February 2016 Mental Health Week at NUI Galway

NUI Galway’s Societies Office will hold its Mental Health Week from 29 February to 6 March to open up the conversation about mental health, challenge the associated stigma and promote wellness on campus. Leading the event is the Psychological Society who hope to inspire a monumental student-led shift in campus ethos.

The Psychological Society, in conjunction with its fellow societies, will facilitate a jam-packed week of guest speakers, workshops, an information fair, and social activities.

Events throughout the week include:

• GIG (LGBT) Society’s Breakfast Morning in aid of Aids West
• Psychology lecturers vs. students Five-a-Side
• A number of screenings by the Film Society on the themes of adolescent loneliness and introversion
• ‘Good morning Galway’ dance sessions
• Mindfulness workshop
• Domestic violence workshops run by specialist Charlotte Douglass
• A gender-based violence discussion
• Wellness and Mental Health Fair with information stands from various support and counselling services
• ‘Coping with Stress’ workshop
• A psychology career talk
• Music session by the Music Society
• Seas Suas information stand to promote the #littlethings campaign and Reach Out Ireland’s ‘Note to Self’ initiative.
• Adam Harris, from ASIAM, will give a talk on how to create an autism friendly campus
• Ciaran Lynch from the Health Service Executive will give talks on positive mental health

There will also be a call to action in the ‘Towards a Mental Healthy Campus’ panel discussion which features a presentation from Treasa Hannify from Please Talk and a panel of experts including Emer Connaughton of Mental Health Ireland, Gillian Karwig of Reach Out Ireland and NUI Galway professionals working in the field.

Soraya Matthews, NUI Galway student and member of the Psychological Society, said: “We hope that the Galway community will come on to campus and join us to help bring about positive change and support our groundswell movement.”

For details on NUI Galway’s Mental Health Week see the website www.nuigstudents.ie or call the SocsBox on 091 492852.

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