Mental Health Services not geared towards needs of teenagers with mental health problems.

A study by Headstrong, the national centre for youth mental health, indicates that young people who approach mental health services face obstacles such as, among other issues, long waiting list and high costs and are unable to get help outside school hours. Professionals and youth leaders report that the services are focused on children or adults but not adolescents. The young people who do engage with the services feel there is a lack of choice of interventions available and an over-reliance on medication. Click here for Irish Times report of 26th March. Click here to link to the Headstrong Web page which links to the report. The report is entitled "Somewhere to Turn to, Someone to Talk to."