Free Leaving Cert support group launched by mental health charity

Turn2Me, a national mental health charity, will begin free online support groups, starting next week for three weeks, for students feeling stressed about the Leaving Cert.

The charity first launched Leaving Cert support groups for students in 2022 which was welcomed by teenagers and parents alike.

The support groups will run on Thursdays for three weeks, on the 16th, 23rd and 30th May, at 6pm. The support group will be online, and students can sign up on Turn2Me.ie.

Turn2Me said 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. Turn2Me stated that these support groups will be a space where young people can share their struggles anonymously and receive tips on how to deal with stress, panic attacks, anxiety, and other issues from a mental health professional.

“Young people can really struggle with their stress levels, coming up to the Leaving Cert,” Fiona O’Malley, CEO of Turn2Me said, “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 at 6pm.