Spunout has called for a change in the use of language around mental health.
After it found almost all young people hear mental health terms jokingly used in casual conversation.
"You kind of hear things like, 'isn't she so bipolar', and the impact of it is it creates a stigma," says 22-year-old student Joseph Burke has lived with bipolar disorder for years, suffering from manic episodes and being admitted to hospital.
While now in a much better place, he says the frequent use of mental health terms in normal speech - like “that’s mad or that’s psycho” - can have a damaging effect.
"I'm less likely to open up to you if you think people with mental health issues are attention seekers. That you kind of have a negative impact on it - you could kind of close the doors on your loved ones then".
Joseph was speaking as a new survey of 1,400 young people by SpunOut.ie found 94% often hear mental health language used jokingly in everyday conversations
"When we're saying 'that's crazy' or 'that's mad' - we're saying 'that's shocking' - say what you're really meaning and take that beat to really consider it," says SpunOut director Kiki Martire.
"This is not a shaming game - we all say it."
SpunOut has urged anyone struggling to visit its website, which has a database of mental health and counseling services.
