The holidays can be a difficult time, especially this year.

The Minister for Mental Health and Older People, Mary Butler TD announced today that the turn2me mental health services will be extended to support young people aged between 12 -17, and their families this year. Turn2me will provide 24/7 support everyday including Christmas Day. All of turn2me’s services are facilitated by mental health professionals entirely online, and this is the first service that the charity has provided for the under 18 age group. Founded in 2009, turn2me was the first organisation in Ireland to provide professional mental health support services entirely online. Supports available for young people include:

• Free peer support instant chat groups for young people based on shared issues such as anxiety, friendships, and relationships (no parental consent is needed for this service).
• Support groups are scheduled at different times of the day throughout the week to accommodate different schedules and participants can remain anonymous when online. Groups are facilitated by a professional facilitator.
• Counselling for young people is also provided online for free (parental consent required).
• Peer support is available 24/7 via our Thought Catcher, which is moderated on a full time basis by trained staff, Online Community Moderators.

Speaking today Minister for Mental Health and Older People, Mary Butler TD, said;

"The provision of professional online mental health support means that people can access it wherever they are, whenever they need it. This is especially important at times like Christmas, which can be difficult for many people, and as we continue to deal with the challenges associated with Covid-19. turn2me has been providing online mental health supports since 2009 and I am delighted that they are now in a position to extend their service to younger people. The service is free, anonymous, and accessible online on a 24/7 basis and I hope that anyone who needs it will log on to get support."

To find out more visit turn2me.ie.