The Young Adult Programme at St. Patrick's Hospital was established in 1988 and caters for the needs of young people between the ages of 18 and 25, who have been admitted to St. Patrick's Hospital suffering from mental illness such as depression, mood disorders and schizophrenia.

The programme was devised to provide a specific programme of planned interventions for younger patients during their stay in the hospital, to promote and foster integration between the patients, to reduce the length of stay in hospital by promoting re-integration into the community and family living, and to establish links for young people with support agencies and services of benefit to them.

The programme is designed to meet the psycho-social needs of young adults and focuses on the difficulties that arise from mental illness, such as low self-esteem, confidence problems, relationship difficulties, planning for the future, and the stigma of mental illness. The core content of the programme is continually modified based on client requirements, feedback, clinical experience and research advances. Each year approximately 150 young people attend the programme.