A significant rise in the number of teenage boys seeking mental health assistance is cause for serious concern, according to the director of a Mullingar-based charity, which has had to increase its opening hours and days in order to cater for the growing number of school-goers presenting with issues ranging from anxiety to relationship problems.
Pearl Brock, who has been CEO and Clinical Director at Good2Talk since January 2022, has described the growth in demand for Good2Talk’s services among younger demographics as “heartbreaking”, with teenage boys as young as 14 presenting at their College Street base for assistance.
“Figures are up across the board, but predominantly among young people. If we had the staff, we could literally fill our building up every day with young people, and in particular young men,” Pearl said.
