National Supports - Mental Health Support

ADHD Ireland’s objective is to support young people and adults with ADHD, and their carers and families too. They provide a phone and email helpline. They also run an ADHD School Friendly Programme for teachers and schools. You can see a list of their events here. 

Aware supports people impacted by anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and related mood conditions. They have an Information and Resources Section. Its support line is available 7 days a week from 10am to 10pm (Freephone: 1800 80 48 48). It is for people over 18 years old. They also have a Support Email service. It is available to anyone (aged 18+) seeking support. Aware also runs Support and Self Care Groups in-person, by phone, and by zoom. 

Barnardos work with children from 0-18 years. They also work with families through their family support service, and their Partnership with Parents programme. They have a resources section for parents which includes free e-books for downloading. They also run Parent and Toddler Groups. 

Belong To is the national LGBTQ+ youth organisation. It shares details of LGBTQ+ youth groups. 

It works with Pieta to provide a free crisis counselling service for LGBTQ+ young people (between the ages of 14-23 years). You can call Pieta on: 085 856 9312 (9am to 5pm, Mon-Fri) or email belongto@pieta.ie.

BeLong To also offers a dedicated drug and alcohol service for LGBTQ+ youth. 

Bodywhys supports people affected by eating disorders. They give email and helpline support. They run online chat support groups, including the Youth Connect group for 13-18 years olds, virtual video support groups, and family programmes. They have a Resources Section for schools and parents. You'll also find details of their upcoming events. 

Childline is a 24/7 support line for children and young people up to and including the age of 18.  Contact them for free on 1800 66 66 66. You can also use their Live Chat button on the website. Childline has an Advice section. Childline also offers free digital mental health programmes aimed at reducing anxiety for children and young people. They also run programmes for parents and carers supporting their anxious child or teenager. 

The Daughters of Charity Child and Family Service (DoCCFS) has a range of therapeutic supportive services for children and families in Dublin. Their Family Centre Service gives a free and flexible service to families including individual sessions, parenting, family and group work, home visits, outreach and a drop-in facility. See their full list of services and how to make a referral to them. 

Their Family Support Service includes: Social Work; Crisis Intervention; One to One Counselling; Advocacy; the Parent Plus Programme; and Housing & Accommodation Advice and Support. Exchange House Ireland is also the main provider of Youth Services to the Traveller Community in Dublin. 

Family Carers Ireland offers a range of supports to the 500,000+ carers across Ireland. They also run events. These are a mix of in-person and online events. They also have Support Offices around the country. 

Membership is €20 a year (free for carers under the age of 24). The Family Carers Ireland (FCI) membership card gives you access to over 100 discounts and offers. You'll also receive a quarterly newsletter on their free supports and services. 

They have also prepared a Booklet on Family Carer Rights and Entitlements

Grow Mental Health is a charity providing free, community-based peer support groups for anyone who is a experiencing a mental health issue. You can learn more about their service and support groups through their FAQs section. See their Events section for information on upcoming talks and courses. 

Jigsaw provides free, confidential, brief mental health supports for young people aged 12-25 in Ireland. Their Support section details their in-person services. To access their in-person services, check if Jigsaw has a service in your area. Jigsaw also provide online support. They also have an information section for parents and guardians. 

Living Well is a free programme run by the HSE. It is suitable for anyone who is: living with one or more long-term health conditions, or caring for someone with a long-term health condition. It is not suitable for people with significant memory or learning difficulties.

It runs in person or online for six weeks. If there isn't a workshop running in your area, you can apply to attend another series of workshops. 

Men's Aid is a service for men who are experiencing domestic violence and coercive control. It has a National Helpline (01 554 3811) which is available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Men’s Aid provides one-to-one in-person counselling support. Counselling currently takes place in Navan, Co. Meath where they are based. Their monthly peer support group also meets in Navan. 

One Family is Ireland’s national organisation for one-parent families. One Family has a helpline: 0818 662212.  It has a Resources and Supports Section which includes information on parenting supports, early years parenting when separated, and parent wellbeing. It has created this Budget 2025 Factsheet. It also has a children's booklist which features books covering the themes of separation/divorce, diverse families, loss/bereavement, adoption/fostering, and blended/step-families. 

Parentline is a national, confidential helpline that offers parents support, information and guidance on all aspects of being a parent and any parenting issues. It’s a free service that does not require any referral.

Pieta provide free counselling to those with suicidal ideation, those engaging in self-harm, and those bereaved by suicide. It can be accessed free of charge and without a referral by calling 0818 111 126. Therapy is available nationally by phone, video and in person in 23 locations around the country. It offers a 24/7 Crisis Helpline and Text Service (freephone 1800 247 247, or text 'Help' to 51444).

Samaritans offers emotional support 24/7, 365 days a year, to anyone who is in distress, lonely, struggling to cope or feeling suicidal. You can Contact the Samaritans in several ways: by free phone (116 123), by email (jo@samaritans.ie). 

Shine is the only national mental health organisation founded to support all family members. Their teams provide a range of services to support individuals with lived experience of mental health challenges and their families and supporters. Shine provides phone and email support, individual support to people and families, peer support groups, and recovery education. 

spunout is Ireland’s youth information and support platform. It shares factual information on mental health and wellbeing. Its aim is to support young people to be informed, feel empowered and heard. Its website has sections on Mental Health, Health and Wellbeing and LGBTI+. It offers a free 24/7 text service called Text About It. It is a safe space for young people to share anonymously (Text HELLO to 50808 to start a conversation). It also runs a Youth Information Chat from 4-8pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). 

This free programme by the HSE was developed for anyone feeling they need some support in stress management. The programme does offer free online courses from time to time. You can access free resources. You can upgrade your membership for a cost. Access to resources under paid membership is for 12 months then. 

The ISPCC operates Teenline, a national active listening service for children and young people up to the age of 18 in Ireland. Teenline can be contacted 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, by calling 1800 833 634. The service is free to contact and is confidential, non-directive and non-judgmental.

This is a community-based counselling service for the Traveller community. The service works from a culturally inclusive framework which respects Traveller culture, identity, values and norms and works from a perspective of culture centred counselling and psychotherapy. You'll find the locations where the counsellors are based here. 

This service provides free online counselling and online support groups for young people aged 12 to 17 and adults. You can read more about the services in its FAQs. You can also see details of their online support groups, which you can filter by ages 12-14 years, 15-17 years, and adults. See their Information Section for posts on mental health, family, loss and grief, communication, confidence, self-image and other topics.

Túsla is the State agency responsible for improving wellbeing and outcomes for children. It focuses on child protection and welfare, educational welfare, early years services, family and locally-based community supports, and domestic, sexual and gender-based violence services. Find the name and contact details for your local Child and Family Support Network (CFSN) Coordinator. The Coordinator relevant to your area will be able to help you get the support you need. See also the Parenting 24seven section which shares key messages on what works best for children and families at different ages and stages.

Women’s Aid works to prevent and address the impact of domestic violence and abuse including coercive control. It helpline (1800 341 900) is available 24/7. Helpline support is available in 240 languages and is always free. It also has an Instant Messaging Support Service. In the Greater Dublin area, it also provides a One-to-one service – you book an appointment through the helpline; Court Support; and Maternity Outreach Service.

Find support services local to you.