The chief executive of St Patrick's Mental Health Services has said the pandemic has had a significant psychological impact on people with an increase of 15-20% in reports of mental health difficulties.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Paul Gilligan said that mental health services are struggling with staffing but that collaboration between independent, voluntary and statutory groups means there are plenty of supports available for people.
He said: "We need to give people permission to acknowledge [their difficulties] while also focusing on empowerment, recovery and optimism and emphasising that people should not underestimate their own inner resilience." He said that with the appropriate support people "can and should expect to live a