By Claire Corrigan
A young man says that being bullied in school and “suffering with depression and anxiety and losing friends through suicide” made him want to become a mental health advocate. “It’s my purpose,” he said.
In 2017, Mullingar man Josh Deegan established Brighter Thoughts Ireland and his work as a youth mental health advocate and speaker has continued to blossom and strengthen.
Over the past five years, Josh has gained a reputation as one of Ireland’s leading youth mental health advocates and keynote speaker, and has delivered talks in schools, youth clubs and at events such as Darkness Into Light, DCU Mental Health Week, Ohana.ie, Together Forward 2021 and Children and Young People’s Services Committees (CYPSC).
“Brighter Thoughts Ireland is a suicide awareness and prevention organisation and we travel across Ireland. We do talks in schools and youth clubs, etc. and hold workshops to reduce the stigma around mental health issues or I share my own personal experience and some of the people share their experience too.”
