This year, SpunOut.ie is focusing on promoting positive mental health and wellbeing for young people in minority groups in Ireland. As part of this, we want to share your stories, opinions or advice to support other young people across Ireland. 

Share your story

We’re looking to hear from young people who have experienced Direct Provision, young Travellers or young people from migrant backgrounds. We want to hear about your experience learning about and supporting your mental health. We can then post your story on our site as an article, video or podcast.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Why are we focusing on this?

One of our mental health projects for 2020 will focus on promoting positive mental health and wellbeing for young people in minority groups throughout Ireland. Our mental health is something that is always with us, but many people only associate mental health with experiencing a mental health difficulty. As with physical health, our mental health needs care and attention to help keep it healthy. The idea of positive mental health is not that a person will never experience a mental health difficulty, but that we can all make choices to help our overall health and wellbeing that can support us throughout our lives.

We know the importance of sharing information and lived experiences in a way that is accessible and culturally appropriate to young people living in Ireland from diverse backgrounds. We want to work closely with young people from minority groups such as those living in Direct Provision and members of the Travelling Community to make sure the content on SpunOut.ie is useful and supportive.

Do I need writing or podcasting experience?

You do not need any writing or podcasting experience. We’ll help you out every step of the way giving you feedback and suggestions.

Can my article or podcast be anonymous? 

Yes, it can be anonymous, you can use a nickname, or you can use your own name. 

What age do I have to be?

To have your article on SpunOut.ie, you need to be between 16-25 years old.

How do I get started?

If you’re interested in sharing your story, email Heather ([email protected]).

Content created by other young people

Here are some examples of articles and podcasts created by young people across Ireland. All of these started as drafts and we worked with the authors to get them ready for the site, so get in touch if you’re interested, even if you’re not sure how to get started.

Researchers in UCD are looking for young people to take part in a survey to share their experiences during COVID-19 and the impact the pandemic has had on their mental health and wellbeing.

The survey is being carried out in collaboration with the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Child and Young Peoples’ Services Committee (CYPSC), but it is open to young people from anywhere in Ireland.

How to take part in the survey

If you are a young person living in Ireland and you want to share your experience with the COVID-19 pandemic, you can sign up to take part.

In order to take part you must be:

If you would like to take part, you can find out more and sign up at the following links:

If you have any questions, you can email [email protected] or [email protected]

What will happen with the survey results?

Researchers hope to use the findings from the survey to provide a description of the current mental health status of young people at different ages, and their knowledge of COVID-19 and how the pandemic has impacted them.

These results can then be used to inform services on how they can help young people and support their mental health.

Who is behind the survey?

The research is being carried out in UCD, led by Dr. Niki Nearchou, an Assistant Professor with the UCD School of Psychology. The project is being funded by the DLR CYPSC Healthy Ireland Fund 2019-2020.

The Minister for Mental Health and Older People, Mary Butler, has released a booklet providing information on mental health services that support young people across Ireland. The booklet was released on World Mental Health Day 2020, which was held on Friday 10th October. 

The booklet provides information on services that young people can access for free when looking for mental health support in Ireland. This includes both online and in-person services. Each service has a description and information on how to get in touch. 

Who is the Mental Health and Wellbeing Information booklet for?

The booklet has been distributed to secondary schools across Ireland, but it can also be used by youth workers, parents, or anyone working or with young people. It can also be useful for young people themselves to see what types of services are available to them.

Download the booklet

If you would like a copy of the booklet, you can download at SpunOut.ie/MentalHealthSupports

What does it mean to be a man? To me, it’s knowing I’ll be paid more and be expected to be stronger purely due to being born a certain way. Does it also mean I will have my own gender expectations, even if I do not want to have them, certainly.

Whenever I hear phrases of “Be a Man” or “Man Up”, it sounds so cliché to me that I assume it is the end of a funny joke. However, I rarely actually hear these phrases, but rather I feel these societal pressures, and that is what gets me. It can be the pressure of being a certain way, even if many media campaigns may say otherwise.

For myself, it means apparently needing to make the first move when it comes to dates and relationships. As an introverted person with ADHD, it has meant a lot of indecisiveness and unsureness that by the time I convince myself to ask, it’s most likely too late. This can also be hard when trying to connect with people, especially during lockdown. In my head, there is seemingly no reason to talk to people, but I also want to reach out to people.

