The national suicide and self harm prevention charity say contacts from people under the age of 18 have increased by 42% since 2020, with almost 1500 children and teenagers provided with support so far this year.
The charity say the increase is a result of increased awareness of mental health supports coupled with fear about the pandemic.
The spike in demand for in-person and virtual support has led the charity to launch a recruitment drive for therapists in Cork, Kerry and Limerick.
Speaking to RedFM News, Tom McEvoy from Pieta House says recruiting therapists can be difficult:
"It is difficult to get therapists to focus in on suicide ideation and self harm in particular. So, we are at the moment recruiting for therapists who have a speciality in child and adolescent work. We have three places in Cork currently. It is challenging people to work with us."
The number for Pieta House is freephone 1800 247 247 and more information about the jobs on offer is available on the Pieta website.
