Creating hope through action is the theme of this year's World Suicide Prevention Day. The past 18 months have been a difficult period, and it has had a significant effect on Ireland’s mental health. "Thousands more people are coming forward to access support during this difficult time," according to Mental Health Reform, which represents 77 mental health groups.
Research, carried out by universities in Ireland and in the UK, found that the mental health of one in every six people in Ireland got worse during the pandemic.
Surveys over the course of the pandemic by the Central Statistics Office showed a steady rise in the numbers of people feeling downhearted or depressed.