple deprivation (IMD). Areas of low IMD trended to have higher spend. Is it now time to review the prescribing culture in Northern Ireland and offer greater support to our GPs to initiate a program of deprescribing and manage the wellbeing of our citizens?

Objective: This study aimed to describe the provision of consultation-liaison psychiatry (CLP, also known as liaison psychiatry) services in acute hospitals in Ireland, and to measure it against recommended resourcing levels.Methods: This is a survey of all acute hospitals in Ireland with Emergency Departments, via an electronic survey sent by email and followed up by telephone calls for missing data. Data were collected on service configuration, activity, and resourcing. Data were collected from CLP or proxy services at all acute hospitals with an Emergency Department in Ireland (n = 29). This study measured staffing and activity levels where available.Results: None of the services met the minimum criteria set out by either national or international guidance per 500 bed general hospital.Conclusions: CLP is a relatively new specialty in Ireland, but there are clear international guidelines about the staffing levels required to run these services safely and effectively. In Ireland, despite clear national guidance on staffing levels, no services are staffed to the levels suggested as the minimum. It is likely that patients in Ireland's acute hospitals have worse outcomes, and hospitals have unnecessary costs, due to this lack. This is the first study of CLP provision in Ireland and demonstrates the resource constraints under which most services work and the heterogeneity of services nationally.