Researchers at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences in Ireland found that secondary-school aged adolescents in Ireland reported more mental health problems in 2021, including an increase in suicide attempts, compared to previous years. More than a quarter of adolescents described their mental health as ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’, with over a third reporting self-harming and one-in-ten attempting suicide. Factors such as the Covid-19 pandemic and new trends in smartphone use may contribute to these concerning trends. The study also found that transgender and gender-diverse individuals, those from financially worse-off families, and those negatively impacted by Covid-19 reported poorer mental health. The findings were published in the Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine and are part of the ongoing Planet Youth program to survey mental health in adolescents every two years.
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RCSI research identifies worrying trends in mental health of adolescents in Ireland
