Mental instability high among young people

DYSFUNCTIONAL families, bullying and alcohol abuse are all contributing to a high level of mental instability in young Irish people, a new study has found.

It showed that psychiatric disorders were common in young adolescents.

The study found 20% of young people had a psychiatric disorder.

Most showed signs of depression while others had anxiety and attention deficit problems.

It also found that 5% had suicidal thoughts and 4% had engaged in suicidal behaviour.

The study of more than 700 adolescents aged between 12 and 15 years attending eight secondary schools in north Dublin was conducted by Professor Carol Fitzpatrick, professor of child psychiatry at University College Dublin.

Prof Fitzpatrick said the study found depression was not related to age, gender or socio-economic group or living arrangement.

It was, however, linked to dysfunctional families, bullying and alcohol abuse.

The ISPCC’s director of services Grace Kelly agreed that unhealthy family functioning was linked with mental instability in young people.

In unhealthy family situations, the level of resilience is depleted.

A family that was functioning well, providing somewhere children could go to for help, did not necessarily have to have two parents, Ms Kelly said.

Professor Fitzpatrick’s study, however, found that young people who lived with two parents were significantly more stable than those living in other living situations.