'Third year is the stage when most start drinking'

ADVICE CENTRE:Last week, Headstrong, The National Centre for Youth Mental Health launched Somewhere to Turn To, Someone to Talk To, a report on the mental health of young people.

Introducing the report, Sr Stanislaus Kennedy said: “For far too long we as a nation have neglected to provide adequate mental health services for young people. This inability of ours to deal with the distress and pain of our young people, who are facing unbearable psychological pressures in their lives has been what has led to our tragic youth suicide figures.

“And for every family devastated by suicide, there are thousands of other young people suffering in anguished silence, whose pain never becomes a national statistic but which is just as real for them and their families.”

This report is based on a survey of more than 1,000 young people in second-level schools who were asked about their sense of mental well-being. It was instigated after international research indicated that psychological problems among young people have risen hugely over the past 70 years.

The data from the Irish survey showed that 26 per cent of students indicated experiencing depression, 50 per cent said they had felt high levels of anxiety, 25 per cent were binge drinkers and 18 per cent had been in trouble with the Gardaí.

Some 20 per cent reported high levels of psychological distress, reflected in disturbing behaviour, including eating disorders, substance misuse, antisocial behaviour, self-harm and suicide.

For school kids, problems are most pronounced in third and fifth year. Third year was identified as the most vulnerable year. Fifteen-year-old students in third year are facing the Junior Cert, their first State examination, and also striking out for greater independence. It is the stage when most start drinking.

The most important finding of the survey is that 20 per cent of students reported they had no one to talk to – an adult who would support them and help them develop the skills to handle the problems they were facing. Young people report feeling increasingly isolated and alienated despite social networks and mobile phones.

In response to the survey, Headstrong has developed Jigsaw, a community-based programme designed to build up the capacity of young people to cope with these problems.

Jigsaw respects and values the resilience of young people, and it empowers young people, guided and affirmed by supportive adults, to address their own needs. It is based on the belief that young people need adults to nurture, challenge, and “hold” them as they discover a positive sense of identity.

TALK BACK

All adults need to acknowledge that the way we live our lives, and the type of society that we have created over the past number of years, have led to the increased stress levels among young people.

I am not suggesting we return to a mythical Ireland of single income families, where Mammy is at home ready to de-stress her husband and children at the end of their working or school day.

But we must take on board the key findings of the Headstrong report that many young people are getting lost because of the lack of support from caring adults whom they can identify with and lean on as they confront the challenges that life presents.

With effective support, young people have great resilience. They have the ability to deal with stress, to play a critical part in supporting one another, and to contribute to their community.

Brian Mooney is a guidance counsellor at Oatlands College, Dublin and a former president of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors

For information on the work of Headstrong and the Jigsaw project, go to www.headstrong.ie or call 01-6607343