The second-level programme that educates young people about depression should be made compulsory in all schools, according to a teenagers' support group.
The Beat the Blues programme, which is provided to senior secondary school students by support group Aware, was taught in 132 out of 750 secondary schools nationwide last year. Maureen Bolger, the founder of a support group for teenagers called Teenline, said the Aware programme was confined to a small number of schools at a time when young people, particularly men, needed an opportunity to talk about their feelings.
She said Teenline was inundated with calls from parents and young people asking why the Beat the Blues programme was not available in all schools.
"Most teenagers will tell you that they have a year head who they can offload to, but when the year head is a teacher you will have in another class it is very difficult for teenagers to trust them, to break down and explain how they feel in that school environment."
She said many principals were declining invitations from Aware to teach the programme because of a belief that it would "put ideas into young people's heads".