Talk about problems, keep active, eat well and make time to relax ...

One in four people will experience some kind of mental health problem and mental illness ranks with heart disease and cancer among the nation's biggest health problems. On the eve of World Mental Health Day DR MAGGIE McGURGAN tells JANE BELL why we need much better education and understanding

At the Sharp End: Dr Maggie McGurgan, psychiatrist in training

One in four people will experience some kind of mental health problem and mental illness ranks with heart disease and cancer among the nation's biggest health problems. On the eve of World Mental Health Day DR MAGGIE McGURGAN tells JANE BELL why we need much better education and understanding

Tomorrow is World Mental Health Day. What are the key messages and what sorts of activities will be happening around Northern Ireland?

This year the theme is 'Mental Health in a Changing World - The Impact of Culture and Diversity'. Increased immigration to Northern Ireland and the changing population makes this particularly relevant here. Culture is intrinsic to mental health. It affects the way we communicate, how symptoms manifest, the way we cope, social supports and whether we will seek treatment.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists marks the day every year with a public speaking competition for schools aiming to challenge stigma and discrimination. This year we are also launching a competition to come up with a snappy title for the trophy. It's worth 1000 to a local school.

Despite greater awareness these days, is there still a stigma attached to mental health issues?

Unfortunately there is still a huge stigma. People feel very uncomfortable talking about mental illness and the suffering is rarely considered on a par with that of patients with 'physical' ailments. That's why we want to get school pupils talking about the issues so they are more comfortable with their own mental health as well as accepting what other people go through.

Very few people know the basic facts, such as one in four people experience some kind of mental health problem and that mental illness ranks with heart disease and cancer among the nation's biggest health problems so we need much better education and understanding. Media campaigns and celebrities' stories get people talking about the issues and that is a way to begin to tackle stigma.

What is a psychiatrist and what training is involved?

Psychiatrists are medically qualified doctors who specialise in patients with mental health problems, such as depression, schizophrenia, eating disorders, anxieties, phobias and drug and alcohol abuse.

Our training involves five years undergraduate medical training, two years of foundation medical training, three years specialist training in Psychiatry and three years of sub-specialist training focusing on one particular area but often with experience of other areas.

What attracted you to psychiatry as a branch of medicine? What are the challenges and rewards?

As a medical student I had particularly enjoyed my undergraduate experience of psychiatry. On completion of my general training I took up a place on a training scheme to become a GP. My first job was in psychiatry and I enjoyed it so much that I went on to take up a place in a psychiatry training scheme instead. I liked the variety of the work and the integration of skills and disciplines including neuroscience, psychology and social science. Psychiatry is one of the most interesting and rewarding specialities in medicine - treatments really can make a difference to people's lives.

What stage of training are you at and what job do you do?

I am in my third year of speciality training in psychiatry and working in Learning Disability Psychiatry. Patients with a learning disability have difficulties in learning skills or acquiring information at the same rate as most people of the same age. Conditions such as Down's Syndrome can cause learning disability although often no specific cause is identified. Mental health problems are both more common and more difficult to diagnose in people with learning disabilities and psychiatrists are involved in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of these problems throughout a person's life.

While I'm sure no two days are the same, what might be a typical working week for you?

My working week typically involves a mixture of assessing and reviewing in-patients on the wards I cover, seeing new and review patients at clinics and attending meetings with members of the team including nurses, social workers, psychologists and occupational therapists. I also regularly meet with families and carers on home visits.

Once a week I see a patient for a psychotherapy session (a 'talking therapy'). Like all trainees, I attend weekly education sessions focusing on important aspects of patient care or learning from recently published studies as well as taking part in teaching sessions towards my postgraduate exams in psychiatry. I'm also involved in audit and research as part of my work.

Qualifications aside, what personal qualities do you feel are needed for this field of medicine? What are the challenges?

Most important is to have a genuine interest in how other people think and feel. Being sensitive, patient, a good communicator and a team player are also essential. At times it can be challenging coping with the difficult problems patients tell you about but this is minimised by having good working relationships with colleagues within the multidisciplinary team and being able to get support from them.

Trying to maintain a good work/life balance is imperative. With our second baby on the way next month the challenges this can involve are all too familiar!

The message that there is 'no health without mental health' is a very important one. Tips like talking about problems, keeping active, seeing friends, making time to relax and eating well are worth keeping in mind.