A campaign to put youth mental health on the political agenda for the election got under way in Dublin today.
The Get On Board for Youth Mental Health initiative, spearheaded by leading youth charities Headstrong, Belong To, Foróige and Inspire Ireland, plans to raise awareness about the issue by bringing its message to the campaign trail.
Staff and volunteers from the charities took to the road today in their campaign bus for a whistle-stop tour of constituencies in an attempt to galvanise the youth vote and get candidates to commit to their cause.
“We are concerned that while we regularly hear candidates talking about the importance of investing in our young people, in the future of the country, fundamental issues that matter to young people, like their mental health, are rarely central to their policies, and don’t feature in debates,” said Inspire Ireland’s chief executive, Elaine Geraghty.
“We want to change this, starting today. We want to see what they’re prepared to do for young people, to make sure it really matters.”
“Get on Board for Youth Mental Health is a call to action to get the issue of youth mental health on the political agenda - to get young people asking for it, to get voters voting for it, and to get candidates committing to it,” she said.
One in five young people in Ireland experiences some form of mental health issue, and nearly three-quarters of mental health problems present before people turn 24.
The campaign unveiled a website – getonboard.ie - last week to encourage young people to interact with their local candidates via email or other social media on the issue of youth mental health.
