“No waiting lists!” – National Mental Health Charity urges public to use its services following ESRI report which classified 55% of young women and 40% of young men as ‘depressed’
Turn2Me, a national mental health charity, has urged the public to use its free mental health services, following the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) report which classified 55% of 22-year-old women and 40% of 22-year-old men as ‘depressed’. The charity emphasised that two of its free services, its Support Groups and its ‘Thought Catcher’ service, have no waiting lists and can be used by anyone in Ireland or the UK.
Turn2Me stated that the results of this report are shocking and are reflective of what mental health professionals witnessed during the pandemic. Demand for Turn2Me’s services significantly increased during lockdown – at the peak of the pandemic, demand for its services spiked by 386%. Turn2Me is urging anyone who is experiencing anxiety, depression, grief or relationship issues to sign up for their free support groups, which are facilitated by mental health professionals, and run six evenings a week.
The ‘Thought Catcher’ service runs every day from 2pm until 8pm. It’s a safe online platform where people can post about how they’re feeling, and other users can respond with positive, uplifting messages. Users can engage with both the Thought Catcher and the support groups without the barrier of a waiting list. These services are funded by the HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP).
“The ESRI report is shocking,” Fiona O’Malley, CEO of Turn2Me, said, “It clearly outlines how the pandemic negatively affected so many people, particularly young people. I would encourage anyone who is feeling depressed to engage with our free mental health services, particularly our Support Groups and our Thought Catcher – both these services are free, operated by mental health professionals and don’t have long waiting lists attached!”
People can sign up to Turn2Me’s free mental health services by going to Turn2Me.ie, setting up a free account, and signing up for the support groups or engaging with the ‘Thought Catcher’. For more information, go to Turn2Me.ie
About Turn2Me:
Turn2Me was founded in 2009 stemming from the very personal experiences of Oisin and Diarmuid Scollard, who lost their brother, Cormac, to suicide in 2003. In 2013, Turn2Me gained the support of the HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention to deliver counselling online. In 2019, Turn2Me joined forces with ReachOut Ireland to create a space for young people to find information to support their mental health online. As of September 2021, Turn2Me offers adult counselling and peer support services to adults and young people aged 12 plus. It also offers group support services for teenagers, young people and adults.
