A DOCUMENTARY that has just premiered at the Dublin International Film Festival exposes alarming Traveller mental health issues and extremely high rates of suicide within the community.
Mind Your Head has taken three years to make and features 37-year-old Dublin born Andy Spoore’s battle against depression and rehabilitation from living on the streets of Chelmsford, Essex.
A study in March 2019 by The Traveller Movement found that, in Ireland, Travellers have a suicide rate 6.6 times higher than non-Travellers, with young Traveller men aged 15-25 being particularly affected. It is believed those statistics have not improved and up to date UK figures are yet to be published.
Co-directors James Quinn-McDonagh and Saga Torkelson made Mind Your Head in a bid to highlight and improve mental health within the travelling community, which at present is a subject many Travellers refuse to talk about.
The film considers the impacts of trauma and the consequences of being made to feel ashamed about mental health issues and barriers preventing access to proper support.
James Quinn-McDonagh and Andy SpooreThe star of cult movie Knuckle, Quinn-McDonagh was shocked by a friend he called a blood brother who tragically ended his life even though he appeared to have everything to live for.
Along this three-year journey the former bare-knuckle boxer has lost friends and family and is determined to improve mental health within the community.
"The goal of the film is to save one life, saving two would be priceless," he said.
“Traveller men feel they are not sick – when clearly, they are and do nothing about it but commit suicide. Enough is enough.
“It is a problem that can be fixed,” added Quinn McDonagh, who has also suffered depression before reaching out to The Samaritans and friends.
After the premiere at the Light House Cinema as part of the Dublin International Film Festival, Traveller John Connors, star of Love/Hate and Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen, conducted a Q and A.
He is keen to support the film.
“I am honoured to be part of it myself,” said London-born Connors.
“It is close to my own heart – my father died this way and I know of many other people as well.
“It is something we have to fight directly. Amongst Irish Travellers, we have the highest suicide rate per capita.”
Before making the documentary Torkelson had no interaction with Travellers at all.
“I knew very little about the culture and had only ever obviously heard the stereotypes,” she said.
“This topic is not widely spoken about within communities.
"Difficulties accessing mental healthcare are also linked to apprehension about seeking help and feeling misunderstood or treated unsympathetically by healthcare workers because of their ethnicity, and partly linked to difficulties asking for help at all.
“The experiences I have had over these last three years have highlighted what a strong and connected community that exists within the travelling community.
"I have seen a community with huge love and loyalty for one another, a community that is capable of immense kindness and compassion. I have also observed a hugely resilient and creative community.
“Sadly, that is not often the story that is told and it still seems that being hateful to Travellers remains the last and most significant form of racism.”
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