Students drop out due to mental troubles

GROWING levels of mental-health problems associated with drink, drugs and marriage breakdowns are causing teenagers to fall behind or drop out of school, guidance counsellors have warned.

Institute of Guidance Counsellors (IGC) president Frank Mulvihill said his members see evidence of these problems every week.

The situation has reached such a stage that mental health and a significant change in the nature of issues faced by guidance counsellors will dominate discussions at the IGC annual conference next month.

“Unfortunately, counselling is not treated with the seriousness it should get in some schools. But if this was addressed early on in second level and students were given the one-to-one support they might need, there would be less problems in society afterwards, we’d have to spend less on law and order or prisons,” Mr Mulvihill said.

“Kids very often don’t fulfil their potential because of major issues in their lives. Marital separation has increased dramatically in the last 10 years, and it can be like a bereavement for young people. They may also be affected by bullying or various problems at home.”

He said these issues can have a profound effect on young people, leading to them becoming introverted, losing self esteem and failing to reach their potential.

“We can’t always solve the problem but we try and help young people cope with the issues and this can help reduce drop-out rates.”

He said there is no comparison between the levels of alcohol and drug abuse among teenagers now and 10 years ago, causing huge problems in some schools.

“The biggest issue among young people from all backgrounds is the drink culture. They’re drinking from a very early age and coming to schools in the morning, maybe not with hangovers, but they’re not fully alert because of drinking at the weekend,” he said.

He was speaking ahead of the IGC conference in Killarney, where the keynote speaker will be Dr Tony Bates, chief executive of Headstrong, the National Centre for Youth Mental Health in Ireland. He will explain to delegates the kind of role they can play in providing more effective care to young people.

A number of workshops will allow the counsellors — who also work in third-level colleges, adult education centres, FÁS training centres, prisons and the health service — to discuss their changing role addressing the growing problems facing young people.