Change the Future - UNICEF Ireland

Reporting
Different mental health issues can
occur together for individual young
people
Another significant pattern emerges in relation to the
way in which some young people reported the concurrent
experience of some of these mental health concerns.
The findings in this section therefore highlight the
multiple ways these different mental health problems can
overlap for individual young people.
Young people who have experienced
Depression
The research findings reveal that a greater proportion
of young people who have reported the experience of
depression, also report experiencing other mental health
issues.
Which would you say you have felt or
suffered from in the past?
Of the 50% who reported to have felt or
suffered from depression – 35% have also self
harmed, 19% have also suffered from Anorexia
or Bulimia and 46% have also felt suicidal.
Young people who have experienced
Self Harm
Similarly, the young people who reported self-harming
also reported a higher prevalence of depression,
Anorexia / Bulimia and/or feeling suicidal.
Which would you say you have felt or
suffered from in the past?
It is therefore the case, that of the 20% of young people
who report the experience of self harm, the great majority
also report that they have experienced depression and/
or have felt suicidal. This suggests the possible overlap
of three extremely traumatic and potentially dangerous
experiences amongst 1 in 5 young Irish people.
The great majority of young Irish people
who report to have experienced self harm
also report the experiences of depression,
and feeling suicidal.
Young People who have experienced
Anorexia / Bulimia
A large proportion of the young people who report that
they have experienced anorexia/bulimia also report that
they have experienced other mental health issues.
Which would you say you have felt or
suffered from in the past?
Of the 13% who report to have suffered from
Anorexia or Bulimia, 72% have also felt
depressed, 46% have also self harmed and
60% have also felt suicidal.
Young People who have felt
Suicidal
Finally, the research findings reveal that young people
who report that they felt suicidal also report that they
have experienced the other mental health concerns
raised by the research.
Which would you say you have felt or
suffered from in the past?
50% 89% Depression
20% 56% Self Harming
13% 31% Anorexia / Bulimia
0 20 40 60 80 100
% %
Total Base
50% 84% Depression
0 10 20 30 40 50
% %
Total Base
20% 35% Self Harming
13% 19% Anorexia / Bulimia
26% 46% Feeling Suicidal
Base = 50% that felt depressed.
13% 30% Anorexia / Bulimia
26% 71% Feeling Suicidal
Base = 20% that felt self harmed.
Of the 20% who reported to have self harmed,
84% have also felt depressed, 30% have also
experienced Anorexia / Bulimia and
71% have also felt suicidal.
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
% %
Total Base
50% 72% Depression
20% 46% Self Harming
26% 60% Feeling Suicidal
Base = 13% that suffered Anorexia / Bulimia.
0 20 40 60 80 100
% %
Total Base
Base = 26% who have felt suicidal.
Changing the Future: Experiencing Adolescence in Contemporary Ireland: Mental Health. UNICEF Changing the Future 11.