Almost half of older teenagers struggling with life

Almost half of teenagers aged 16 to 19 said they were struggling with life according to a new study.

The Perfect Storm 2026 national survey by research body the Shona Project intends to reflect the lives of 802 12 to 19-year-olds in Ireland dealing with increasing pressures of adolescence.

Historically, the organisation has focused on the lives of teenage girls.

This is the first time boys have been included in their research.

The survey found that girls tend to experience difficulties early in their teenage years, with 44% of girls aged 12 to 15 stating that they are struggling compared with 24% of boys.

However, by late adolescence there is a decline in wellbeing for both genders as 47% of young people aged 16 to 19 said they were struggling - 55% of girls and 38% of boys.

Future anxiety among boys more than doubles as they get older, but demand for mental health support increased by just 4%.

The Shona Project says that this study is not about comparison, but understanding the differing needs of young men and women.

It says teenage boys are not more resilient than teenage girls, but that this "self-report may underestimate difficulties among boys as many find it challenging to express feelings or articulate difficulties."

A pilot school programme called MARK has been developed by The Shona Project as a direct response to this survey.

The programme provides male facilitators to speak to young boys about the pressures they face and help them to build confidence and a sense of belonging.

MARK Programme Director Dónal Kearney said, "Through MARK, we are taking action and creating spaces where boys can reflect on and question these pressures in a non-judgemental environment. We want boys to know they don't have to figure everything out on their own."

The Shona Project say more needs to be done to ensure that young people get the support they need before "challenges become crises and struggling becomes the norm."