HSE Health and Wellbeing Weekly Update

HSE Talking Health and Wellbeing Podcast, Episode 49 – Alcohol Support Services

In this episode of the HSE Talking Health and Wellbeing Podcast, host Noreen Turley speaks with Dr. Colin O’Driscoll, Clinical Lead Psychosocial Services, and Eleanor Keogh, Project Worker, both with the Mid-West Alcohol Service, about the HSE Integrated Alcohol Service. We hear about this service, how it works with community agencies to offer personalised support for those with alcohol concerns, ranging from mild to severe. They discuss the high level of alcohol consumption in Ireland, emphasising the service’s collaborative, non-judgmental approach and stress the importance of early intervention and community awareness to combat stigma. For further information and supports visit www.hse.ie/alcohol or call the HSE Drugs and Alcohol Helpline on 1800 459 459.

Please leave us a review on your chosen podcast channel or on the HSE Health and Wellbeing YouTube channel to promote the content to others who are interested in the area, and to get in touch with the podcast email Healthandwellbeing.communications@hse.ie.

Steps to Health challenge 2024

 

The Steps to Health encourages staff to increase their physical activity levels to improve their physical and mental health. The challenge will take place for 5 weeks, from May 13^th – June 16^th, and registration opens tomorrow, Friday 22th March.

Want to participate?

• Form a team of between 2 and 10 participants
• Choose a team co-ordinator and a team name
• Register your team online
• Use a tracking device to count your steps during the challenge
• If you have restricted mobility or are a wheelchair user, measure your physical activity levels using tracking devices or an app on your phone

Visit hse.ie/stepschallenge for more information

Every Move Counts Webinar

In case you missed our recent Every Move Counts Webinar, which marked the launch of the new National Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines for Ireland, or would like to watch it back – you can access it here.

Hosted by Sarah O’Brien, National Lead, HSE Healthy Eating Active Living Programme, HSE Health & Wellbeing, the webinar included a message from Minister of State with responsibility for Public Health, Well Being and the National Drugs Strategy and address from Professor Breda Smyth, Chief Medical Officer, who launched the guidelines.

00:00: Introduction, Sarah O’Brien, HSE National Lead, Healthy Eating Active Living Programme, HSE Health & Wellbeing

02:02: Message from Minister Hildegarde Naughton, Minister of State with responsibility for Public Health, Well Being and the National Drugs Strategy

04:26: Key address by Professor Breda Smyth, Chief Medical Officer

09:44: Presentation from Professor Elaine Murtagh, University of Limerick

24:32: Panel Discussion, hosted by Sarah O’Brien. Panelists: Professor Elaine Murtagh, University of Limerick, Colin O’Hehir, Department of Health, Dr Charlie Foster, RCSI and University of Bristol, Dr Sean Healy, University of Limerick

Use of pornography among young adults in Ireland Webinar

ESRI have launched a new report ‘Use of pornography among young adults in Ireland’ by Anne Nolan and Emer Smyth. If you would like to watch the launch webinar from last Friday, it is available here.

 

The research, funded by the Health Service Executive (HSE) Health and Wellbeing, draws on the Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) study to look at pornography use among young adults. The research considers the influence of a range of factors on pornography use and examines how the use of pornography is related to key aspects of wellbeing and sexual behaviour.

 

 Making Every Contact Count Update

The Making Every Contact Count eLearning training programme certification has been modified. The eLearning now takes a total time of 3 hours (reduced from 4 hours) covering the six core modules;

• 2 x  Health Behaviour Change; ‘Introduction to Behaviour Change’ and ‘Skills into Practice’
• 4 x Topic Modules on ‘Tobacco’, ‘Alcohol & Drugs’, ‘Healthy Eating’ and ‘Physical Activity’.

The two new modules on ‘Overweight & Obesity’ and ‘Mental Health & Wellbeing’ are available on completion of the core modules. Completion of the additional modules is encouraged and will now provide additional certification.

 

Save the date – NUIG Health Promotion Conference 13^th June 2024

 This year’s Annual Health Promotion Conference takes place in the context of national policy developments on mental health promotion, including the Health Service Executive Stronger Together: Mental Health Promotion Plan 2022-2025 and the development of Pathways to Wellbeing: National Mental Health Promotion Framework by the Department of Health, which provide strategic direction for promoting positive mental health and wellbeing at a population level in Ireland, underpinned by a whole-of-government approach. Keynote speakers include Stephanie Priest, acting Director General of the Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing at the Public Health Agency of Canada, Soile Ridanpää, senior specialist at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, within the Department for Communities and Functional Capacity in Finland, and Laura Shields-Zeeman, Head of the Public Mental Health Department at the Trimbos Institute (Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction) and Endowed Professor in Population Mental Health at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. Further details available here.

 

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

 The call is now open for the submission of abstracts that address the conference theme and objectives, with a goal of attracting researchers, practitioners, policy makers and other interested parties. This year we are seeking abstracts for oral presentations, lightning talks and poster presentations. Closing date for abstract submission is Monday 8^th April, 2024, link to Abstract Submission Form here.