Mental health disorders affect one in six Irish children aged 11 to 13, a new report has found.

According to The Mental Health of Young People in Ireland, which was published by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), young people who experience mental ill-health are at an increased risk of suffering further mental health problems during adulthood.

The report is based on two research studies carried out in Ireland - the Adolescent Brain Development Study and the Challenging Times Two Study. As part of these, over 400 young people aged between 11 and 24 were surveyed and interviewed.

The research showed that one in six children aged 11-13 had mental health disorders and this figure rose to one in five for people aged 19-24.

"Our research shows that high numbers of teenagers and young adults in Ireland are experiencing mental ill-health at any given time...Compared to similar international studies, the findings suggest that Irish youth may have higher rates of disorder than their peers in Europe and the USA," explained Prof Mary Cannon of the RCSI.

The studies found that many young adults aged 19-24 were engaging in alcohol and drug misuse. In fact, at least one in five met the criteria for a diagnosable substance use disorder over the course of their lives, while one in 20 were considered to have an alcohol use disorder at the time of the research.

The studies also found that young people who experience mental health problems are three times more likely to be unemployed when they reach young adulthood compared to those who do not experience mental ill-health during their teens.

Meanwhile almost one in five people in the 19-24 age group had thought about suicide.

Speaking at the launch of the report, Prof Pat McGorry, professor of youth mental health at the University of Melbourne in Australia, insisted that these findings ‘should be the only wake up call that people need'.

"This research tells us very clearly that there is an urgent need to enhance the services, supports and policies which underpin the mental health services available to young people in Ireland. There is a need for specialist mental health services catering to young people between the ages of 15 and 25," he said.

He pointed out that young people of this age ‘do not fit well into the current adult services'.

"Without access to appropriate support services at the right time, a young person's chances of operating and functioning well in society as adults are severely limited," Prof McGorry added.