“‘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]
“Record numbers of third-level students are receiving counselling for mental health problems such as anxiety. Almost 12,000 students sought counselling in the last academic year, up from about 6,000 students in 2010, according to data compiled by Psychological Counsellors in Higher Education Ireland (PCHI) …” (more)
[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 17 June]
“There has been a 50% rise in the number of students receiving counselling for mental health problems in the past decade. Almost 12,000 students sought counselling in the last academic year, up from about 6,000 in 2010 …” (more)
[BreakingNews.ie, 17 June]
“Early-morning lectures are surely the bane of most students’ existence. Whether it’s essay deadlines, an active social life or simply spending a night waxing lyrical about a topic you don’t know much about with your flatmates, it seems that most students are in a perpetual state of being tired …” (more)
[Aoife Kearins, University Times, 21 May]
“Many of the student mental health strategies being adopted by universities argue that it’s ‘time to talk’. But who are students talking to, and on what basis are people listening? …” (more)
[Phil Pilkington, Wonkhe, 3 April]
“Mumps – a contagious viral infection that causes swelling of the glands – has been in the news this week following a confirmed outbreak at two universities. A total of 223 suspected cases were reported, with 40 confirmed, across Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham …” (more)
[BBC News, 31 March]
“Students in Cork have had to walk peers who express suicidal thoughts to a support centre because of a lack of mental health resourcing at third level, a union has claimed. An official at Cork Institute of Technology’s student union says the waiting list to see a counsellor is so lengthy, some students who experience mental health issues are putting off seeking an appointment in case they take a place from someone suffering greater difficulties …” (more)
[Joe Leogue, Irish Examiner, 26 March]
“University College Dublin (UCD) has confirmed one of its students has been diagnosed with mumps and has issued health advice to its student body on Tuesday. It comes after a number of cases of the virus were diagnosed at Trinity College Dublin …” (more)
[Mark Hilliard, Irish Times, 13 February]
“Health authorities have warned students in the Dublin areas to get vaccinated if they have not been immunised with the MMR vaccine in response to an outbreak of mumps. Trinity College Dublin has had a number of cases confirmed over the past week or so and has warned anyone who suspects they have the virus to stay away from university for five days …” (more)
[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 10 February]
