Surge in young people accessing mental health services due to money worries, charity says

The annual report from Jigsaw said it accepted more than 11,000 referrals last year, a 23% increase from 2024.

A sense of disconnection and increased levels of anxiety among young people, driven significantly by money worries, have led to a surge of mental health referrals, a charity has said.

The annual report from Jigsaw said it accepted more than 11,000 referrals last year, a 23% increase from 2024.

The demand has continued to rise in 2026, with referrals rising by a further 33% in the first quarter alone.

The national youth mental health charity has warned the demand “is accelerating at an unprecedented pace".

Jigsaw chief executive Dr Joseph Duffy, said there was a real sense “for young people of feeling disconnected, of increased anxiety”. 

 “[There is] a real sense of having difficulty coping in terms of economic pressure, that sense that there is quite a fractured world around them,” he told the Irish Examiner.

“And I think one of the big things that does arise is, as we know, adolescence is an important transition time where you are transitioning from childhood to adulthood.

“And what you want is that to be as smooth a journey as possible. But I think within the world as it is now, and in terms of how fast information comes to people, all of those different things, it can be very difficult. So it is about trying to help young people get some skills to be able to manage that a bit more,” Dr Duffy added.

The 11,064 referrals made in 2025 are the “highest level” in the charity’s 20-year history. It added it had also halved national wait times from eight weeks to four, while also engaging with 623 post-primary schools countrywide.

Looking into the first quarter of 2026 so far, 3,909 referrals have been made. This is a 33% increase when compared to the first quarter of 2025 at 2,946.

Mr Duffy said looking at the data, it is “a really good thing” the understanding of young people about their own mental health has increased.

“There’s a greater propensity or greater understanding or greater willingness for them to participate,” he said.

He highlighted how a programme which Jigsaw delivers for children transitioning from sixth class into secondary school has brought young people into the conversation of asking for help.

“The parents then might ring up on their behalf and will say: ‘There was a talk in school about Jigsaw, I’m worried about something. Can I come along and see somebody?’ 

“It’s also positive that we will have young people and friends referring other friends, and we have people who are in relationships thinking about the boyfriend or the girlfriend who might be struggling and might need a bit of support,” Mr Duffy added.