SUICIDE STUDIES:As Irish society struggles to deal with increasing levels of suicide and self-harm behaviour, the need to train people to run suicide-prevention programmes gains increased prominence. Liam McCarthy, suicidologist and founder of the PCI (Personal Counselling Institute) College in Clondalkin, Dublin, will deliver an advanced diploma in suicide studies over six weekends, starting at the end of March. For more details, tel: 01-4642266 or e-mail info@pcicollege.ie
MENTAL HEALTH TALKS:The Celbridge Mental Health Association is holding a series of free public talks in the public library, Celbridge, Co Kildare at 8pm on three consecutive Thursdays in March. The first talk is on drugs and alcohol addiction in teenagers and will be given this Thursday by Dr Bobby Smyth, consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist. Forthcoming talks will deal with understanding self-harm and suicide and the role of support services in eating disorders. Admission is free. Tel: 01-6272207 for more details.
MIND MATTERS:A new series of Mind Matters, the RTÉ radio one series which looks at both the science and human experience of brain disorders, begins next Tuesday at 8.30pm. The first programme will look at the genetic disease, Huntington's Chorea. Subsequent programmes will look at migraines, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Listeners can subscribe to a podcast of the series on www.rte.ie/radio1/podcast/podcast_mindmatters.xml. See also www.rte.ie/radio1/mindmattersfor extra information about each programme, along with full transcripts.
CHARITY DINNER:Action Breast Cancer, the Irish Cancer Society information and support service, is the charity that will benefit from a gala dinner and dance organised by the American Women's Club of Dublin on March 17th in the Four Seasons Hotel, Dublin. Tickets cost €100 per person. Contact the Irish Cancer Society on tel: 01-2310558 for more details.
Lifelines is compiled by Sylvia Thompson