Author: Ian Carey

PRESS RELEASE: Youth mental health needs in Ireland are rising, and those seeking help are in higher distress – Irish Researchers tell leading global conference

Posted on by Ian Carey

Researchers from Jigsaw, the National Centre for Youth Mental Health, are presenting this week to a global gathering of researchers on youth mental health.

As part of this, Irish researchers presented insights from Jigsaw’s National Programme of Early Intervention Youth Mental Health from 2017 to 2022.

Some key findings include:

  1. Youth mental health needs are rising. Between 2017 and 2022 referrals to Jigsaw steadily increased.
  2. Young people who are seeking help are in higher distress. Anxiety remains the top reason for referrals, but overall distress is rising.

Jigsaw researchers are also presenting on effective strategies that make youth mental health care work at scale, how live chat services are reaching unique and critical groups, and how ‘peer-support’ helps young people and how to develop such services.

The 7th International Conference on Youth Mental Health is taking place in Vancouver, Canada this week and is organised by the International Association for Youth Mental Health (IAYMH).

Entitled ‘Turning the Tide: Creating a global blueprint for prevention and integrated care in Youth Mental Health’, the theme of the conference is to focus on the actions needed to halt the global trend of deteriorating youth mental health.

Dr Jeff Moore, Director of Research & Evaluation at Jigsaw said:

“Mental health accounts for 45% of the total disease burden for young people aged 10-24 and is the leading cause of disability for youth. Yet, despite overwhelming evidence, youth mental health remains chronically underfunded globally, neglected, and even denied in some circles.

“In 2019, the My World Study II UCD Youth Mental Health Lab & Jigsaw – The National Centre for Youth Mental Health found an alarming rise in anxiety and depression among young people in Ireland. In 2024, The Lancet Psychiatry Commission on Youth Mental Health confirmed this trend on a global scale linking the decline to global mega-trends such as financial insecurity, climate change, unregulated social media, and rising loneliness.

“This week, global experts, policymakers, and—most importantly—young people themselves are gathering in Vancouver for IAYMH 2025: “Turning the Tide—Creating a Global Blueprint for Prevention and Integrated Care in Youth Mental Health.”

“But this isn’t just another conference. It’s a turning point.

“IAYMH isn’t about talking—it’s about action. It’s about shifting from crisis mode to prevention, from treating symptoms to addressing root causes, and from fragmented systems to truly integrated care that meets young people where they are.

“The conference will highlight the growing evidence for early intervention—reaching young people before crisis hits can change the trajectory of their lives.

“We’ve seen this before in healthcare. When it comes to heart disease, we don’t debate whether to focus on prevention or intervention—we do both. We promote exercise and healthy habits while also ensuring timely medical treatment. The same applies to cancer, where screening and early detection go hand in hand with advanced treatment options. Yet in mental health, we often find ourselves caught in the debate between prevention and intervention, as if they are opposing choices. The reality is, we need both. By identifying issues early and providing enhanced primary care for young people aged 12-25, we can prevent more severe and lasting problems down the road.

“So why, in mental health, do we still wait until young people are at breaking point?”

Notes to the Editor

Links to abstracts on Irish research and their sessions at IAYMH.

Barefoot fundraiser for Jigsaw in World Record bid

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Most people would barely brave the kitchen in bare feet.

But for fundraiser Eamonn Keaveney it comes as second nature having already walked around Ireland entirely shoeless.

Now the Mayo native is taking on his greatest challenge to date – walking barefoot from Istanbul to his hometown of Claremorris.

He’s making the trip to break a World Record travelling 5,500km across Europe and to raise vital funds for Jigsaw and Friends of the Earth.

On his iDonate page he says:

“On March 4th 2025, I will set off from Istanbul, Turkey and walk all the way home to Claremorris, County Mayo, Ireland – completely barefoot!

“I will be attempting to break the world record for the longest barefoot journey by walking over 5500km in my bare feet. I previously broke the record back in 2016 by walking over 2000km unshod around Ireland.

“This time I’ve chosen to fundraise for Jigsaw and Friends of the Earth. All funds raised here will go directly to these great causes, and any donation is much appreciated!”

Click here to visit his donation page.

