Youth mental health charity Jigsaw reports 'most demanding year' yet

Jigsaw CEO Joseph Duffy said the charity's staff have "remained committed to helping thousands of young people and their families as they navigate increasingly complex mental health challenges". Picture: Moya Nolan

The number of young people seeking help from mental health charity Jigsaw has jumped by 7%, according to a new report.

According to its annual report, 2023 was Jigsaw's “most demanding year” since it was founded 18 years ago.

The charity, which operates 14 services for children and adolescents across the country, also stressed its desire to increase its network “especially in areas of the country where gaps exist, and clearly calls for increased Government funding in Budget 2025”.

The report found:

• 45,376 appointments were offered to young people across its services — a 20.2% increase on 2022;
• 8,952 referrals were made to Jigsaw’s community-based services. That is its highest-ever number of referrals in a single year across its 18-year history (in 2022, it saw 8,404 referrals);
• A total of 146 schools across the country completed One Good School — Jigsaw’s mental health initiative for post primary schools.

The main issues faced by young people who accessed Jigsaw services include:

• Anxiety, low mood, low self-esteem, and isolation;
• 62% of these young people (aged 17-25) reported experiencing moderate to severe distress levels at their first session;
• Among 12– to 16-year-olds, 64% reported experiencing distress within the clinical range at first session.

Jigsaw said it is highlighting the needs of the charity ahead of Budget 2025, which include:

• Providing a wide range of therapeutic supports and services for young people;
• Increase its capacity, reach, and accessibility of its supports and services;
• Ensure Jigsaw’s clinical supports and services are high-quality and impactful.
  
  The charity received €15,788,085 in funding last year, while €2,069,795 were donations (excluding grants and other income).

Speaking at the launch of the report on Monday, its CEO Dr Joseph Duffy stated: “While our annual report launched today points to increased demand (up 7% on 2022) and a growth in the complexity of mental health presentations, it also tells the story of progress.

“The impact of our work over the last 12 months is only made possible through the tireless work of our teams across the country; teams who have remained committed to helping thousands of young people and their families as they navigate increasingly complex mental health challenges”.

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The report also highlights how more than 16,000 people attended mental health workshops and training courses, and almost half a million people accessed online supports through jigsaw.ie.

Siofra McCrum, a youth volunteer at Jigsaw, said: "It has undoubtedly been a very busy and challenging year at Jigsaw. I have witnessed first-hand the impact of this increased demand as a volunteer.

“However, I have also been inspired by how Jigsaw staff and volunteers have responded by doubling down their efforts to provide support to, and advocate for, young people. More funding is needed to continue providing the increasing numbers of young people looking to access Jigsaw with the support they need and deserve."

Jigsaw said its service was created as a response to the growing awareness of the mental health crisis, and by seeing how other countries were trying to address this through early intervention and prevention.