The impact on my mental health

This dilemma can increase feelings of loneliness, especially with the pressure to be OK and not to check in as much, which can be excruciating at times. This can be hard on my mental health, especially as someone who likes to have a close knit group rather than someone who wants to have tons of friends, as for me it feels shallow. When someone says “we should meet up sometime” but then proceed to not do that, it can be even worse too, and I worry if it’s me that’s the problem when it might not be at all.

These pressures led me to be frustrated, wanting to be alone, feeling lonely and not content with myself. In the past I deleted my social media after my 21st birthday as not enough people wished me happy birthday but then I regretted it a few days later. It’s a feeling of inadequacy. To “be a man” is pressure to be the “best” but somehow you can always feel like you’re not being the best and feel like you’re not good enough.

Getting support for our mental health

It’s no secret too that reaching out for support can be harder as a young man. I attended eight sessions of counselling two years ago. I put a lot of pressure on myself to finish them before college started to seem more independent and OK with myself, when I knew then I was nowhere near ready for college at the time, and only recently feel confident in that fact. I’ve also noticed that most of my friends happen to be female, unintentionally of course but noticing that I could always seem to empathise and talk more with that demographic then with my own is food for thought.

However, recently, I think I have come to terms with it. I’ll be unapologetic in saying it’s the women in my life that make me see what being a man truly means. It’s to be caring, to be open to listening, and most of all to reach out to all, especially those you have not heard from recently. This especially applies to the men in your life, with men accounting for eight out of 10 suicides. From my experience of mental health organisations and international NGOs, being male is still an exception rather than a rule, so it’s important that we encourage men to get the support they need, when they need it.

Be the man you want to be

So, do reach out to your mates. A simple message can be the world to them, just asking them how they are. Feel free to express your emotions, even if like me, you may find difficulty in doing so. Most of all, check in with yourself and be honest, is the man I am really who I think I am. I learned that the hard way, but some reflection or an honest appraisal can go a long way to better you and to truly like the man you want to be

What is the workshop about? 

Sharing your story and experiences as a young LGBTI+ person in Ireland can help support and empower other LGBT+ people. When sharing personal stories, it’s important to think about what you’re comfortable sharing, what you want others to know or not know, and how to look after yourself during the process. It’s also important to think about inclusive language you can use so everyone feels supported.

Sign up here

Who is running the workshop? 

This session will be run by Peter Dunne, the Editor for GCN. During the session, we’ll talk about everything listed above, and there will be plenty of time for questions and discussion so we can all learn from each other.

What are the details for the workshop? 

Sign up here

To mark World Mental Health Day on Saturday 10th October, YOULEAD are hosting a series of lunchtime webinars throughout the week, starting on Monday 5th October. YOULEAD are a network of youth mental health researchers working in Ireland.

The webinar series will explore issues like anxiety levels among young people in Ireland, how we can respond to the needs of young people online, and the impact that COVID-19 has had on the lives of young people.

Understanding young people

Presentations will include insight and studies from researchers in the youth mental health space, with the hope that these discussions will help participants to expand their understanding of young people.

Young people are often targeted in the media for being sensitive, or singled out for their behaviour during COVID-19, but this series will look to challenge those stereotypes and provide evidence on young people’s mental health and development.

Webinar themes

All webinars will be taking place from 1-2pm each day.

The themes include:

Ian Power, CEO of SpunOut.ie, will be one of the speakers during Friday’s panel discussion on youth mental health services. SpunOut.ie has also collaborated with YOULEAD to bring a first-hand account of the experiences of young people using mental health services and supports.

How to attend a webinar

For full details on each of the webinars and to sign up to attend, visit the Eventbrite page.

Webinars will run from Monday 5th October to Friday 9th October at 1-2pm.

The climate crisis is one of the biggest issues facing young people today. Our changing climate is impacting people’s lives all across the world, from forest fires in the Americas to flooding in Co. Cork. This is a crisis that affects all of us, but there are some regions that are suffering more from climate change than others. 

To celebrate the 5th anniversary of the Sustainable Development Goals, SpunOut.ie have partnered with ECO-UNESCO, The Girls’ Brigade, Irish Girl Guides, The No Name Club, and Young Irish Film Makers to bring the Youth Climate Justice Challenge. This challenge gives young people in Ireland the opportunity to develop a climate justice project, taking local action within their communities.

What is the #YouthClimateJustice challenge?

The #YouthClimateJustice challenge is aimed at empowering young people to take local action on climate justice. Young people ages 10-25 in Ireland involved with partner organisations will take part.

