A series of online events will be hosted by NUI Galway Students’ Union to mark their Mental Health Week taking place next week from 16 to 20 November.
The events will look at key issues impacting on the mental health of students, including self-care during the Covid pandemic, eating disorders and drug use.
At the moment, with so much uncertainty ahead, many people are turning to exercise and diets to find control and to cope with their fears.
The talk ‘Diet or Disorder?’ will examine how many eating disorders can begin with a diet.
With online teaching many students are living isolated lives, sitting in front of screens in their bedrooms for hours every day.
To address their loneliness there will be speed friending and comedy at the Hump Day Hoolie – a weekly online event hosted by comedian Steve Bennett which is proving hugely popular. There will also be a quiz night which is already fully booked.
“Our students have been through so much already this year,” said SU President Pádraic Toomey, “between first years dealing with the uncertainty of the Leaving Cert situation to students finding themselv es stuck far from their families attending online lectures whilst paying huge rents they can’t afford.
“The impact this year is having on their mental health is huge and we are here to help as much as possible.”
“The impact this year is having on their mental health is huge and we are here to help as much as possible.”
Students’ Union Vice-President/ Welfare and Equality Officer Róisín Nic Lochlainn added:“We hope our students will be able to take time out of their schedules to engage with these events and take stock of their mental wellbeing.
“Level 5 restrictions have left a lot of our students more isolated than ever.
“Events like our weekly Hump Day Hoolies aim to give them the chance to make new friends and hopefully feel a bit more connected to the NUIG community.”
