Mental health supports and services

There are different types of support available for people with mental health difficulties. Many of the supports listed here are provided by agencies with the support of the HSE. You can access most of the services without a referral.

For more information you can:

They can help you find supports and services for your needs.

General mental health supports and services

Phone, email and text

Samaritans

Samaritans services are available 24 hours a day, for confidential, non-judgmental support.

Freephone 116 123, any time

Email jo@samaritans.ie

Visit samaritans.ie

Text 50808

A free, 24/7 service, providing everything from a calming chat to immediate support for people going through mental health or emotional crisis.

Free-text HELLO to 50808 to chat with a trained volunteer, any time.

Visit text50808.ie

Aware

Information, support and peer groups for people experiencing anxiety, mild to moderate depression, bipolar disorder and mood-related conditions. Support also for friends and family members.

Email supportmail@aware.ie

Freephone 1800 80 48 48, 10am to 10pm every day

Visit aware.ie

Pieta

Free individual counselling, therapy and support for people who self-harm or are thinking about suicide and people who have been bereaved by suicide.

Freephone 1800 247 247, any time

Text HELP to 51444 - standard message rates apply

Visit pieta.ie

Bodywhys

Services for adults and young people with eating disorders, and their families. Services include email and helpline support, online chat support groups for various groups, virtual video support groups and family programmes

Phone 01 2107906 - Monday, Wednesday and Sunday from 7.30pm to 9.30pm, and Saturday from 10.30am to 12.30pm

Email alex@bodywhys.ie

Visit bodywhys.ie

LGBT Ireland

Phone or online support for the LGBTI+ community - by phone, instant messaging or at peer support groups.

Email info@lgbt.ie

Freephone 1800 929 539 - Monday to Thursday 6.30pm to 10pm, Friday 4pm to 10pm, Saturday and Sunday 4pm to 6pm

Transgender Family Support Line 01 907 3707

Visit lgbt.ie

Practitioner Health

Confidential support and help for doctors, dentists and pharmacists.

Email confidential@practitionerhealth.ie

Phone 085 760 1274

Visit practitionerhealth.ie

ADHD Ireland

Support and information for young people and adults with ADHD and their carers and families.

Email info@adhdireland.ie

Visit adhdireland.ie

Counselling (online and in person)

MyMind

Online and in person counselling services, including options for free appointments and sessions.

Email hq@mymind.org

Visit mymind.org

SilverCloud Health Online CBT

Online Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is available to help manage mental health and wellbeing.

The HSE and SilverCloud Health provide internet-based CBT for people over the age of 18 in programmes that run for up to 8 weeks.

You need a referral from one of the following to access the service:

  • your GP
  • Primary Care Psychology
  • the National Counselling Service
  • Jigsaw

Learn about digital therapy with the HSE and SilverCloud Health

National Counselling Service

The HSE National Counselling Service is available free of charge across the country. Counselling is available in person, by phone or by online video.

Learn about the HSE National Counselling Service

Pieta

Free individual counselling, therapy and support for people who self harm or are thinking about suicide and people who have been bereaved by suicide.

Freephone 1800 247 247, any time

Text HELP to 51444 - standard message rates apply

Visit pieta.ie

Turn2Me

Free online counselling and online support groups for young people aged 12 to 17 and adults.

Visit turn2me.ie

Helplink online counselling

Online counselling for youths and couples for general issues, bereavement and addiction. Available 7 days a week.

Email helplinksupport@helplink.ie

Visit helplink.ie

Exchange House Ireland National Traveller Mental Health Service

Individual mental health supports, education, training and advocacy for people in the Traveller community.

Email info@exchangehouse.ie

Visit exchangehouse.ie

Traveller Counselling Service

Counselling supports for people in the Traveller community.

Visit travellercounselling.ie

Connect Counselling

Telephone counselling service for survivors of physical, emotional and sexual abuse, including former residents of mother and baby homes. You can talk in confidence with a trained counsellor.

Freephone 1800 477 477, Wednesday to Sunday from 6pm to 10pm

Visit connectcounselling.ie

Minding Creative Minds

Free 24/7 wellbeing and support programme for people in the Irish Creative Sector, including counselling.

Freephone 1800 814 244

Visit mindingcreativeminds.ie

Support groups

Aware

Information, support and peer groups for people experiencing anxiety, mild to moderate depression, bipolar disorder and mood-related conditions. Support also for friends and family members.

Email supportmail@aware.ie

Freephone 1800 80 48 48, 10am to 10pm every day

Visit aware.ie

Shine

Support services for people living with mental health difficulties and their families.

Email support@shine.ie

Visit shine.ie

LGBT Ireland

Phone or online support for the LGBTI+ community - by phone, instant messaging or at peer support groups.

Email info@lgbt.ie

Freephone 1800 929 539 - Monday to Thursday 6.30pm to 10pm, Friday 4pm to 10pm, Saturday and Sunday 4pm to 6pm

Transgender Family Support Line 01 907 3707

Visit lgbt.ie

Grow Mental Health

Grow provides weekly meetings in locations all over Ireland, to help people recover from various forms of mental health problems. Additional practical resources and information are available.

