Who should design peer support for young people? Young people of course…

Getting mental health support from someone your own age, or who has dealt with something similar, can be effective.

Peer support is an approach that does just that.

Last weekend 30 young people got together to help design a national peer support service for Jigsaw.

David Kavanagh, Jigsaw’s Youth Voice & Engagement Manager, explains:

“At Jigsaw, we firmly believe that young people should play a central role in shaping the mental health services designed to support them. Evidence consistently shows that co-producing mental health services with young people leads to more relevant, effective, and impactful care. Our Youth Talk, We Listen series is a testament to this belief, and we are thrilled to see it come to life.

“This past weekend marked the first event in this exciting series. The session focused on designing a national peer support service for Jigsaw, using the innovative design thinking methodologies led by Jess Hayden from The Brave Lab. With over 30 young people participating, the energy and creativity in the room were remarkable. Together, they explored what peer support could and should look like in a Youth Primary Care Mental Health Service.

“The outcomes of this session represent more than just ideas—they signify a meaningful step in shaping mental health care that is personal, impactful, and aligned with the needs of young people. This work also ties directly into the research of Rachel Murphy, a UCD PhD candidate, who is developing a programme theory for peer support in primary care youth mental health. It’s an exciting step forward in offering a more personal care model for young people across Ireland.

“A huge thank you to Tara Buildings in Dublin for hosting us in such an inspiring and welcoming space. Your support helped create an environment that fostered collaboration and innovation.

“We’re eagerly looking ahead to the next session in this series, where we’ll partner with our colleagues at the HSE to continue innovating. Stay tuned for more updates as we progress through this journey of co-creating a brighter future for youth mental health in Ireland.”

The session was made possible through Léargas funding via Erasmus+.