Health Board: Upcoming conferences, talks, campaigns and events

1) The SPHeRE Network will host a public winter seminar on Tuesday, December 3rd. Dr Paula Byrne, Health Services Researcher, Health Technology Assessment (HTA), HIQA, will give a presentation on her recent research on statins. The talk, Statins for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: an example of overuse and low-value care? will take place from 1pm-2pm in Foster Place, Trinity College Dublin. All welcome, register your attendance at sphereprogramme.ie

2) Tuesday, December 3rd is UN International Day of People with Disabilities and for the second year running disability activist Gary Kearney and the Disability Federation of Ireland are planning to flood landmark buildings in Ireland in purple lights to salute the 643,131 people in Ireland, (over 13% of the population) who live with a disability. Enable Ireland services and charity shops around the country are supporting the #PurpleLights campaign by lighting up purple or wearing purple to mark the day. This year, the theme of the day is The Future is Accessible.

3) The eighth annual Newstalk Christmas Lunch in aid of the Marie Keating Foundation will take place on Thursday, December 5th in the Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin. Offering a champagne reception and a four-course lunch, the proceeds raised from this annual Christmas tradition help fund cancer awareness and support services. For tickets, see mariekeating.ie/events

4) St Patrick's Mental Health Services' annual Founder's Day conference on Friday, December 6th - at St Patrick's University Hospital, Dublin 8 will focus on the theme of anxiety. The plenary lecture comes from Prof David Clark of Oxford University, who will be discussing effective psychological treatments for anxiety and the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) Programme. Prof Mark Freeston of Newcastle University will present on the role of intolerance of uncertainty in understanding, formulating and treating anxiety in anxiety disorders and beyond, while Prof Helen Kennerley of the Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre will explore anxiety and dissociation. For more information and to book a place, visit stpatricks.ie/media-centre/events

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5) Environmental charity Feasta are organising a public conference on Living Well in the face of Climate and Ecological Crises, on Saturday, December 7th in Dublin. Topics covered include: Practical steps to build personal and community resilience; The particular issues facing young activists and their parents; and Joanna Macy's "Active Hope". Tickets for the event at Tailors' Hall, Back Lane, Dublin 8 are €10-€15 (including lunch). See feasta.org

6) The Winterval Festival in Waterford is holding an evening for children with autism spectrum disorder on Thursday, December 12th. The Autism Friendly & Sensory Evening is designed and adapted for children with special needs to meet Santa in a calm environment, with staff briefed on each group in advance to ensure they are aware of what to expect from the experience. The 8th annual Winterval festival runs until December 23rd. See winterval.ie

7) Researchers from the School of Psychology at NUI Galway are currently recruiting participants from ages 16-35 in the Galway area to participate in a new psychology therapy study being trialed for individuals who are in the first five years of a diagnosis of psychosis. Early psychosis, which refers to a range of mental health difficulties often associated with experiences of hallucinations or delusions, can result in significant difficulties with social and occupational functioning. The CReST-R study (Cognitive Remediation and Social Recovery in Early Psychosis Study) focuses on helping to improve everyday functioning in young people living with psychosis. The study will involve weekly one-to-one therapy sessions over the course of 10 weeks, with an assessment before and after completion of therapy. This trial is part of a Health Research Board funded programme entitled YOULEAD (Youth Mental Health Research Leadership) as part of a collaboration between mental health researchers at NUI Galway, UCD and RCSI, and health service providers, including the HSE and Jigsaw. To participate in the study and for more information contact Emma Frawley, crestr@nuigalway.ie, 086 8527199. For more information about YOULEAD, see nuigalway.ie/youlead

– For inclusion in these listings, email health@irishtimes.com with Health Board in the subject line