IrishMedicalNews

Moloney says admission of depression not a ‘big deal’

Written by Paul Mulholland Monday, 08 February 2010 14:55

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Mental Health Minister John Moloney has said he does not see “any big deal” in his recent admission to a Sunday newspaper that he suffered from stress and depression two years ago.

Minister Moloney revealed that he suffered from depression in 2007 as a result of pain from his trigeminal nerve, which caused him to take four weeks off work.

“I always wanted to come out with this in a way that wasn’t like I was trying to portray myself as a martyr or a crusader because I’m neither of those things,” the Minister told IMN. “But I wanted to try and get people to understand that there is nothing to be ashamed of here.”

Minister Moloney made the announcement in advance of a major mental health campaign entitled “See Change” which aims to reduce the stigma associated with mental health.

As part of the campaign, which will involve numerous community groups, trade unions, and sporting bodies across the country, prominent Irish people from a range of fields will discuss their experiences with mental health problems.

“The whole trick is to try and get people to understand that if there is a time in their lives that they are referred to the mental health services, there should be no big deal about it,” the Minister said.

“The worst thing I find is that people go away and they hide and pretend it is going to come right and they get progressively worse and they get to the point where unfortunately you see things end in tragedy.”

The full details of the See Change campaign are expected to be announced in April.