Four in 10 young people say mental health support not affordable

Research from Mental Health Ireland found four in 10 young adults aged 25-34 cited cost as a barrier to accessing support. For adults aged 65 and over, that number sat at 12%. File picture:  iStock

Nearly half of young people living in Ireland say mental health support is not affordable, according to a new survey.

Research from Mental Health Ireland found four in 10 young adults aged 25-34 cited cost as a barrier to accessing support. For adults aged 65 and over, that number sat at 12%.

The annual survey found the cost barrier factor was up by 5% across all age groups surveyed when compared to 2025.

On what would make it easier to ask for support for their mental health, 44% of respondents said they would like affordable support, while 24% said they would like access to relevant information. 

Some 22% of respondents said they would like support available in their community.

The research, which was launched ahead of World Mental Health Day on Saturday, found 39% of 18- 24-year-olds were “very open” in talking about their own mental health. The figure was 63% for those aged 55-64.

While the survey found 81% of respondents reported openness to talking about their mental health, one in three people said they feared they would make things worse if they tried to support someone else, while 28% said they were not confident they would make a difference.

“The most common barrier to supporting someone else is uncertainty about whether they want help (35%),” Mental Health Ireland said.

“A further 23% said they do not feel informed enough about mental health, while 19% are unfamiliar with the signs that someone needs support."

Some 26% of respondents said not prioritising their own mental health was a barrier, while 22% said they were unsure how to, with another 19% saying lack of time was also a factor.

The survey found money management was the biggest stressor (66%), followed by health and wellbeing (64%) and work-related stress at 50%.

Over half of respondents (58%) said spending time with friends and family helped manage their stress, while 57.5% said exercise was also a factor.

Mindfulness was used by 17.9% of respondents to manage stress, while 11.6% use therapy.

Mental Health Ireland chief executive Lisa Cuthbert said the research showed “people want to look after their mental health and are already taking practical steps to do that whether that’s exercising, spending time with family and friends or getting out into nature".

She added: “However, it also shows us what can get in the way of good mental health. Cost matters, especially for younger people, and time matters."