As part of this partnership, SpunOut.ie will be:

Young people involved with the partner organisations will create climate justice projects that take action in their local communities, engaging with leaders and decision makers to try and bring about change. The participants have the opportunity to attend a number of events and activities, including:

Keep an eye out for the opportunity to take part in our survey and for new information on climate justice in the coming weeks.

Hungry for change

Speaking about the project, Ian Power, CEO of SpunOut.ie, said: “We are so proud to be part of this project to move the conversation and action on Climate Justice forward in Ireland. Young people across the country are passionate and hungry for change, and the Youth Climate Justice Challenge will empower them to create it and inform us on how we can do more and do better.”

The project is being led by ECO-UNESCO, Ireland’s environmental education youth organisation. National Director of ECO-UNESCO, Elaine Nevin, said the aim of the organisation is to encourage young people to act on environmental and sustainability issues that matter to them: “This project will help raise awareness of climate justice in young people and empower and support them to act.”

What is Climate Justice?

Those who are impacted the most by climate change are also the least responsible. The poorest countries are suffering more from climate breakdown, and this crisis is threatening the livelihoods of some of the most vulnerable people in the world.

In particular, countries whose economies rely heavily on agriculture are struggling because the changing climate can threaten the success of their crops. Issues like drought, desertification (when land becomes less fertile because of human activity, making it harder to grow things) and sea level rise all have a significant impact on people living in these countries.

Climate justice aims to address this issue by supporting those who are most vulnerable to the climate crisis. Wealthier countries, including Ireland, have contributed the most to the climate breakdown, and it is our responsibility to support those who have been impacted by our activities. This includes changing our behaviour to prevent further climate change.

Find out more about the Climate Justice Challenge.

Students who received calculated grades this year can apply to sit a Leaving Cert exam in November if they were not happy with any of their results. Applications to sit an exam opened on Monday, and will remain open until Friday 2nd October at 5pm.

This includes students taking the Leaving Cert, LCVP, and LCA exams.

When will the Leaving Cert 2020 take place?

Subject to public health advice, the Leaving Cert exams are set to go ahead on Monday November 16th and run until December 11th.

The schedule for exams will be spread out across the evenings and weekends. Students can take one exam on weekday evenings from 5:30pm, and can take up to two exams on Saturdays and Sundays, starting at 9:30am and 2pm.

You can view the timetable for the exams on examinations.ie.

Exams will take place at the school where you were originally going to sit them in June.

How do I apply to sit a Leaving Cert exam?

If you want to sit an exam, you must register by Friday 2nd October at 5pm. To apply, visit the Calculated Grades Student Portal. You may need to register with the student portal if you haven’t already.

When registering, you can choose which level you want to take the exam in (Higher, Ordinary, or Foundation).

If you are a Leaving Cert Applied student and you want to take an exam in any of your LCA modules, email [email protected] before 5pm on Friday 2nd October.

There are no fees for sitting the November 2020 Leaving Cert exams.

Do I have to sit all of my exams?

You can decide which exams you want to sit. If you choose to sit all of your exams, you may do so. However, if you only want to sit one or two exams, that will also be possible.

You can only sit exams that you were previously registered to sit in June, you cannot add an additional exam at this stage.

Can my final grade go up or down?

If you sit an exam in November, you will get to keep the highest grade you were awarded between your calculated grade and your exam.

This means that if you get a higher result in your written exam than on your calculated grade, you will be awarded the higher mark. However, if you get a lower result in your written exam than on your calculated grades, you will get to keep the higher mark from your calculated grades – you will not be marked down.

Will I have to do oral or practical exams?

It is not currently possible to run oral exams or to complete any practical work that might have been in progress. However, students who were working on practical projects in the following five subjects will be marked on any practical work that had been completed before the school closed:

Earlier this year, it was announced students would receive full marks in oral and practical examinations – this no longer applies. Your mark will be based on your exam results alone.

What do the November exams mean for the CAO?

If your points go up after sitting the exams and you qualify for one of your higher preferences on the CAO, you will be offered a deferred place on the course, which you can start in September 2021.

If you already accepted a lower offer and have started the course, but you have decided to take the leaving cert exams and you are offered a place on a preferred course, you can accept that offer and start the following year in 2021.

Will my SUSI grant be affected if I switch courses after the Leaving Cert?

Normally, leaving college early can have an impact on your grant eligibility, depending on your circumstances. However, students who sit the Leaving Cert exams in November after starting a college course will not be penalised if they decide to accept a higher offer, and they will be able to apply for the SUSI grant for their new course.

