Make it a new story for young people and mental health

ASK any teacher in any school in Ireland what their greatest concerns are, and they will most likely mention the mental health of their students.

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.