Government welcomes the Publication of the National Economic and Social Forum (NESF) Report No. 36: Mental Health and Social Inclusion
Government welcomes the Publication of the National Economic and Social Forum (NESF) Report No. 36: Mental Health and Social Inclusion
The Government today welcomed the publication of the NESF Report No. 36 on Mental Health and Social Inclusion. The NESF has a mandate from Government to monitor and analyse programmes concerned with achieving equality and social inclusion. NESF initiated this work to examine ways of increasing the social inclusion of people with mental ill-health as well as identifying broader strategies and actions for the promotion of mental well-being across Irish society.
The Report makes a number of recommendations to increase social inclusion for those experiencing mental ill-health. The report states that work is the best route to recovery and that there is a strong association between positive mental health and social supports in the community. Other findings include the need for integrated services, reducing stigma and a strengthening of community supports as one of the keys to building social capital.
The Report concludes that mental health is a resource for living which contributes to and enhances the social, human and economic capital of our society. As such, the impacts have to be considered across the breadth of all social, economic and health policies.
The Government has referred the Report and its recommendations for consideration by relevant Ministers.
Ends
14th November 2007