You can also follow his adventures on this instagram page https://www.instagram.com/barefootacrosseurope/

Interested in running the Mini-Marathon? Sign up for Jigsaw

Posted on by Ian Carey

It’s an amazing event to be a part of. The VHI Women’s Mini Marathon is the largest women’s participatory event in the world and we are asking supporters to consider doing it in aid of Jigsaw.

Working with our partners in Incredible Socks and iDonate, we have just secured 20 places for this year’s event.  With its increasing popularity, it is expected to sell out faster than ever before.

How it works:

  • Secure your place now by paying a €50 deposit this counts towards your fundraising goal
  • You are asked to raise €200 on top of your deposit to support our vital work
  • You will get your own iDonate fundraising page to help you reach your goal
  • Once you reach €100 raised on your iDonate page we’ll send you your official race entry.
  • We will also send you your very own Team Jigsaw race pack, including a Jigsaw technical running T-shirt and a pair of Incredible Socks.

By signing up now, you’ll be guaranteed your place and will be joining our mini-marathon team raising vital funds and awareness to support our free therapy services and supports for young people, their families and communities across Ireland.

Places are limited, so act fast—sign up today!

Who’s Turning to Jigsaw? What Five Years of Data Tells Us About Youth Mental Health Support

Posted on by Ian Carey

Dr Jeff Moore, Director of Research Jigsaw

Data, Decisions, and the Bigger Picture 

Data tells stories. In healthcare, it helps us see patterns, understand trends, and figure out what’s working—and what needs to change. When it comes to youth mental health, this is more important than ever. 

Every young person who reaches out for support has their own unique story, and those individual experiences matter. At the same time, data allows us to step back and see the bigger picture—helping us understand who is accessing support, where gaps exist, and how we can improve services to meet growing demand. 

Young people today are facing huge challenges, and we know that most mental health difficulties start before the age of 25. That’s why early support is critical. But are young people getting the help they need? Who is reaching out for support? And once they do, what keeps them engaged—or causes them to drop out? 

Since 2006, Jigsaw has been offering free, accessible mental health support to 12- to 25-year-olds in Ireland. To get a clearer picture of how the service is being used, we dived into five years of data (2017-2022). Here’s what we found. 

More Young People Reaching Out 

Over these five years, nearly 29,000 young people sought support from Jigsaw. That’s a lot of young people looking for help, and the numbers kept growing. More referrals have come from family members, teachers, and GPs, showing that young people aren’t the only ones recognising the need for mental health support—those around them are stepping up too. 

One notable improvement is the increase in male referrals over time. While young women still make up the majority of referrals, we’ve seen a steady rise in young men seeking support, which is an encouraging shift. This suggests that awareness and accessibility efforts may be helping to break down some of the barriers traditionally preventing young men from engaging with mental health services. 

So, who’s the average Jigsaw user? They’re 16 years old, most likely female, and struggling with anxiety. Anxiety was by far the most common reason young people sought support, followed by low mood and stress. In fact, anxiety-related presentations increased significantly over the five years, reflecting wider concerns about youth mental health globally. But while demand was rising, so were wait times.  

One of the most worrying trends in our data is the rising levels pf distress and young people presenting with high risk of self-harm. While levels fluctuated between 2017 and early 2020, our data suggests that things took a sharp decline after the pandemic, with risk peaking between mid-2020 and 2022—right when lockdowns, school closures, and uncertainty were at their worst. Even though things have steadied somewhat, risk levels are still higher than before. Now more than ever, we need to ensure early intervention services are reaching those most at risk. 

 

Who’s Attending, and Who’s Dropping Out? Who’s Attending, and Who’s Dropping Out? 

Not everyone who reaches out for support stays engaged. On average, young people attended six sessions, but some came for just one, while others completed the full program. Gender played a role—young men were less likely to stick with it. Anxiety kept young people engaged, but severe distress, especially for 17- to 25-year-olds, made it harder to continue. Referral source mattered too—those referred by parents stayed engaged more than those referred by schools or GPs. Timing also played a part, with more young people starting therapy in January and September, but engagement dipping in June and December. 

Moving Forward: Strengthening Youth Mental Health Support 

Expand Access to Brief Interventions:
To meet increasing demand, we need continued investment in short, targeted interventions that provide immediate support while ensuring resources remain available for those who need longer-term care. 

Develop Tailored Engagement Strategies for Young Men:
With young men likely to attend fewer sessions we must rethink how services are delivered—offering less formal, more practical, and accessible formats that meet their unique needs. 

