One in five youths engage inself-harm

One in five 12- to 25-year-olds have engaged in self-harm, one in 14 have attempted suicide, and a third who seek formal state help feel it is very difficult to find, according to new data.

The findings come from a 14,306-person study on youth mental health, described as Ireland’s first comprehensive national examination of the country’s youth mental health issues, which will be published today.

According to the Government-backed My WorldSurvey study, the inability to talk about personal problems and the lack of a trusted adult to act as an anchor in their lives are putting young people at serious risk.