AS BAD as the rest of 2020 became, do you recall that January started with a spate of suicides in Northern Ireland, including, tragically, that of an 11-year-old?

And that was before the psychological pressure that Covid put on many of us.

Do you also realise it’s estimated that 213,000 people are affected by mental health issues in the supposed post-conflict era, many of them transferred down through generations?

And do you remember the statistic that, in the 20 years after the Good Friday Agreement, up to the year 2018, more than 5,000 people died through suicide – that’s well over 1,000 more than those who died violently in The Troubles?

At this time of year, we often use the term “the empty chair” and behind that expression many people struggle at Christmas as they remember loved ones that used to share happy festive times with us; memories of people over the years, however they passed away.

This year, as we particularly consider the stressful impact of Covid, we focus again – and I stress ‘again’, because it is a recurring theme for our society – on our mental health.

Over the years, this newspaper has reported on many tragedies, which is an extremely difficult part of its role, and sometimes I reflect on my tenure as editor and know that there were times when I didn’t get the sensitivities right.

Behind every single statistic is the tragic and emotional loss of a loved one.

I’ve been thinking particularly of Mickey McPhillips, whose recent death shocked me immensely, such was his gentle nature and sense of humour.

The tributes to him were very touching, and I often think that, when people get to such a dark place, I hope they know how much they’re loved and the esteem they’re held in.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family; I know his brothers, Richie, Tony and Jimmy, in particular, and they are a fine family.

Thoughtful

It’s typical of them to think of others just now, and I must commend Richie for his brave and thoughtful Facebook post in which he spoke about Mickey, and acknowledged the many other families who, like them, were asking, ‘Why?’

Richie spoke about the state of mental health in our society, and asked what was being done for people.

The area of mental health, he said, was still grossly underfunded and he acknowledged that great work is being done by many organisations and individuals. But they are battling against the sheer size of the problem.

I was especially struck when Richie said that “people-power and empathy can be a great catalyst for change”.

We can all play a part in helping others, and we all need to be mindful of the difficulties that many people are going through.

The stark and very concerning high rates of suicide are the tip of the iceberg in some ways, because the pressures and pace of life these days are such that many people who appear okay to us are struggling inside with worry, anxiety and depression.

Worries

Sometimes, their worries are situational, in that there appears to be a reason for it, should it be financial or a family situation, or whatever.

Sometimes, such is the nature of mental health, there doesn’t appear to be a reason for it, and depression can strike out of the blue.

We need to understand more. Indeed, loneliness is a massive issue for many people, and has been for some time, and not just during the pandemic.

One of the organisations which plays a vital role is the Aisling Centre in Enniskillen, which has been helping people for 30 years now.

In its annual report this year, there’s a great article by Dr. Agatha Stanek, who told her story earlier this year at the Aisling Centre’s ‘Hope, Healing and Growth’ event.

Her journey began when she experienced depression in her teens, and over the years has fought it.

“It came on quite insidiously, I felt anxious and tearful, my sleep pattern and appetite became disturbed and I noticed a loss of enjoyment from activities that gave me pleasure before.

“Christmas was a crisis point for me; the future was bleak – it was simply unbearable,” she said.

Her story concluded with the advice: “Never lose hope, and don’t be ashamed to ask for help.”

On January 9, the Aisling Centre will again hold its Hope, Healing and Growth event, this time virtually, when motivational speakers will tell their life stories.

Find out more at https://tinyurl.com/yb76ur7x.

Hope, of course, is important and it’s vital that we encourage people to have hope. Where are we without it? Christian churches have been marking Advent, with the anticipation of the coming of Christ. The candles we light symbolise hope, love, joy and peace.

Optimistic

The arrival of the Covid vaccine is a reason to be optimistic, and although we cannot and should not diminish the stress and worry that people are feeling just now, we must still encourage hope.

Covid will pass. We need also to realise that while there is so much attention on the pandemic, our mental health issues have been described as an epidemic, and one that has been going on for years.

We need to talk about it and we need a co-ordinated approach to address it. This involves the administration at Stormont, the many organisations such as Action Mental Health and, indeed, us as individuals.

The Minister for Health, Robin Swann, said this week that mental health and suicide prevention were a priority for the Executive.

We’ve been hearing that for years, so we need to hold him to that. An action plan, fully resourced, needs to be implemented now.

Waiting times for mental health services in Northern Ireland are 24 times longer than in England and Wales, which shows the extent of resources needed.

Government action, if it comes, doesn’t let us all off the hook; we need to be mindful of others, we need to be more caring and kind; and be open to the stresses and strains that others are going through, but hiding.

Outlining her journey, Dr. Agatha Stanek said battling anxiety and depression is not glamorous, and feels like something we should hide.

As a society, we need to open up to this problem and seriously address it.