Maria Barry is a Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Manager in the HSE and a registered pharmacist.  She has over 14 years’ experience working in both the public and private healthcare sectors.  Prior to the HSE, Maria worked in hospital pharmacy in a large national paediatric teaching hospital. Maria subsequently occupied senior medical business roles in Novartis Ireland and voluntarily co-chaired the Novartis Diversity and Inclusion Council.  Maria holds a BSc Pharmacy degree, a Masters in Clinical Pharmacy, an MBA and a Masters in Diversity, Equality and Inclusion.

Dinesh Bhugra CBE is currently Professor Emeritus of Mental Health and Cultural Diversity, Kings College London. He has published widely in the field of  cultural psychiatry, sexual dysfunction and service development. He has authored/co-authored over 500 scientific papers, chapters , editorials and 40 books. Several of his books have won awards and gone into multiple editions. Three of his books  have been translated into Mandarin and Japanese. His Oxford Textbook for Public Mental Health won Book of the Year award last year. In the same year Practical Cultural Psychiatry was highly recommended. He is the Editor of the International Journal of Social Psychiatry,  and International Review of Psychiatry. Currently he is  Non-Executive Director of Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

Nicola Byrne is the CEO of Shine, a national organisation that provides information and support for people affected by mental health difficulties in Ireland. She is also a registered social worker with over 25 years of experience in the mental health sector, working in various roles such as practice, policy, research, advocacy, change management and service delivery. She is passionate about promoting individual and family recovery, challenging stigma and discrimination, and influencing positive change in mental health policy and practice. Nicola is an experienced leader who strives to make Shine a voice for mental health in Ireland. Under her leadership, the charity Shine operates frontline services for people with lived experience and their supporter and delivers two important national programmes: See Change and Headline. See Change is Ireland’s organisation dedicated to ending mental health stigma, and Headline is Ireland’s national programme for responsible reporting and representation of mental health in the media.

Kellie O’Farrell, MSc, MA, BA (Hons), is a senior occupational therapist in Primary Care adult services. She holds the position of Chairperson of the HSE’s Le Chéile Network, which focuses on supporting staff with disabilities. Kellie has experience working in paediatric, intellectual disability, community care, and palliative care services. Prior to becoming an occupational therapist, Kellie pursued an MSc in Television Journalism at Goldsmiths University of London. After completing her studies, she worked in the UK broadcasting industry. Furthermore, she actively volunteered in the non-profit sector in the UK, advocating for improved psycho-social support services for burn survivors. Kellie is very passionate about campaigning for equality for people with visible differences and has been involved in a number of public awareness raising campaigns.

Hollie Sutherland E.A; is an autistic autism researcher and doctoral candidate at the University of Edinburgh. Her PhD focuses on autistic social communication and interaction – between autistic people and from the autistic perspective. She is currently studying social interactions and communication in day support services for autistic adults with high support needs. She is interested in neurodiversity frameworks, lived experience research, mixed methods, and bridging the double empathy gap.

Maria Boilson is a consultant with specialist registration in general adult psychiatry working in adult ADHD in South Central Dublin with the NCP. She has worked in Scotland for most of her career as an adult psychiatrist and medical manager. She was chair of the Adult ADHD SIG in the Scottish Division of the Royal College of Psychiatry for 10 years and seconded to the Scottish National Autism Implementation Team, a government funded team providing national research and teaching on Neurodevelopmental disorders based at Queen Margaret University, to develop an adult ADHD pathway for Scotland. She continues to work on a part time basis with this team.

Ruth Buckmaster is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist registered with the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI). Ruth completed her BA in Psychology in University College Dublin (UCD), her MSc in Applied Psychology in Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and PhD in Clinical Psychology in UCD. She has worked across a number of public and private health settings with children and adults in both Ireland and Australia. Ruth currently works as a senior clinical psychologist on the ADMiRE ADHD specialist pathway in Linn Dara CAMHS. Ruth is passionate about working with young people with ADHD and is a member of the ADHD working group within the PSI. Ruth is a contributing author of the PSI Guidelines for Psychologists Working with ADHD, which is due to be released in the coming months.

Jocelyn Bell Burnell inadvertently discovered pulsars as a graduate student in radio astronomy in Cambridge, opening up a new branch of astrophysics – work recognised by the award of a Nobel Prize to her supervisor. She has subsequently worked in many roles in many branches of astronomy, working part-time while raising a family. She is now a Visiting Academic in Oxford. She has been President of the UK’s Royal Astronomical Society, in 2008 became the first female President of the Institute of Physics for the UK and Ireland, and in 2014 the first female President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. She was one of the small group of women scientists that set up the Athena SWAN scheme.

