Mental health charity Jigsaw has warned of a large increase of young people accessing their services as a result of the pandemic.
The charity’s annual report revealed that Jigsaw had received its highest ever number of referrals in the past year from young people, while demand for appointments had risen by almost 25 %. Many young people using Jigsaw’s services have reported symptoms such as low mood, depression, and increased feelings of anxiety and isolation.
Financial difficulty is one of the greatest contributing factors towards poor mental health in young people, according to the report’s results. The charity’s management have said that both the pandemic and the current cost of living crisis have contributed towards larger numbers of people accessing mental health services.
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CEO of Jigsaw Dr Joseph Duffy said: “While it is encouraging to see young people reaching out for support, at Jigsaw we are increasingly concerned about the rising levels of demand across mental health support services, and the all too clear impact that we see it having on young people’s lives.”
Duffy also called on the government to provide more supports for young people struggling with their mental wellbeing, including more investment in community services. Sam Kelly, a youth volunteer within Jigsaw, also contributed to the research and outlined his personal experience with mental health since the onset of the pandemic.
Sam wrote: “It’s hard to keep track of all the missed milestones - no school graduation; a debs restricted to 30 people; and a first year of college spent in my parents’ house doing classes. I can see the stress that Covid and now the cost-of-living is putting on the people I know, and the worry and hardship it’s causing.”
Further research from the ERSI also revealed that roughly 55% of young women and 40% of young men experienced depression so far this year, compared to 31% and 22% respectively in pre-pandemic times. However, Jigsaw’s research did indicate there was still a significant number of people experiencing mental health problems prior to the pandemic and cost of living crisis.
Jigsaw has appealed for more investment from government as the group continues to address mental health concerns nationwide. It recently launched its Jigsaw Schools Hub, which provides educators with information on supporting students’ mental health, and opened its fourteenth local community office in Tipperary.
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