The increasing closures of rural pubs and changes in agricultural practices which see more older farmers facing isolation has been the motivation for the first project of its type which is being set up in the South-West region to tackle mental health issues.
The Wellbeing and Recovery College will be launched by rural charitable development company IRD Duhallow on September 18 at its headquarters at the James O’Keeffe Memorial Centre in Newmarket, Co Cork.
Shane McHugh, a rural community health worker with IRD Duhallow, said social isolation could be a big problem in rural areas such as Duhallow (North-West Cork), which is deemed by the EU to be a disadvantaged region.
He said people could live a long way from services, which is an issue. In addition, he said they are particularly concerned about men, especially those living on their own, not being able to socialise as more and more pubs are closing in rural regions.
Some villages in the Duhallow region have no pubs left at all.
“Farming has also changed. More people are getting out of it and the average age of farmers is going up all the time,” he said.
“Farmers had the back-up of neighbours before if a tractor broke down. Now they [tractors] are more complicated and need specialists to fix them, so they don’t have the same interaction with their neighbours,” Mr McHugh said.
To address the issues, IRD Duhallow is organising a series of modules starting on September 18 from 10am to 1pm and thereafter at the same times on every Thursday until November 18.
People can simply walk into the centre and have face-to-face meetings with medical professionals working in the mental health field.
They will also get the chance, if they want, to listen to others who have suffered from mental health issues and hear from families about the impact a loved one having problems had on their own lives.
Mr McHale said after the November 18 module, the IRD Duhallow group will assess what more needs to be done to help combat rural isolation and mental health issues.
He said those who attend the special meetings “will provide vital feedback” which will enable the team to provide enhanced modules into the future.
The 38-year-old knows a lot about depression as he freely admits he was diagnosed with it when he was 23.
Originally from a rural part of Co Mayo, he fully understands how rural isolation can impact people.
“The meetings are open to everybody in the Duhallow area and from further afield, for that matter. People can just show up in person of if they wish to book a one-to-one meeting, they can make an appointment by ringing me at 086-811 7526,” Mr McHale said.
This is yet another initiative from IRD Duhallow to lessen the impact of social isolation.
It has a call service for people who are vulnerable and lonely in the community. This peaked during covid, when it was handling up to 700 phone calls a day.
After covid those who operated the service compiled a list of the worries people spoke about.
Chief among them was the fear due to movement restrictions they would die on their own and only a handful of people would be allowed to attend their funeral.