50% of teens at support service abusing alcohol

Half of the teenagers attending the biggest adolescent counselling service in Dublin are abusing alcohol, with the majority bingeing at weekends to get drunk, according to the service's annual report.

Bingeing is defined as drinking seven or more units of alcohol for a man, or six units for a woman, in one sitting.

The report, by Teen Counselling, says almost 10 per cent of its young clients last year planned to commit suicide, and 14 per cent were thinking about it.

Teen Counselling is a service offered by the Archdiocese of Dublin's social care section, Crosscare. It provides counselling to people aged between 12 and 18, and to their families where appropriate, in five centres in Dublin.

Mary Forrest, director of counselling with the service, described as a "matter of serious concern" the fact that the number of teenagers referred for mental health issues increased by 25 per cent last year compared with 2005. "Adolescence is a short life stage - six years. The window of opportunity of getting help to a teenager in crisis is very short. Services must be accessible," she said.

Lord Mayor of Dublin Vincent Jackson, who unveiled the report yesterday, said teenagers "get left out, get caught between service provision for children and adults, and Teen Counselling is one of the very few filling the gap for these vulnerable young people".

Overall referrals to Teen Counselling increased from 469 in 2005 to 489 last year. The majority, 67 per cent, were aged 12 to 16 years. Some 33 per cent were aged 16 to 18, while 48 per cent were male and 52 per cent were female. The average waiting time for an appointment last year was 103 days - 27 days longer than in 2005. Of those referred, some 248 became clients.

More than 60 per cent were referred by family members, usually mothers, with behavioural problems at home cited as the most usual reason (38 per cent).

Behavioural problems at school were cited as a reason for referral in 31 per cent of cases; mood and anxiety in 29 per cent; family conflict in 25 per cent; and parental separation in 10 per cent of cases. Among other reasons were alcohol abuse, self harm and learning difficulties.

When assessed, counsellors cited family conflict as the most pressing problem (21 per cent), followed by disruptive behaviour (20 per cent) and mood disorders (15 per cent). Nine per cent of teenagers were referred for alcohol abuse.

"Fifty per cent of teenage clients were drinking, usually bingeing at the weekend, and over half of these were under 16 years of age. This is an increase of 7 per cent on the 2005 figures [for under 16s who are drinking]," says the report.

Some 78 per cent of the teenagers who had taken a drink reported having first been drunk sometime between the ages of 13 and 15. Some had been drunk before leaving national school. Almost one-third had been drunk more than 20 times.

The report also expresses concern about access to "cheap cocaine". "For the 23 per cent of teenagers who used drugs, hash continued to be the most commonly used. Some teenagers used more than one drug and there is a growing concern at the increasing availability of cheap cocaine at teenage parties."

The service noted addiction issues were prevalent among family members, with alcoholism an issue for 11 per cent of fathers and 8 per cent of mothers, and drug addiction for 3 per cent of fathers and 2 per cent of mothers.

Report on teens: main points

• Referrals to Teen Counselling increased from 469 in 2005 to 489 last year. Mothers made 55 per cent of referrals.

• Almost half of those referred - 46 per cent - were in second year and third year in secondary school; 48 per cent were male.

• Behavioural problems at home/school were the main reasons for referral. Family conflict was main problem for the adolescents.

• 50 per cent were abusing alcohol, 23 per cent abusing drugs, and 27 per cent smoked. Almost 10 per cent planned suicide, 14 per cent were thinking about it, and 12 per cent had engaged in self harm.