Abstract
This chapter describes the evolution of Irish mental health services. In ancient times, Ireland had one of the most progressive approaches to people who suffered from disorders of mind and spirit. The Republic of Ireland, referred to throughout this chapter as Ireland, is an independent country making up the majority of the island of Ireland. Its only land border is with Northern Ireland, a part of the United Kingdom located on the northeastern part of the island. The health status of the population has improved since the 1970s, with mortality rates decreasing markedly in most disease areas. The health status of the adult homeless population is also less than the population average. Homeless adults suffer from a substantially greater burden of ill health, including depression, hypertension, hepatitis, alcoholism and illicit drug use. In Ireland, the Department of Health, Children, under the direction of the minister for health and ministers for state, has overarching responsibility for health and personal social services.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
