Ninth Level Ireland

“The College Health Service has warned that there has been an increase in the number of cases of Mumps in Trinity. In an email sent to all staff and students, the health service director, Dr David McGrath said that there has been a ‘spike in cases’ across the college and advised that students take the necessary preventative measures. The College Health Service also expects to see more cases over the next few weeks due to the long incubation period of the virus …” (more)

[Patrick Coyle, Trinity News, 29 October]

“Warnings have been issued to university students in Dublin after the HSE confirmed that mumps cases have increased as students return to schools and colleges. Earlier this month, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), Ireland’s specialist agency for the surveillance of communicable diseases, confirmed that the national mumps outbreak that started in 2018 is still ongoing …” (more)

[TheJournal.ie, 25 October]

“Due to increased mumps activity on University of Limerick campus, the Student Health Centre has issued advice on Wednesday afternoon for students. In an email sent campus-wide, Clinical Nurse Manager Claire Kearns said that there has been a number of mumps cases on college campuses in Ireland and this is due to a possibility of a low uptake of the relevant vaccine in the 1990s …” (more)

[Kathleen O’Sullivan, Limerick Voice, 16 October]

“The University of Limerick is warning its students after a number of people have been diagnosed with mumps on campus. Mumps is a viral infection which in general terms presents with a swelling of one of the salivary glands or more in the neck …” (more)

[Niamh Delmer, Limerick Voice, 30 September]

“When he started working at Brunel University in London 19 years ago, Terry Vass, who is now head of security, recalls that most of his work involved breaking up drunken fights outside the bars and nightclub on campus. Over the two decades he has been in the job, he has noticed a shift. Now, an increasing number of calls are for mental health incidents …” (more)

[Samira Shackle, Guardian, 27 September]

“Last week, while waiting outside a tutorial, I met a fellow second-year arts student. We struck up a conversation about the similar tote bags we both carried and the conversation – although very surface-level – was rather pleasant. Things took a strange turn, though, as within a matter of minutes she was divulging to me an incredibly detailed story about how she had been on ketamine at Trinity Ball and lost a small bag …” (more)

[Faye Curran, University Times, 24 September]

“A university president says vaping should be banned on all college campuses. Dr Des Fitzgerald, President of University of Limerick, wants the government to implement a ban due to newly discovered health risks associated with vaping. UL is the only college in Ireland that has already stopped the use of e-cigarettes …” (more)

[Irish Examiner, 22 September]

“Upon beginning in UCD as a freshman, what will be surprising to many is the degree of loneliness that can be felt on campus. Compared to a school environment, it’s suddenly a lot harder to catch up with friends. As well as the largeness of campus, clashing timetables can quickly become a hindrance to staying in touch with pals as much as we’d like to. It happens …” (more)

[Eva Earner, College Tribune, 21 September]

“‘I had an issue in Freshers’, said Lucy, ‘so this was like three days into me moving into the university house and I just had a meltdown and I had no idea what to do. So I was literally, like, I have known these people for 48 hours, where do I go?’ …” (more)

[Jenny Shaw, Wonkhe, 17 September]

“Enniscorthy TD, James Browne, has said the Government is failing third level students when it comes to mental health support. He made his comment in the wake of a study that revealed a significant number of third level students were reporting mental health issues …” (more)

[Brendan Keane, Wexford People, 7 September]

“The results of a Union of Students in Ireland (USI) survey on mental health this week are at once unsurprising and deeply alarming. Nearly a third of the 3,340 students surveyed had received a formal diagnosis of a mental health condition – a shocking figure by any standards …” (more)

[University Times, 2 September]

“The Union of Students in Ireland is to be praised for its interest in mental health in the group it represents. I am a psychiatrist providing a service to one of the universities in Ireland. I work closely with the university welfare officers, the general practitioners on campus and the counselling and psychological services. There are several other psychiatrists who provide a similar service to universities in Ireland …” (more)

[Patricia Casey, Independent, 31 August]

“Minister Mary Mitchell O’Connor has been accused of ‘offering sympathy’ but ‘only vague solutions’ to what has been described as a mental health crisis among college students. The claim, from Fianna Fáil mental health spokesman James Browne, came after the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) published a report showing 38% of students experience extreme levels of anxiety …” (more)

[Cormac McQuinn, Independent, 28 August]

“On Tuesday, a report published by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) – and funded by the HSE – claimed that one third of students are experiencing ‘extremely severe levels of anxiety’. The National Report on Student Mental Health in Third Level Education surveyed students on their experiences with mental health and mental health services …” (more)

[Damian Cullen, Irish Times, 27 August]

“A third of students are experiencing ‘extremely severe levels of anxiety’ and have had a formal diagnosis of a mental health difficulty at some point in their lives, according to a report by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI). The National Report on Student Mental Health in Third Level Education surveyed 3,340 students on aspects of their experiences with mental health and mental health services in third level education. It was funded by the Health Service Executive …” (more)

[Colin Gleeson, Irish Times, 27 August]

“Talks to provide UCD students with free pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) are still ongoing, despite confirmation of cost-free availability of the drug on July 1st. A press statement released on Monday July 1st by UCD Student Union announced that PrEP medication would be available from the UCD on-campus pharmacy, free of cost to any student with a prescription, come September …” (more)

[Sally Madden, The College View, 7 July]

“University College Dublin Students’ Union (UCDSU) today announced that Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) medication – which significantly reduces the risk of contracting the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) – will be available free of charge on UCD’s campus from September 2019 …” (more)

[Aoife Kearins, University Times, 1 July]

“Minister of State for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, held a consultation to address the issue of substance abuse in higher education. Representatives of colleges, leaders from students’ unions, Gardaí from the National Drugs Strategy Unit, and individuals working on the issue of drug rehabilitation were all invited to the discussion …” (more)

[Jessica Hobbs Pifer, Trinity News, 25 June]

“Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills with special responsibility for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD is today (24 June) bringing together higher education representatives, students’ unions, leaders in the area of drug rehabilitation and Gardaí from the National Drugs Strategy Unit, for a consultative meeting to discuss substance abuse in higher education institutes …” (more)

[Department of Education and Skills, 24 June]

“The head of student services at IT Carlow says a claim that STIs are on the rise in the college doesn’t correlate with the information they have whatsoever. Rosemary Flynn responded this morning to Stephen Donnelly’s claims that there had been an increase in Sexually Transmitted Infections on the campus …” (more)

[MaryAnn Vaughan, KCLR96FM, 19 June]