Here's how Leaving Cert students can access free mental health support to manage stress

Free online support groups for students feeling stressed about the Leaving Cert will launch next week. 

National mental health charity, Turn2Me, first launched support groups for students in 2022, which was welcomed by both teenagers and parents. 

The charity understands the Leaving Cert can be an extremely stressful time for young people and their families, and that it can cause panic attacks, anxiety, and low self-esteem for many. 

In the groups - which run online on Thursdays for three weeks on May 16, 23 and 30 - young people can share their struggles anonymously and receive tips on how to deal with stress and other issues from a mental health professional. 

CEO of Turn2Me, Fiona O'Malley, said, "Young people can really struggle with their stress levels, coming up to the Leaving Cert. It can be challenging to perform well in a particular type of exam, primarily ‘rote learning’ or a memory test, with some exams back-to-back. 

"It’s a marathon and if students don’t manage their stress levels throughout the Leaving Cert, it can have a detrimental impact on their performance throughout the exams." 

Students preparing for the Leaving Cert are encouraged to sign up now on Turn2Me.ie. 

There is no waiting list, students just need to register as a user on Turn2Me.ie, and then register for the group in advance.

Once students are logged into their account, the group will open up each Thursday at 6pm.

The Leaving Cert begins on Wednesday, June 5 and runs until Tuesday, June 25.