Make it a new story for young people and mental health
Their concerns are well founded. Recent research by the Royal College of Surgeons found that, by the age of 13, a third of young people in Ireland are likely to have experienced some type of mental disorder.
By the age of 24, the rate will have increased to more than 50%. More than one in five Irish people aged 19-24 years have a substance use disorder, confirming the belief that drug and alcohol misuse is ingrained in Irish society. More than one in 15 have engaged in deliberate self-harm and one in five have experienced suicidal ideation, statistics reflecting the very real risk to life mental health distress can cause.
