RTÉ launches youth mental health initiative

RTÉ is launching a special Youth Mental Health initiative on Radio 1, 2FM and Raidió na Gaeltachta next week.

The Big Picture – Youth Mental Health strand will also be promoted via RTÉ One, RTÉ Player, RTE.ie, and aims to shine a light on the issue, culminating on Thursday 26th April with an hour-long TV documentary and studio discussion.

Dee Forbes, RTÉ Director General said: “With The Big Picture strand we interrogate some of the biggest challenges and issues facing Ireland today, bringing together journalists and producers from across RTÉ to explore the issues, and examine the solutions. The first Big Picture, on homelessness, aired in December last. I’m delighted to see the strand return now with an important focus on youth mental health. The range of content, across all services, is inspiring, not least the dramatic mural by artist Joe Caslin, which takes up an impressive three stories on one of our main structures in RTÉ. It’s a statement of intent behind a strand that I hope will ask important questions and present some interesting responses.”

RTÉ 2fm will examine how music can make us feel better and are creating a dedicated Spotify List nominated by 2fm presenters and listeners.

Tracy Clifford, Nicky Byrne, Jenny Greene and Eoghan McDermott will all speak to guests on a range of youth mental health topics with details of the people and organisations to help young people curated on the 2fm website.

RTÉ News on television, radio, mobile and online will report on some of the key current issues effecting youth mental health from around the country along with dedicated digital news stories also featuring across RTÉ News social media accounts.

There will be also special interviews on key youth mental health topics featured on RTÉ Radio 1’s Morning Ireland, Today with Sean O’Rourke, Ray D’Arcy Show, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta’s Cormac as a Cúig programme and RTÉ One’s Today with Maura and Daithi show to broaden and deepen the conversation.