Strengthen Family and Community Involvement:
Since family referrals improve engagement, we should focus on empowering parents and caregivers with tools and knowledge to support their child’s mental health journey. Schools, youth organizations, and communities must also play a stronger role in early intervention. 

 

Government receive lowest grade for Youth Mental Health from Childrens Rights Alliance

Posted on by Ian Carey

The Children’s Rights Alliance have given their verdict on the Government’s promises around youth mental health and given them an ‘E’ grade.

This is the second year in a row that Ireland’s Children’s Rights advocacy group has given the Government a low grade on this issue.

The grade comes as part of their annual Report Card on Programme for Government promises.

It relates specifically to promises to ‘work to end the admission of children to adult psychiatric units’

The rights group acknowledge has reduced significantly but not been eliminated.

The Report Card states:

“‘Children in adult psychiatric facilities’ receives an ‘E’ grade, the same as the ‘E’ grade received last year. There has been a welcome decrease in the number of children admitted to adult psychiatric units in 2024, and indeed over the course of this Programme for Government. In 2024, there were 51 operational in-patient beds in four public child in-patient units. As of 2024, these units have begun accepting emergency out-of-hours admissions. Waiting lists remained high in 2024, with 3,830 children awaiting a first appointment with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). While the Mental Health (Amendment) Bill lapsed at the dissolution of the 33rd Dáil in November 2024, indications are that it will be a priority piece of legislation in the 34th Dáil. However, its reintroduction to the Oireachtas in its current format is worrying given that the Bill does not legislate to ban admitting children to adult in-patient psychiatric wards.”

 

Jigsaw Secures European Funding for Mental Health Research

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Jigsaw has secured European Horizon funding for our research work aimed at improving access to healthcare and mental healthcare amongst marginalised communities.

The Europe-wide project, involving leading research partner organisations across seven countries, is called EQUICARES.

The 4-year project will see the design and implementation of nine “Smart Health Labs” across Europe, focusing on supporting vulnerable populations, including older people, young people, and migrants.

Jigsaw’s Research & Evaluation Team will work closely with all nine pilot labs to develop a data collection tool, provide expert guidance, and lead on data analysis to better understand how vulnerable groups experience and engage with mental health services.

This is an overview of the project’s key objectives:

  • EQUICARES aims to improve access to innovative and sustainable mental health and care services for people in vulnerable situations through research, co-creation, and policy solutions.
  • It will deliver innovative mental health solutions in diverse socioeconomic settings, piloted through Smart Health Labs.
  • The project will also conduct cost analyses and develop an Inclusive Mental Health and Care Policy Dashboard to inform future service design.

Dr Jeff Moore, Director of Research & Evaluation at Jigsaw, said:

“The youth mental health crisis is undeniable—too many young people still face barriers to accessing the care they need.

“EQUICARES offers a vital opportunity to develop innovative solutions that can break down these barriers and ensure more young people receive the mental health support they deserve.”

Need some fitness inspo? Look no further than Jigsaw’s 100k heroes

Posted on by Ian Carey

Nevermind 10,000 steps a day…

These two fundraisers clocked up an incredible 100km each on New Year’s Day all to raise money for Jigsaw.

Craig Hynes, from Birr, Co Offaly, ran 100km of the Offaly Way on New Year’s day.

The fitness enthusiast took on the massive challenge to raise funds for youth mental health and help those facing hardship in their lives.

Craig’s mid-Winter run certainly was very challenging, he explains:

“Everything went against me as the weather was bad. I had wind and rain from the off that morning. I made it to the half way mark, just over 5 hours, and after that I felt my knee and foot give me awful bother but kept pushing through.

“That slowed me down a lot and the mountain trails were destroyed with deep marsh and fallen trees scattered around. It made it a real adventure.  I ended up finishing the route at 5:40pm which made the run 13hours and 40 minutes overall.  

“Unfortunately , I spent the Christmas in a leg brace as I tore my cartilage and soft tissue around the knee and tore ligaments on my foot but other than that I am happy and absolutely delighted and proud I got the tast completed.

“I had a great crew of helpers and a good friend that ran the second half of the run with me amd kept me safe and motivated.

“It really was a magical day running from dark to light to dark again amd overcoming a lot of pain and discomfort but that was overshadowed by the beauty of the wild mountains and the real reason I was running  that day which was to help and encourage others to overcome hardships in their lives.”

