Aware launches education programmes for better mental health

Life Skills Programme, Relatives & Friends Programme, Living Well with Bipolar Disorder Programme offer knowledge, advice and tools to improve mental wellbeing

Aware, the national charity supporting people impacted by depression and bipolar disorder, has launched its Adult Education Programme for 2022. The courses have been designed to empower people living with these conditions in Ireland, as well as their support network, and the general population, with the knowledge and skills to build positive mental health and resilience into the future.

There are three courses to choose from - the Life Skills Programme, for anyone seeking to protect or improve their mental health and for people with mild to moderate depression or anxiety; the Living Well with Bipolar Programme, for people with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder; and the Relatives & Friends Programme, to help people supporting someone with depression with the skills they need to look after both themselves and their loved one.

Last year approximately 6,000 adults took part in Aware’s adult education programmes, and the charity expects that demand will be even greater in 2022 as the need for mental health supports continues to grow in Ireland.

The programmes, which commence in February, are now open for registration. All are offered free of charge, but places are limited, so Aware is encouraging people to register their interest before 28th January.

The charity is also looking to recruit an additional fifty volunteers for 2022, bringing its volunteer base up to 500, in a bid to bolster the supports on offer.

Speaking about the 2022 Adult Education Programme, Stephen McBride, Director of Services said, “Our aim is to ensure that individuals across Ireland impacted by depression, bipolar disorder and other mood related conditions know they are not alone and are provided with the knowledge, advice and tools they need to improve their wellbeing. We have three different courses to address three very different needs.

“Our Life Skills programme affords participants the space to examine their patterns of thinking and will provide them with tools and skills to cope with life’s challenges. In that spirit, the programme builds resilience and develops participants’ self-understanding in an outcome focused way.”

The Life Skills Programme is available to anyone over the age of 18 in Ireland who wants to learn new tools to improve their mental health. It is particularly useful to anyone experiencing mild to moderate depression, stress and/or anxiety who would like to learn new ways to deal with life’s challenges. Based on the principles of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), participants will learn more about how we think and how this can influence our actions in helpful or unhelpful ways. The course is run online over eight modules by a certified trainer.

The next programme is focused on helping people living with bipolar disorder to live well. “At a societal level, the understanding of bipolar disorder remains very limited in Ireland, and Aware is committed to helping people living with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder to learn methods that will help them to more effectively manage their condition”, said Stephen.

The ‘Living Well with Bipolar Disorder Programme’, which is the only support of its kind in Ireland, will provide people diagnosed with the condition with information and support to understand and manage bipolar disorder effectively. As part of the course, participants will also complete a personal wellness plan. The programme is delivered over the course of eight weeks by an experienced mental health professional through video conferencing platform Zoom.

The final programme, the Relatives & Friends Programme, focuses on the self-care of the supporter, and also equips them with the tools they need to understand and support a loved one. This programme is run by a mental health professional.

Stephen said, “Support structures for people helping a loved-one living with depression and bipolar disorder are also very limited. Aware want to encourage as many as possible to take up the opportunity to learn ways to protect their own well-being as they undertake the challenging role of assisting others.”

If you are impacted by depression, bipolar disorder, or other mood related conditions, you can contact Aware’s free support line 7 days a week from 10am to 10pm on 1800 80 48 48.

To register for the Adult Education Programme, or for further information on Aware and volunteering see aware.ie. #WeAreAware.