Growing up I always felt a bit different, in many different ways. It was when I was about 17 that I started questioning my sexuality, but because of fear and anxiety, I kind of closed that thought off for another few years and refused to think about it. When I was about 20, I revisited the thought again, and while still anxious and unsure about it all, ‘bisexual’ seemed to be a term that fits best (although I’m not a fan of labels), and still does, for now anyway.

Being inspired by others

I joined a Facebook group organised by an Irish LGBTQAI+ organisation, and after reading the posts I saw that there were a lot of people who felt how I did; nervous, anxious, and scared. But I also saw many, many people who were out and proud of who they were, who were so unapologetically themselves, and I drew a lot of inspiration from that. Growing up, anything outside of a male-female relationship was practically unheard of, and while it is improving, the Bi representation in media still leaves a lot to be desired!

Embracing my sexuality

I “came out” to a few close family members and some friends, but that was it for quite a while. However, when I joined organisations like the spunout Action Panel, and when I went on a J1 at a camp in the US, I made many new close friends, and I started embracing my identity as more of just a fact about me that people gradually found out, rather than having to “come out” every time I met someone new or when I got to know them better.

I recently came out to some members of my extended family, through text as I felt that was the easiest way for me to do it. Watching the ‘typing’ notification on WhatsApp has really never been as anxiety-inducing as those moments! But in the usual fashion of most of my family, it was lovingly accepted and pretty much a “non-issue” really, just another part of me to love. I then sobbed for about 20 minutes out of sheer relief!

Supportive people in my life

Knowing how supportive my family and friends have always been about absolutely everything, it seems kind of strange now to think that I was so terrified of telling them, but it is a very normal and real fear at the time. Your mind begins to immediately jump to the worst-case scenario, and the “what ifs”. But in reality, it was such a huge relief, and an amazing feeling of not having to hide part of who I am anymore. They reacted so positively, and so lovingly, and it didn’t change a thing about how they saw me.

I know that not everyone is as lucky to have a family or group of friends as supportive as I do, but if you’re thinking of coming out, hopefully, you do have someone in your life you’ll feel comfortable saying it to. This experience has made me so grateful for the circle of amazing people I have. Most of all, I’m getting that bit closer to being happy to be me.

Growing up with an invisible disability has been a frustrating and isolating journey for me. When I was a young child I developed an underactive thyroid. My symptoms were anxiety, tiredness and irregular periods, so the doctors I saw diagnosed me with a mental illness. It wasn’t until I was fourteen that I had a number of blood tests and was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid. I’ve only recently started taking the medication I’ll be on for the rest of my life.

Living with my invisible disability

They say that sleeping plays a massive role in your health so it’s only natural to feel horrible after a bad night’s sleep. Sleepwalking, nightmares, overthinking and hallucinations would have me feeling exhausted and emotional going into school or work and having to get on with it. The stigma towards young people going out late or staying on their phones all night doesn’t help when trying to earn some sympathy.

School life was a challenge for me. I was paranoid about people saying mean things behind my back and would convince myself that everyone hated me. Half the day I would be hyperactive which could mean laughing at anything, talking way too much or running around releasing the energy. Then the other half would be the opposite, trying not to fall asleep or crying over nothing. Studying for exams was difficult as I couldn’t concentrate and would blame myself when I didn’t do as well as I used to, or when teachers would call me stupid or lazy. When I came home I wouldn’t have the energy to talk with my family and felt overwhelmingly guilty when they would say I was rude or that it hurt them.

Opening up about how I felt

Opening up about how I was feeling was an important step for me, but it took courage. One night I was feeling overwhelmed and realised I couldn’t continue going through this by myself, so I opened up to my parents. Talking about how I was feeling and having someone I trusted to listen made my pain feel validated. I didn’t know that what I was going through could be fixed or that there were supports out there. I strongly believe if there was education on mental health and more resources I would’ve reached out sooner. Reaching out to someone made me feel less alone and ready to get the help I needed. My mom picked me up from school to get my bloods tested and we learned after that I was living with an underactive thyroid. Having a professional tell you that there is something physically wrong and that it can be fixed after years of suffering is like looking at the light at the end of the tunnel.

Advice for other people with invisible disabilities

Conversations to support each other

Talking to a friend, teacher or someone you trust about what you’re going through helps to carry the weight of how you’re feeling. Mental Health was never talked about where I grew up or in the schools that I went to and there was no awareness of people with disabilities. The truth is there are people with invisible disabilities all around us and the more we can discuss what we’re going through, the more we can support each other and raise awareness for others who are feeling lost or alone.

