Minister for Mental Health launches ‘Navigator’ signposting tool to support the mental health and wellbeing of young people
- Foilsithe: 19 Meitheamh 2025
- An t-eolas is déanaí: 19 Meitheamh 2025
- New digital tool by spunout provides anonymous, immediate, and personalised access to mental health resources and service recommendations
Minister for Mental Health, Mary Butler TD, has today launched ‘Navigator’ a signposting tool designed to support the mental health and wellbeing of young people aged 14 to 34 across Ireland.
Navigator was launched today in collaboration with spunout, the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive (HSE). The signposting tool, a Programme for Government commitment, was developed by spunout in response to the challenges young people face in accessing mental health support, including stigma, low mental health literacy, and fragmented access to services. This innovative web-based and mobile-first tool offers anonymous, immediate, and personalised access to mental health information, resources, and services, addressing the gap in the availability of a single, national repository for tailored youth mental health support.
Minister for Mental Health, Mary Butler TD, today emphasised the importance of this tool:
“spunout’s Navigator is a national digital gateway that empowers young people to take the first step toward support in a way that is simple, private, and tailored to their needs. By answering just three short questions, users of the tool will receive clear, trustworthy, and relevant results, helping them find the right support, right now.
“The launch and promotion of this important tool was included in the Programme for Government which was agreed at the beginning of this year, and I’m delighted to see this commitment being delivered on so early in the lifetime of this Government.”
The digital tool includes a wide range of mental health resources, including factual information, lived experience articles and videos, expert-approved mental health apps, books, and podcast recommendations, as well as guided activities like grounding exercises and safety planning. The tool also provides direct service connection to 24/7 support through spunout’s ‘Text About It’ service for immediate support and signposts to specific and relevant local and national services for ongoing support.
The Department of Health provided essential funding for Navigator in Budget 2024, while a multidisciplinary HSE steering committee oversaw its development to ensure strategic alignment of the project with the National Child and Youth Mental Health Action Plan and other digital mental health initiatives in the HSE. The project was also supported by a wide network of academic experts and community and voluntary partners including Jigsaw and Mental Health Reform as a precursor to the development of a ‘digital front door’ for child and youth mental health services.
Donan Kelly, National Lead of the HSE’s Child and Youth Mental Health Office, said:
“We are confident that navigator will become a key first point of contact across Ireland for young people and families who are seeking evidence-based mental health support and services.”
“We are confident that navigator will become a key first point of contact across Ireland for young people and families who are seeking evidence-based mental health support and services.”
Kiki Martire, Director of Digital Content at spunout said:
“There’s so much mental health information online. It’s cluttered and it’s exhausting trying to find the right support. Navigator cuts through the noise, and with three simple questions, provides personal and localised results for your mental health needs. Our goal is to help every young person, no matter where you are on your help-seeking journey to find relevant and reliable resources that can help you move forward.”
The project was co-designed with young people, ensuring their voices, preferences, and lived experiences shaped every aspect of its development. An advisory committee of 15 young people provided consistent, ongoing feedback throughout the project, while almost 900 young people completed a survey for the project to inform its development. The direct involvement of young people has ensured Navigator is not only evidence-informed, but also genuinely relevant and relatable for the intended audience.
Minister Butler concluded:
“With the launch of Navigator, we are sending a clear message: You are not alone. Help is here. And it’s easier to find than ever before. I encourage everyone to share this tool with friends and family so that every young person in Ireland knows where to turn if they need help or if they want to maintain positive mental health.
“I want every young person to feel supported and to have access to the resources and services they need to thrive, and I believe the Navigator tool will be the first step for many thousands of young people in their help-seeking journey.”
Notes to the Editor:
Navigator
Navigator integrates curated content, guided and self-guided experiences, and direct service connections into a single, seamless platform.
Key features of spunout navigator include:
- A simple 3-step guided journey that delivers immediate, personalised results.
- A mobile-first design (but also accessible on desktop).
- Curated mental health information, videos, and sharing of peer experiences.
- Recommendations for expert-approved podcasts, books and mobile apps.
- Signposting to local and national mental health services.
- Ability to bookmark your ‘favourite’ content and save it for later.
- Privacy-first infrastructure supporting anonymous use and data insights, with no login or sign up.
Visit spunout.ie/navigator to learn more.
About spunout
spunout is Ireland’s youth information and support platform, working towards an Ireland where all young people are supported and empowered to thrive. spunout has a range of free, accessible and free services.
Through their platform and channels, spunout shares factual information on mental health and wellbeing. They provide immediate, free and anonymous text support to anyone who wants to talk.
For more information, visit www.spunout.ie.