‘Toxic’ influences impacting mental health – council hears

A hit Netflix series that has reportedly stoked parental anxieties over the toxic influences young people are exposed to online has made its way as a reference point in a debate at Cavan County Council.

'Adolescence' – on which Hollywood A-lister Brad Pitt works as an executive producer – is about a 13-year-old British boy Jamie who is arrested on suspicion of a horrifying crime.

The four-part mini series has grabbed the attention of many, not least UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recently told the Westminster parliament he was watching it at home with his two teenage children.

“The programme was frightening,” stated Fianna Fáil's Patricia Walsh. She told the April monthly meeting of Cavan County Council that she had watched it with her grandchildren, and said viewing it had been an “education”.

She also recommended that her fellow councillors also watch the show, which has resonated with audiences globally in the way it highlights incel (involuntary celibacy) culture among males who then harbour a hatred of the opposite sex as a result.

Cllr Walsh was responding to an item on the agenda tabled by Independent Brendan Fay, who asked that the council write to the HSE, Minister for Health, for Education, for Enterprise and other other relevant departments, asking that a co-ordinated national mental health initiative be rolled out.

Of concern, said Cllr Fay, were “isolated and vulnerable” members of the community, especially those exposed most by the recent Storm Éowyn black-outs.

He told the meeting that COVID-19 had also “exacerbated” mental health problems, while there are increasing concerns among young people due to a range of factors such as social media, academic pressures and a growing sense of isolation.

There are “vulnerabilities” identified too among elderly members of the community, persons with disabilities, and other “marginalised” groups, with access to services a major “barrier”.

Schools, Cllr Fay thinks, can play a “critical” role in terms of “early intervention”, and he encouraged employers to also adopt mental health policies, provide necessary resources, and create supportive environments that prioritise well-being.

He wants to see greater community involvement as well, and awareness campaigns to target a reduction in the stigma around people accessing mental health supports.

The Belturbet man asked that any such initiative be fully funded by the government, with regular monitoring to check its effectiveness and the quality of services being offered.

The motion was supported by Sinn Féin's Stiofán Conaty who suggested that the world now is a “tougher” place to grow up in than it was for his generation. “We didn't have the scourge of social media to deal with.”

He agreed that a stigma still exists in Ireland around mental health concerns, and hoped that resilience training could be “built into the curriculum” at school level.

Fianna Fáil's Áine Smith, a teacher, was quick to point out that positive mental health is addressed in Social, Personal and Health Education class. But she said that “only so much can be done at school”.

Cathaoirleach T.P. O'Reilly suggested there is still “a lot to learn” on the subject, and especially from young people. He said people often appeared fine on the outside, but encouraging them to speak to others on “dark days” is important.

“It can be difficult place for people to be, and to see beyond that. But we have to be there.”