Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 9 October 2019

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs

Youth Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed)

Mr. John Meehan:

I concur with my colleagues. The Green Ribbon campaign, which is funded by the HSE, is being reviewed. I would also like to mention to Deputy Neville the Little Things campaign, which has been on national and local print media and national television. We are now reviewing that because it has been going on for several years and we are looking to provide a more updated approach.

Stigma is such an important nut to crack in all of this and the fact we are discussing it here is important. It is about working with organisations, working with the workforce and working with trauma-informed workforces to break down that stigma. It is important to note the work of the Green Ribbon campaign but it needs to be reviewed in the context of identifying its positive outcomes and looking at other ways of dealing with these issues, in particular for those with long-term and enduring mental health problems.