Craig presenting his cheque to Eimear and Deirdre from the Laois/Offaly Jigsaw

Barry Potter, from Frenchpark Co Roscommon, also managed the massive feat, clocking up 101km.

The personal trainer ran all the way from his home in Roscommon to Blackrock Pier in Galway, all in aid of Jigsaw.

Barry wanted to raise awareness about Jigsaw and the benefits of running.

“It just seemed right to do it for Jigsaw since it helped me,” he told the Roscommon Herald

“People might be down and they don’t realise that there are tools out there like running, even if it’s 1km or half a kilometre, it’s more than what you’ve done before.”

“All my friends were supporting me, saying, ‘oh you can do this, you can do this’, but I was in Renmore in Galway and I was trying to work out how I could make up this last 10km,” he said.

Barry with his daughter Alaia at the finish line.

RESPONSE: Investing in early intervention supports for young people is essential – JIGSAW

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Jigsaw welcome the statement issued today (February 5th, 2025) on the need for reform of mental healthcare in Ireland from John Farrelly, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Commission IRL, the regulator for mental health services in Ireland.

Commenting this morning in the Journal, Mr Farrelly calls on the government to move away from ‘short-term fixes’ and focus on building a ‘modern and accessible community mental health services that will become our first port of call if we are unwell’.

Dr Joseph Duffy, CEO of Jigsaw, responded:

“The comments from Mr Farrelly are timely and important as we start a national debate on how to support young people as a country. Sadly, the youth mental health crisis we are experiencing in Ireland today is a significant and growing issue. We must act now. Doing more of the same is no longer good enough. 

“Our current approach to mental healthcare in Ireland is not preventing preventable illness. We are allowing the number of more serious illness to grow and young people to fall through the gaps.

“Imagine if we treated heart disease the same way we treat youth mental health. Instead of encouraging healthy habits, regular check-ups, and early intervention, we’d wait until someone had a full-blown heart attack before offering treatment.

“We don’t wait for a heart attack to take heart health seriously—so why wait for a crisis to take youth mental health seriously?”

“We need more community mental health services for young people struggling with anxiety, depression, or stress, so we can reduce the number of lifelong mental health conditions, costly hospitalizations, and personal suffering. Early intervention when someone is suffering is key. ”

Is your company looking for a charity partner? If you are, we would love to speak with you…

Posted on by Ian Carey

Supporting the mental health and wellbeing of young people in Ireland is something everyone can get behind.  Increasingly workplaces and companies are playing a vital role in support young people, parents and their wider communities.

Jigsaw is Ireland’s leading youth mental health charity. We are committed to improving young people’s mental health and to building supportive communities around Ireland.

To do this we:

  1. Provide free one-to-one therapy to young people who need it.
  2. Deliver community-based programmes to inform, support, and educate.
  3. Engage in pioneering research to understand young people and how to help.

 

But we cannot do this on our own, we need the help and support of corporates and workplace partners to help us continue to deliver for the most important people in all our lives, our children and young people.

We have an award-winning approach to  partnerships, that is centred around relationship building, collaboration and shared objectives.

This approach has three-pillars: invest in us, invest in you, and invest together.

Invest in Us

We will work with organisations to support them in investing in our free therapy and support services for young people, through fundraising, corporate donations, volunteering and philanthropy.

Invest in You

We support companies and workplaces, its staff, stakeholders and customers through investing in the roll out our ‘Working Well Toolkit’, Jigsaws workplace wellbeing program, which provides advise, support and guidance to young people (under 25), parents and managers of young people (under 25) in the workplace.

Invest Together

We will work with you to raise awareness of our partnership with key internal and external audiences. We will also leverage our partnership to help raise awareness and understanding of the general public of the public of the crisis facing young people and their mental health.

Justin McDermott, Fundraising Manager at Jigsaw, explains:

“We know that many people in Ireland really understand the crisis in youth mental health in Ireland. They see it in their families and their communities. People know that organisations like Jigsaw are working to help young people and are changing lives.

“Through our many years of award-winning experience partnering with companies across Ireland, we also know that people in businesses want to help and becoming a corporate partner with Jigsaw is a such a great way to do it. If you are interested, I would really encourage you to reach out to us, and we can discuss the ways we can work together.”