Ireland - New research published in Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology paints a sobering picture of adolesc…

Ireland - New research published in Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology paints a sobering picture of adolescent mental health in Ireland, and the people who helped make sense of it are just as important as the data itself. Across 21,000+ secondary school students surveyed between 2018 and 2023: → Nearly 1 in 5 reported poor mental health → 1 in 8 reported repetitive self-harm → 1 in 12 had attempted suicide While rates of poor mental health and suicide attempts returned to pre-COVID levels by 2022/23, rates of repetitive self-harm continued to rise, a pattern that demands our attention. What makes this study stand out is how the findings were interpreted. A group of young people aged 17–26 with their own lived experience of adolescent mental health difficulties sat alongside the research team to challenge assumptions, offer alternative explanations, and ground the data in real life. They pointed to service inaccessibility and cultural trends as key drivers, perspectives no dataset alone could surface. This is what meaningful co-production looks like. Not tokenism. Not a footnote. Young people as genuine contributors to research that directly affects them. The findings are clear: transgender and gender-diverse adolescents and early school leavers face significantly elevated risk. Universal approaches aren't enough, targeted, accessible support is urgently needed. If you work in youth mental health, education, or policy, this study is worth your time.