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Category: Press Release

New training to support LGBTQ+ youth mental health

Posted on by Ian Carey

PRESS RELEASE

Youth organisations Jigsaw and Belong To co-created course for people working or volunteering with young people

Today national youth organisations Jigsaw – The National Centre for Youth Mental Health and Belong To – LGBTQ+ Youth Ireland launched an updated training programme ‘Supporting the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People’.

The free online training has been created for adults who work or volunteer with young people in their communities to upskill in supporting LGBTQ+ young people’s mental health.

The two youth organisations originally came together in 2016 to develop a course for those who work or volunteer with young people. This is the second iteration of that course, updated to meet the current cultural environment and needs of LGBTQ+ youth.

The training takes approximately 1.5 hours to complete, and covers topics including:

  • Using appropriate language and terminology when supporting LGBTQ+ young people;
  • The current landscape of LGBTQ+ young people’s mental health;
  • The impact of the social determinants of health on LGBTQ+ young people’s mental health;
  • The impact of minority stress upon LGBTQ+ young people’s mental health; and
  • Practical strategies to help build resilience among LGBTQ+ young people.

Growing Mental Health Challenges for LGBTQI+ Youth

Recent research from Trinity College Dublin, Being LGBTQI+ in Ireland, which was published in 2024, highlights the significant mental health challenges experienced by LGBTQ+ youth in Ireland today.

The report revealed that, compared to the general youth population, LGBTQI+ young people experience:

  • Three times the level of severe and extremely severe symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression;
  • Twice the level of suicide ideation; and
  • Five times the level of suicide attempts.

Speaking about the course today, Dr Joseph Duffy (he/him), CEO at Jigsaw commented:

“People working and volunteering with youth have a huge opportunity to support them in a way that can really change lives. Being able to support young people through challenges being faced at a critical time in their development can have a huge and lasting impact. This training has been developed to provide anyone in this position with the knowledge and understanding to be able to support LGBTQ+ young people who we know need that support now.”

Also speaking was Moninne Griffith (she/her), CEO of Belong To who said:

“We’re very proud to be launching this updated training, and very conscious of the current environment in which we’re doing so with an increase in anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment and a growing, coordinated attempt both internationally and here in Ireland to row back on LGBTQ+ rights. Young people see this and feel this. The findings of ‘Being LGBTQI+ in Ireland’ revealed last year are upsetting, but to those of us working to support LGBTQI+ people, unfortunately they are not surprising.

“This study demonstrates the harsh reality that depression, anxiety and stress have increased amongst LGBTQ+ youth since the first iteration of the same study in 2016. We hope that this study will be a resource for any person working or volunteering with young people to support them through challenges they are facing, at a time when they so clearly need that support.”

Minister McEntee launches Neart

Posted on by Ian Carey

PRESS RELEASE

Minister for Education, Helen McEntee TD, has launched Neart, the new national programme of mental health and wellbeing resources and training for post-primary schools. Neart is being delivered in a partnership between the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) and Jigsaw – The National Centre for Youth Mental Health.

Neart – the Irish word for strength, provides learning opportunities that promote student mental health and wellbeing as well as mental health webinars and e-Learning courses for parents and school staff.

Minister McEntee welcomed the launch, saying:

“I am delighted to launch Neart – the new national programme of mental health and wellbeing resources and training for teachers, students and parents, in partnership with Jigsaw.  

“It has never been so important that children and student’s mental health is supported in our schools. Particularly with the impact of social media, it is vital that we support school communities around mental health to ensure that students are equipped to speak about their mental health and wellbeing. 

“While wellbeing supports have been in schools for some time, the needs of students and teachers are ever-evolving and so it is timely that we are add to these supports for our post-primary schools. 

“I want to thank everyone who worked on this initiative and crucially, I would encourage every post-primary school to register with the service and avail of the supports on offer, to help their students and teachers alike.” 

Welcoming the initiative, Dr Joseph Duffy, CEO of Jigsaw, said:

“Jigsaw is delighted and proud to have been selected to provide Neart, in collaboration with NEPS and the Department of Education. Through this programme, we are fully committed to providing everyone within the school community with the knowledge and confidence to speak about mental health and wellbeing, to challenge stigma and, collectively, to work together to create a positive, enriching, and protective environment for all.”  

