Mental Health Matters Poster Campaign 2026
Mental Health Awareness Through Art
Less Than 1 Week To Enter!!
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Submissions closing date is the 5th July 2026 at midnight.
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Start creating now - reflect on what mental health means to you or your community
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FREE TO ENTER!
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FREEPOST to: Mental Health Poster Campaign, PO Box 13751, Freepost, FDN7701, Dublin 1
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Submissions can be made by posting the hard copy to the above address, or uploading good quality photos of the finished piece through our online entry form (button below!)
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Entrants must be resident in the Republic of Ireland.
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Posters must be created in physical media (no digital "posters")
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Entrants can use a range of materials and techniques from the following list: oil, watercolour, pastel, acrylic, drawing (e.g. pencil, pen, crayon, pastel, etc.), printmaking, collage and montage Note – this explicitly states, “No Photography”. Experimental and mixed techniques are also acceptable, as long as 50% of the work uses some sort of paint, pen, crayon, pastel or pencil.
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Please see full Terms and Conditions here.
Inclusive by Design:
Categories for Every Community
If you've been meaning to take part, this is your reminder.
You do not need to be an artist.
Whether you're a student, teacher, parent, employee, employer, community group member, service user, family member or simply someone who believes conversations about mental health matter, we would love to see your creativity.
Enter one of our 5 categories:
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Schools
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Students / University
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Workplaces
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Community
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Disability
You can enter:
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As an individual
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As a family
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As a school or class group
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As a workplace team
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As a University/ College/ Senior student or staff member
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As part of any kind of community or disability service
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You're also welcome to enter more than once if you're feeling really creative!
Sometimes a simple poster can start a conversation that changes someone's day, or even their life.
What Could Your Entry Lead To?
🏆 €250 prize in each category
📮 Your design transformed into an official commemorative postcard with An Post
🎨 Your artwork launched nationally for World Mental Health Day
🌍 Your message shared across Ireland through campaign partners and national networks
✨ VIP invitation to the Mental Health Matters National Awards Event in Dublin
🏅 Individual award presented to every winning designer
❤️ The opportunity to create something that helps start conversations and make a difference
This isn't just a poster competition.
It's your chance to become part of a national movement for mental health.
The Poster Campaign is supported by national partners who share a commitment to ethical practice, transparency, safeguarding, and responsible mental health awareness.
Our 2026 National Partners include:
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Nua Healthcare Services – Campaign Headline Sponsor
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An Post – National partner supporting reach and visibility
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Samaritans – National mental health charity partner
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Aware – National mental health charity partner
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HSE Office for Human Rights and Equality Policy – National public-sector partner
These partnerships help ensure the campaign is supportive, responsible, and grounded in care, while allowing creativity and lived experience to remain at the heart of the work.
National Partners
A Shared Commitment to Ethical Engagement
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New for 2026:
Downloadable Participation & Resource Packs
Free Participation Packs
Everything you need to bring the campaign to life.
Our FREE downloadable packs include:
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Creative prompts and inspiration
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Mental health conversation starters
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Workplace wellbeing and psychological safety resources
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Activities for schools, communities, teams, and services
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Printable posters, bunting, and campaign materials
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Submission guidance and campaign tips
Whether you're taking part on your own, with your family, in a classroom, workplace, or community group, these packs make it easy to turn creativity into meaningful conversations about mental health.
Because the most important part of this campaign isn't the poster.
It's the conversation that happens while creating it.
Most people won’t tell you they’re struggling.
They’ll keep showing up.
Keep performing. Keep saying “I’m grand.”
And you might never know.
That’s why this matters.
The Mental Health Matters Poster Campaign - now supported by the RTÉ Supporting the Arts Programme - is no longer just a campaign.
It’s a national movement designed to reach people before they ever say a word.
Because sometimes a poster says the thing someone hasn’t been able to.
You don’t need to be an artist.
You just need something real.
Something honest.
Something that might help someone feel less alone.
Submissions are now open.
Start thinking.
Start creating.
Be part of something that could reach further than you ever will.
Launched at the Curragh Races, Sunday 15 March 2026
The National World Mental Health Day Poster Campaign returns for its third year in 2026. We launched at the St. Patrick’s Day Race Meeting on Sunday, 15 March 2026, at the Curragh Racecourse.
A dedicated 'Mental Health Matters' race ran on the day, marking the official launch of the 2026 campaign. Poster submissions are now open, and people across Ireland are invited to begin submitting their creative responses to this year’s themes.
Delivered through a national collaboration between Mental Health Matters, An Post, and leading national mental health charities, Year Three continues to expand the reach, depth, and impact of this inclusive mental health initiative.
Start thinking. Start creating.
A National Movement for Mental Health Awareness
The National World Mental Health Day Poster Campaign is a nationwide invitation to reflect, create, and connect through visual storytelling. It encourages individuals, groups, and organisations across Ireland to explore mental health through original poster design - using creativity to open conversations, reduce stigma, and strengthen connection.
Each poster represents a voice.
A lived experience.
A moment of reflection shaped by real life.
Together, these posters form a shared national conversation about mental health, wellbeing, dignity, and belonging.
If something you’ve seen or experienced has stirred emotions, you’re not alone. Support is available. See organisations here that offer confidential help, understanding and practical pathways forward. Reaching out is a strength.
2025 Winners!
Take a closer look at last year's standout designs, and download your copy of each here:
Eimear McDonagh
Workplace Category Winner
Lorna Quinn
Community Category Winner
Samantha Mulligan
Disability Category Winner
Yevis Gallagher
University Category Winner
Faye O’Sullivan
School Category Winner
Mary Orlva
Highly Commended
Delve into the compelling stories of inspiration behind each piece here:
2024 Winners!
View 2024’s winning designs and download your copy of each here:
Shaunna Byrne
University Poster Winner
Jessie Dilleen
School Poster Winner
Niamh Healy Moore
Workplace Poster Winner
Caroline Morgan
Community Poster Winner
Learn about the personal stories that brought each piece to life here: