BPS supports areas for action set out by the Northern Ireland Executive
The BPS has welcomed the publication of the policy areas the Northern Ireland Executive will prioritise in the coming years.
10 March 2025
But the Society has called for the Programme for Government (PfG), which outlines the priorities, to be underpinned by sufficient investment in the psychological workforce.
The PfG highlights key areas for action, including better support for children and young people with special educational needs; ending violence against women and girls; cutting hospital waiting times; and reform and transformation of public services.
Dr Geraldine O'Hare, chair of the BPS Northern Ireland Branch, said:
"The BPS supports these priorities and, together with our members, we have been actively engaging with government and key stakeholders on many of these areas.
"The Executive has recognised the role educational psychologists can play in the delivery of its SEN reforms. But there are many areas where psychologists, as experts in human behaviour, and the wider psychological workforce can make a difference to the lives of people in Northern Ireland. This includes but is not limited to mental health.
"Northern Ireland has the highest prevalence of mental health problems in the UK - with around one-fifth of adults showing signs of a possible mental health problem – and the highest suicide rates, which are very worrying statistics.
"But it has one of the lowest levels of mental health service provision, with a severe shortage of psychologists, meaning that there is limited access to support and longer waiting times for the vital help that people need."
In implementing the Programme for Government, the BPS has said this must be addressed so there is more sustainable funding for mental health services, to ensure psychological therapies are widely available.
The Society reiterated its call for adoption of a trauma-informed, preventative approach to the provision of mental health services, saying embedding psychological expertise across all sectors that impact mental health – such as education and housing – could help address issues such as adverse childhood experiences, addiction, suicide and continuing inter-generational trauma.
It said the PfG delivery must tackle health inequalities, social determinants of health, including psychological wellbeing, and the needs of vulnerable groups, ensuring mental health parity with physical health in policy and funding.