The annual Founder's Day conference from St Patrick's Mental Health Services celebrates the continuing legacy of our founder, author and mental health pioneer Jonathan Swift.

Our 2023 conference explored migrant and refugee mental health from a broad perspective, both in terms of the needs of migrants and refugees and of the most appropriate responses to those needs. During the conference, speakers presented relevant research in the field of migrant and refugee mental health, as well as sharing lived experiences.

Professor Craig Morgan, Professor of Social Epidemiology at @kingscollegelondon, gave the keynote address, examining the prevalence of mental health difficulties among migrant populations, highlighting key research in relation to mental health presentations among migrants.

Safa Kharita, expert by experience and pharmacologist, shared her journey as a refugee, from the reasons she left Syria, to going to Lebanon and then coming to Ireland. Safa discussed the challenges, feelings and thoughts through each stage and how they affected her, as well as discussing where she started, where she is now and where she wants to be in the future.

Dr Pieter Ventevogel, Senior Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Officer at the @UNHCR, discussed what has been learned from implementing psychosocial support interventions with refugees in low resource settings, highlighting the importance of strengthening family and community support, setting up scalable psychological interventions and integrating mental health into refugee primary healthcare.

Nick Henderson, Chief Executive Officer of the @IrishRefugeeCouncil, explored the health framework, in theory and practice, that is available to people seeking protection, as well as looking at the challenges people face, the experience of support organisations from a day-to-day casework perspective, and more advocacy for change.

Dr Caroline Munyi, Migrant Women’s Health Coordinator at AkiDwa, spoke about mental health among migrant women, outlining the approach of AkiDwA, an organisation committed to creating a just society where all women waiting approval have equal opportunities and access to resources in every aspect of life. She also explored next steps such as targeted interventions, wrap-around supports, policy, and cultural competence.

Jennifer Chipa, expert by experience and mental health peer advocate, shared what she has learned about different stress and types of resilience, as well as ways to manage stress. Practising resilience has helped Jennifer change her life and her talk reinforced the power of resilience.

An opening message from Minister for Mental Health and Older People, Mary Butler TD was also shared, with welcome and closing addresses from our Medical Director here at SPMHS, Professor Paul Fearon.

Founder's Day 2023 was moderated by Jan Ní Fhlanagáin.

The conference marked a timely opportunity to explore and highlight services and resources which can support mental healthcare professionals to be inclusive of the experiences of migrants in their practice.

You can find out more about Founder's Day 2023 here:

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