The Lifting the Silence Campaign was held on the 10th September to mark World Suicide Prevention Day by IT Sligo Students’ Union. The campaign made students aware of the various support service that are provided to them on and off campus as well as reducing the stigma surrounding mental health through encouraging students and staff in IT Sligo to lift the silence around mental health by “Reaching Out and Connecting”
Mental illness is common. It affects thousands of people in Ireland, their friends, families, work colleagues and society in general with the estimation that one in four people will experience some mental health problem in their lifetime according to Mental Health Ireland.
On Tuesday the 27th August, the Union Students in Ireland launched the National Report on Student Mental Health in Third Level Education. 3,000 students were surveyed across the island of Ireland on all aspects of their experience with mental health and mental health services in third level education. It highlighted that the number of students with mental health difficulties has risen by 127% since 2014. It also stated that 20% of those surveyed did not have someone to talk to about their personal and emotional difficulties.
IT Sligo Welfare Officer, Tara Ni Raghallaigh said;
“The results of National Report on Student Mental Health in Third Level Education have uncovered what members of the student movement nationally already knew, there is a shocking lack of services for students.
At IT Sligo however, the provision of mental health services is quite good with students waiting less than half the time to access services compared to their national counterparts. The purpose of the Lifting The Silence Campaign has been to educate new and current students of these services and to make sure they know that they do not have to suffer in silence.
As Welfare Officer I will continue to lobby the college for improvements to the IT Sligo Medical Service as well as continuing to lobby the government for more investments into the Mental Health Services in this Country.
The Students’ Union would like to thank the following services to their participation on the day.
The Samaritans Pieta House
www.samaritans.ie www.pieta.ie
Free phone: 116 123 Tel: 01 623 5606
Text: 087 260 9090
North West Stop Havin A Laugh
Info@northweststop.ie Havingalaugh.com
0719856070
For more information please contact:
Tara Ni Raghallaigh – ITSSU Welfare Officer – welfare@itssu.ie – 0867946672