Trusted information and advice

When going onto the internet for information make sure it’s from a reliable website. I found spunout’s opinion piece articles on invisible disabilities comforting as they’re written by people around the same age going through similar issues. For a long time I believed there was nothing wrong with me, that I should keep pushing through and that it would eventually be okay. If you don’t feel well, get in contact with your GP and make an appointment.

Every year I have to get my bloods tested to check if the prescription needs altering. But now that I’m on medication for my thyroid, I feel like I’m on the path to feeling better and being able to live in a fully functioning body.

Fighting Blindness, a patient-led charity supporting people living with sight loss in Ireland, are launching a new peer support group for young adults aged 18-30 years old.

This is the first time Fighting Blindness are running this programme, and it will be held over Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

How can the peer support group help?

Fighting Blindness recognises that young adults living with sight loss may face certain challenges and difficulties in life. This can include issues around studying and education, looking for a job, living independently, and managing relationships. This group gives young people living with sight loss a chance to come together to discuss what’s going on for them with others who have similar experiences. This is not group therapy, but it is a space for people to come together and find support.

How does the peer support group work?

This peer support group will be running for 12 weeks, starting on Thursday 24th September, from 6:30pm-8pm. The sessions will be run by an experienced facilitator over Zoom.

Thanks to the online delivery, this group is open to people across Ireland.

The sessions will run on the following dates:

Fighting Blindness will provide Zoom training to anyone who needs before joining the sessions.

How do I apply?

If you would like to sign up for this peer support group, you can contact Fighting Blindness on 01 674 6496 or email [email protected]

Going into my final year of college in Dublin City University (DCU) was never going to be easy for me. However, with the COVID pandemic, it has meant massive changes for how I will be studying towards my degree, engaging in societies and making the most of my final year before I decide my future after that.

My new learning experience

I remember when the colleges decided to close. I was in a workshop the day before and knew that it could happen, but never thought they’d close anywhere near as quickly as they did. It meant all my lectures after reading week would be on my laptop. Presentations changed into essays and trying to stay on top of college work was more difficult than it had been. I’m more used to this style of learning now, but looking at the year ahead, I feel I have to start studying and getting into a routine already just to ensure I’m prepared for the first day back. 

I am now expecting only nine hours of lectures on campus, for a half a day every three weeks, with the rest being online. I’m still paying full fees of three thousand euro despite less physical services on campus. At the moment, I do not know what days I will be on campus or have to attend Zoom lectures as our timetables are only being given to us the week before college begins. This is impacting many students with part-time jobs as they have no certainty on when they can work.

It has also meant that due to changes in my degree, all of the marks I get this year will fully decide my grade, instead of thirty per cent coming from my grades last year. This is frustrating as I worked hard last year and spent a lot of time studying. This now puts significant pressure to get up to speed on modules when I start in October. While I have used September to get a routine, I do not know how this will work in practice when lectures and coursework actually starts back.

Getting involved in college life

Being on two society committees, one of them as vice-chair, and trying to organise events with physical distancing is incredibly difficult. Thankfully, the college Clubs & Societies have helped move things online, such as registering society members and they are supporting us to increase our online presence as it’s difficult to organise physical events.. But there is a lot of worry and uncertainty, both for societies and college life in general. Needing to have COVID safety officers and worrying about “enhanced safety measures” in Dublin creates uncertainty and confusion for us all.

It has also meant changes such as having to pre-book slots in the library as well as remotely collecting books. A limited library space means that when you don’t have lectures, it can feel that you have to go home with no spaces to go on campus. While I am relieved I live close to college, it creates a dilemma for students who have to commute over longer distances for only a short time on campus. For some people, this might mean they’re unable to get involved in any society or club activities. It’s worrying to think of the possibility that hours could be cut further if more COVID restrictions come in.

While it is good that college events are happening again, the lack of interaction between my classmates as well as in societies have meant my mental health has taken a toll and has left me feeling more lonely. I’m sure plenty of other people are feeling this way, as it’s tough to have proper chats with people online. I think it’s important that everyone is aware of the supports that are available for anyone struggling this year.

My advice for new college students

For incoming first years, I would urge you to join societies that are smaller as you will feel more valued and are more likely to have physical events, as well as running for first-year rep to get to know how college societies work. It can help to try to talk with as many classmates online or offline in the first few weeks as possible.

Most of all, despite the temptation to catch up on powerpoints, do attend online lectures when they happen. It’s an opportunity to ask questions to lecturers in real-time which is crucial to understand topics, staying focused at home and doing the best you can in college work, as well as balancing college life.

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