The Department of Education believe that Jigsaw’s existing experience delivering initiatives supporting the mental health of young people across post-primary schools made them an exemplary partner in this initiative. Their work will complement the supports already available in schools that include: the provision of guidance counselling, the work of the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS), as well as the existing wellbeing programmes and initiatives including the Student Support Team structure.

Schools can sign up to the new service by logging on to https://jigsaw.ie/neart where they will find information and support for school leaders, school staff, for student support teams and for parents and guardians and to check out upcoming training and webinars on offer throughout 2025.

 Notes for editors: 

NEART | Classroom resources | Jigsaw.ie

Supports and programmes Jigsaw will provide:

Supports for students that will:

  • Enhance the capacity of Student Support Teams to actively seek and respond to the voice of young people in relation to wellbeing and mental health in schools
  • Provide learning opportunities for students that promote mental health and wellbeing

Support for parents will:

  • Enhance parent/carer involvement in wellbeing school initiatives and engagement in promoting wellbeing and mental health in the school community
  • Enhance Student Support Teams to actively seek and respond to the voice of parent/ guardian in relation to wellbeing and mental health in schools
  • Provide psychoeducation on the promotion of wellbeing/mental health for parents via webinars and e-Learning opportunities.

Supports for school staff will:

  • Build capacity of staff to promote whole school approaches to wellbeing and mental health awareness
  • Enhance training and support for Student Support Teams to raise awareness of positive mental health and wellbeing
  • Provide e-learning opportunities for staff on mental health and wellbeing promotion
  • Provide wellbeing and self-care webinars and eLearning courses for school staff

New research demonstrates impact of early intervention

Posted on by Ian Carey

PRESS RELEASE

Jigsaw is proud to share new findings from one of the largest studies to date on youth mental health service outcomes in Ireland, published in the Journal of Early Intervention in Psychiatry. The study provides compelling evidence that young people accessing Jigsaw services experience significant improvements in their mental health. These findings highlight the positive impacts experienced by young people attending Jigsaw services across Ireland and underscore the clinical staff ability to deliver tailored, meaningful therapy. This study also adds to the growing body of international evidence supporting the effectiveness of early intervention primary care youth mental health.

Key findings include:

  • Improvement Rates: Between 57% and 66% of young people showed reliable improvements in their mental health—outcomes that compare favourably with international standards and underline the effectiveness of timely mental health support. Most young people presented with moderate-to-moderate severe distress.
  • Timely Access: Delays exceeding 60 days reduced improvement rates by 11% among 12-16-year-olds, underscoring the urgent need for rapid access to care.
  • Supporting Those Most in Need: Young people experiencing the highest distress levels achieved the greatest improvements, highlighting the essential role Jigsaw plays in supporting those facing significant mental health challenges.
  • Personalised Care: More sessions did not always lead to better outcomes, reinforcing the importance of personalised, tailored therapeutic support based on individual needs.

What does this mean for Policy and Practice?

  • Invest in Early Intervention: Providing timely, high-quality mental health care not only leads to positive outcomes for young people but also helps reduce long-term societal and economic costs by addressing mental health issues early.
  • Focus on Personalised Support: Prioritise interventions tailored to individual needs, particularly for those experiencing greater distress, who are most likely to benefit significantly from targeted care.
  • Ensure Timely Access: Quick access to care is crucial. Providers should aim to keep wait times below 60 days, especially for 12–16-year-olds, to prevent delays from significantly impacting recovery.

“This study adds to the growing international evidence that early intervention works—especially when it’s timely, youth-focused, and tailored. The outcomes we’re seeing here in Ireland show just how impactful this approach can be when delivered at scale”.

“Jigsaw’s investment in a national electronic health record has been critical to building a data-driven culture—allowing us to generate real-time insights, track outcomes at scale, and continuously improve how we support young people’s mental health.”

Read the full study here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/eip.13637

Youth mental health needs in Ireland are on the rise

Posted on by Ian Carey

PRESS RELEASE

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.

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