Phone 0818 474 474

Email info@grow.ie

Visit grow.ie

Join a Grow support group

ADHD Ireland

Support and information for young people and adults with ADHD and their carers and families.

Email info@adhdireland.ie

Visit adhdireland.ie

HSE Social Prescribing Service

Social prescribing connects you with activities and supports in your area. These include walking and running groups, reading groups, self help, adult education, men’s sheds, gardening, arts and creativity. Social prescribing aims to reduce social isolation and improve mental health and wellbeing.

A health professional can refer you or you can access the service without a referral.

Find a social prescribing service on allirelandsocialprescribing.ie

Services and supports for young people

Jigsaw

Mental health advice and support – online and in person – for young people aged 12 to 25 years old, and for parents or concerned adults.

Visit jigsaw.ie/livechat to chat online with a clinician

Find Jigsaw services in your area

Childline

Ireland's 24-hour listening service for young people up to the age of 18. Childline is a service from the ISPCC.

Freephone 1800 666 666, any time

Text 50101 any time

Chat online at childline.ie any time.

BeLonG To Youth Services

Support, information and groups for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI+) young people in Ireland, their parents and carers, and other professionals.

Visit belongto.org

spunout

spunout is Ireland’s youth information website created by young people, for young people. Articles and information for young people on many topics, including mental health.

Free-text SPUNOUT to 50808 to chat with a trained volunteer, any time.

Visit spunout.ie

Barnardos

Services for children, families and communities, to transform the lives of vulnerable children affected by adverse childhood experiences. Barnardos also provide a Children's Bereavement Service.

Freephone 1800 910 123, Monday to Friday 10am to 2pm

Visit barnardos.ie

CARI

Therapy for children and young people who have been affected by child sexual abuse. CARI also provide information, support and counselling to non-abusing parents, carers and siblings.

Phone 0818 924567, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm

Email hello@cari.ie

Visit cari.ie

Services and supports for older people

ALONE

National support and referral line for older people.

Phone 0818 222 024, 8am to 8pm every day

Visit alone.ie

The Alzheimer Society of Ireland

Emotional support and information on supports and services.

Freephone 1800 341 341, Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm, and Saturday 10am to 4pm.

Email helpline@alzheimer.ie

The Dementia Resource Hub lists information and online resources for people with dementia, families and carers.

Visit alzheimer.ie or understandtogether.ie

Seniorline

Confidential listening service for older people provided by trained older volunteers.

Phone 1800 804 591, 10am to 10pm every day.

Visit thirdageireland.ie

Age Friendly Ireland

Programmes and networks to support older people.

Visit agefriendlyireland.ie

Bereavement and grief

Find a list of organisations that provide self-help resources and services for people who are grieving or bereaved by suicide

Online videos and courses

Minding Your Wellbeing

Free series of video resources to learn and practice key elements of mental wellbeing such as mindfulness, gratitude, self-care and resilience from HSE Health and Wellbeing.

Learn about the Minding your Wellbeing Programme

Minding Your Mental Health

Multilingual video messages presented by doctors and other health professionals living and working in Ireland. The videos are available in Romanian, Polish, Arabic, English, French, Lithuanian, Russian, Irish and Portuguese.

Visit translateireland.ie

Stress Control

Stress Control classes to learn stress management skills and tips for minding your mental health, from the HSE. The programmes are for 3 weeks on Mondays and Thursdays and recommences at varying intervals.

Visit stresscontrol.ie

Suicide or Survive

Free workshops and programmes on mental health, wellness and recovery.

Visit suicideorsurvive.ie

Apps

These mobile apps can help you manage anxiety. They have been approved for listing here by the HSE Mental Health Group.

The app developers are solely responsible for their compliance and fitness for purpose. These apps are not supplied by the HSE and the HSE is not liable for their use.

Mindshift by Anxiety Canada

MindShift CBT uses strategies based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to help users engage in healthy thinking and take action. Users check in each day to track their anxiety and work with tools in the app.

Get Mindshift from the App Store

Get Mindshift from Google Play

Headspace

Headspace teaches meditation and mindfulness skills. Map your journey, track your progress and ‘buddy up’ with friends and motivate each other.

Get Headspace from the App Store

Get Headspace from Google Play

Clear Fear

From teenage mental health charity Stem4. The app uses CBT to help you learn to reduce the physical responses to threat. Strategies include learning to breathe, relax and be mindful, changing thoughts and behaviours, and releasing emotions. You can personalise the app and track your progress.

Get Clear Fear from the App Store

Get Clear Fear from Google Play

HSE Eating Disorder Self Help App

A self-care app for people:

  • with an eating disorder
  • caring for someone with an eating disorder
  • worried about developing an eating disorder
  • diagnosed or are recovering from an eating disorder

From the HSE National Clinical Programme for Eating Disorders and Bodywhys.

Find out about the HSE Eating Disorder Self Help App

Page last reviewed: 1 September 2022
Next review due: 1 September 2025