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.