A Voice for Change
Depaul Ireland’s 2023 Impact Report, A Voice for Change highlights our significant achievements in the face of growing challenges, and shines a light on among other things the crucial intersection of mental health and homelessness. The report showcases the work, resilience, and spirit of our service users, volunteers, and staff while highlighting the growing importance of the services.
Depaul saw a 46% increase in the number of people seeking support compared to 2022. Depaul provided essential support to 10,936 people – 8,445 adults and 2,491 children, including 1,415 families – marking an 85% increase in families seeking help compared to 2022. The scale of the crisis is underpinned by the fact that 18 babies were born into homelessness within Depaul’s services last year, highlighting the urgent need for long-term solutions.
Mental Health Crisis in Homelessness
The report also provides strong evidence that mental health issues are increasingly prevalent in those seeking our support. This is evidenced by the fact that on average 1 in 7 of those seeking temporary accommodation each night are presenting with significant and enduring mental health challenges. Unfortunately, such environments, as temporary accommodation, often worsen conditions like depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and self-harm. In 2023, our staff managed 344 cases of suicidal ideation and many instances of self-harm, despite being under-resourced and under-trained to handle the increasing complexities.
2023 in numbers:
