Findings

Overall...

The scope and richness of the data gathered by My World Survey 2 allow us to see how different elements and experiences in the life of a young person may be related to their mental health.

The landscape of youth mental health continues to change in Ireland. For example, comparisons of the current research with My World Survey 1 indicate that there has been a notable increase in anxiety and depression among young people. However, there have been some positive changes in other areas, such as a reduction in the amount of bullying reported.

As in My World Survey 1, the findings show relationships may be inextricably linked to young people’s mental health. The most common stressful life events for adolescents and young adults centred around relationships, while many young people reported turning to friends and family for support with mental health difficulties. The importance of the availability of One Good Adult® in young people’s lives was highlighted in the findings.

Physical activity and good sleep hygiene were clearly linked with better mental health. The findings also showed that many young people reported engaging in appearance-altering strategies which were linked to lower body esteem.

The findings show the relative importance of mental health difficulties with regard to the number of days absent from school, college, or work. Young people with a long-term mental health difficulty had signifficantly more days absent from their role in the previous month than those who reported a physical health condition or no long-term health condition.

The findings suggest that many adolescents and young adults may be using social media to build on and extend their social connections in real life, and there may be some benefits to spending time online. However, there was a significant relationship between time spent online (more than three hours) and higher levels of depression and anxiety and lower levels of body esteem.

The Findings

Adolescents (12-19 years)

10,459

Adolescents, aged 12-19, from 83 second-level schools, randomly selected from the Department of Education and Skills database.

40%

of adolescents reported experiencing levels of depression outside the normal range.

6%

of adolescents reported they had made a suicide attempt.

49%

reported levels of anxiety outside the normal range.

96%

of adolescents had a social media profile.

About two-thirds spent more than two hours online every day. Those who spent less than two hours online reported having lower levels of depression and anxiety, but also lower support from friends and support-focused coping.

Overall, adolescents displayed average levels of body esteem.
Those with lower body esteem experienced higher levels of depression and anxiety.

Overall, adolescents displayed average levels of body esteem.
Those with lower body esteem experienced higher levels of depression and anxiety.

53%

of adolescents were classified as having poor sleep hygiene.
Female adolescents with poor sleep hygiene were more likely to be in the moderate range for anxiety whereas males were more likely to be in the mild range for anxiety.

76%

of adolescents reported having a special adult in their lives when in need.
Those who reported very high availability from this person were more likely to be in the normal range for depression and anxiety. They also had higher levels of optimism, self-esteem, body esteem, problems-solving and support-focused coping, and social and personal competence than their peers who did not have a special adult available to them.

Find out more about
the findings on Adolescents.

Young Adults (18-25 years)

8,290

Young adults, aged 18-25, from Irish universities and Institutes of Technology, and who were employed.

58%

were classified as outside the normal range for depression and anxiety. Females reported higher levels of anxiety than males.

38%

Young adults who reported that they had ever deliberately hurt themselves without wanting to take their own life (38%), or made a suicide attempt (10%), were much more likely to experience high levels of depression and anxiety, and to engage in risky alcohol behaviour.

10%

made a suicide attempt

Young adults identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, asexual or pansexual (LGBAP) were more likely to report higher levels of depression and anxiety, having engaged in deliberate self-harm (without suicidal intent), having made a suicide attempt, and to report being bullied or treated unfairly.

Sexual orientation by anxiety

62%

of young adults had good sleep hygiene.

20%

met the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines for physical activity.
Good sleep hygiene and physical activity were linked to better mental health.

73% (male) & 17% (females)

reported watching pornography regularly (once a week or more).
These young adults had lower self-esteem and body esteem than those who did not regularly watch pornography. In addition, females who regularly watched pornography were more likely to fall in the severe depression category.

56%

of young adult females reported that someone had touched them against their will. These females reported higher levels of depression and anxiety. Experience of stressful life events was linked to poorer mental health.

Find out more about
the findings on Young Adults.

Seldom Heard

658

Young people from Youthreach, (N = 314),
Colleges of Further Education (CFE)/community training (N = 292),
and young people with a physical disability (N = 52).

Young people in Youthreach were more likely than their matched peers to report:

  • Feeling angry a lot
  • Being bullied
  • Higher cannabis use
  • Higher levels of anxiety
  • To have engaged in deliberate self-harm (without suicidal ideation) and attempted suicide.

Severity of anxiety in young people
in CFE/community and MWS-2-SL/PSL

Young people in the Colleges of Further Education/community training group were more likely to report that they do not cope well with problems. They were also more likely to fall into the very severe category for anxiety and to have made a suicide attempt in comparison to their age-matched peers. However, they were less likely to report drug use.

Young people in the Colleges of Further Education/community training group were more likely to report that they do not cope well with problems. They were also more likely to fall into the very severe category for anxiety and to have made a suicide attempt in comparison to their age-matched peers. However, they were less likely to report drug use.

Find out more about
the findings on Seldom Heard.

Compared to My World Survey 1

Adolescents

Overall, findings indicated significant increases in:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Avoidance and problem-based coping
  • Family support (with an increase in proportion of those who report talking to their families about their problems)
  • Adult support

There were significant decreases in:

  • Self-esteem
  • Optimism
  • Life satisfaction
  • Resilience
  • School connectedness
  • Talking about problems
  • Number of adolescents engaging in alcohol behaviour (although adolescents consuming alcohol are more likely to be engaging in problematic behaviours)

Adolescents, depression categories by wave (DASS)

Young People

Overall, findings indicated significant increases in:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Non-suicidal deliberate self-harm
  • Suicidal thoughts
  • Suicide attempts
  • Avoidance-based coping

There were significant decreases in:

  • Alcohol behaviour (and young adults consuming alcohol were more likely to be in a low-risk category)
  • Self-esteem
  • Optimism
  • Problem-based coping
  • Support-focused coping
  • Friend support

Young Adults, depression categories by wave (DASS)

Find out more about
the findings in Comparisons.

The National Study of
Youth Mental Health in Ireland...

Meet the Team

My World Survey 2

Download the full report

Copyright 2019
Jigsaw, the National Centre for Youth Mental Health, Dublin, Ireland.
University College Dublin School of Psychology, Dublin, Ireland.

Jigsaw is a Registered Charity. Charity Revenue Number: CHY 17439. Registered Charity Number: 20064846.

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