Keith Swanick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I also wish to comment on World Mental Health Day. This year's theme is young people and mental health in a changing world. Half of all mental illness begins by the age of 14, but most cases go undetected and untreated. As I have seen in my own practice, parents often chalk mental health issues down to puberty or hormones, but if left untreated and without supports, those who experience mental distress can quickly spiral downwards. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15 to 29 year olds worldwide. We all have a duty to help young people to build mental resilience from the earliest ages so that they can cope with the challenges of today's world.

Promoting and protecting adolescent health brings benefits, not just to them but to economies and to society, with healthy young adults able to make greater contributions to the workforce, their families and communities as a whole. Parents and teachers can help build the life skills of children and adolescents to help them cope with everyday challenges at home and at school, but we can all play a role. We should use any opportunity we can to encourage young people and help them to be motivated, whether it is a transition year student on work experience in the office or one's own child. We should help them to develop and stick to routines and to focus on the task rather than on just the results. We should inspire them by telling them our own stories. Prevention begins with being aware of, and understanding, the early warning signs and symptoms of mental illness. If one sees a young person struggling, the sooner one addresses it the sooner he or she can get help. Do not assume that young person will grow out of it or take the first step in seeking help. We need to take the first step.