Survey shows body image impacts the mental health of 72% of Irish teens

Derek Chambers says young people, particularly those experiencing mental health difficulties, are not finding the public ‘conversation’ very helpful and need access to education and other supports.

ULTIMATELY, the way we talk about mental health in this country will influence our potential for mental health promotion, suicide prevention, and help-seeking in a crisis. The way we frame mental health will also influence the experience of those amongst us who are in distress and are dealing with serious mental health difficulty.

In recent years, the conversation on mental health has switched to the whole population and within that, much of our attention is on young people. This is mostly a positive culture shift.