Fiona Coyle is the Chief Executive Officer of Mental Health Reform, a position she assumed in 2020. As CEO, Fiona provides strategic leadership and management to a national coalition dedicated to driving change in the mental health sector. Prior to joining Mental Health Reform, Fiona served as the Director of END FGM Europe for two years. Her career spans across national and international civil society organizations, where she has focused on strategic and political planning, as well as implementing multi-stakeholder advocacy initiatives. Fiona held the role of International Advocacy Manager at IPPF European Network, leading the federation’s engagement with European institutions. She has also served as the network coordinator for EuroNGOs and as a Programme Manager at Dóchas, the Irish national platform for Development NGOs. Fiona brings extensive experience and expertise in driving transformative change and advancing mental health advocacy efforts.

Suzanne Crowe was first elected to the Medical Council in 2018 and re-elected in 2023. Dr Crowe was elected as President of the Medical Council in 2021. Dr Crowe graduated in Medicine from Trinity College Dublin, followed by Specialist training in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine with the College of Anaesthesiologists. After a Fellowship in Paediatric Intensive Care Medicine in the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, she took up a Consultant post in Anaesthesia with a Special Interest in Paediatrics in Tallaght Hospital, Dublin. In 2014, Dr Crowe moved to Children’s Health Ireland, Crumlin Hospital as a Paediatric Intensivist. She is a Senior Lecturer in Paediatrics in Trinity College Dublin and has an interest in bereavement studies and medical ethics. She is Associate Clinical Professor in UCD School of Medicine in the division of Women and Children’s Health. Dr Crowe is a board trustee for three charities, the Down Syndrome Centre, Cheshire Ireland and LGBT Ireland. Dr Crowe is Chair of the National Screening Advisory Committee.

Rachel Gibbons has worked in the NHS over the past 20 years in various psychiatric settings as a consultant psychiatrist and consultant medical psychotherapist. She is a psychoanalyst and group analyst and current Co-Chair of the Patient Safety Group, Chair of the Working Group on the Effect of Suicide and Homicide on Psychiatrists and Vice-Chair of the Psychotherapy Faculty, at the Royal College of Psychiatrists.  She has been working on suicide over the last 14 years. She has been facilitating a Suicide Group for consultant psychiatrists for the last 14 years. She led the development of the first global guidance for all mental health organisations for the pastoral care of staff following the death by suicide of a patient. This guidance is now in the new National Suicide Prevention Strategy for England.

John O’Brien has been working in the Community & Public Health arena since 2013. John’s experience has seen him work on community led interventions in child and adult obesity, men’s health, mental health & suicide prevention. His work has predominantly been in the field of health inequalities working with communities from marginalised and lower socio economic backgrounds. Since 2017, John has been working with the Traveller community. John currently manages the National Traveller Mental Health Service at Exchange House Ireland National Traveller Service.

Paul Corcoran is an epidemiologist and is currently Head of Research with the National Suicide Research Foundation where he has worked, on and off, since it was established in 1994. He is also a Senior Lecturer at University College Cork. Paul has co-authored approximately 200 peer-reviewed journal articles and has contributed to the development and evaluation of Irish suicide prevention strategies.

Ann Marie Gaynor has a long history working with the Travelling community. She worked as the Pre-School manager back in 2003 for seven years. The pre-school was on situated on the halting site in Longford. Here she managed staff all of whom was from the Travelling community. She then studied psychiatric nursing in Athlone IT. She spent six years working in the Central Mental Hospital where she experienced a great increase in members of the Travelling community becoming inpatients from the prison system. Further study saw her receive a postgrad  diploma in Mental Health Promotion. Her role as National Mental Health Youth Worker was created of the back of funding from HeadStart.

Patrick MacDonagh is a youth worker with involve. He is a also a member of the Travelling Community. Patrick was one of the founders and developers of the ‘No Shame’ mental health board game. This board game has been an award winning development in Traveller Mental Health and it is aimed at breaking down stigma amongst the community and helping Travellers talk about what is on their minds around Mental Health.

Siobhan Machale has worked as a Consultant Liaison Psychiatrist for 25 years, initially in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, before returning to her current post in Beaumont Hospital in 2006. She is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland, and a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland and the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. As a Liaison Psychiatrist, her primary role is in the care and management of the mental health needs of patients in the general hospital setting, including patients with severe medical sequelae of restrictive eating disorders. She has been a High Court appointed Ward of Court Office Medical Visitor for Eating Disorders.

Antoinette D’alton is a consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist. She trained in the West of Ireland and in Leicester. Antoinette has worked as a consultant in CAMHS based in the Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar for over 20 years and as a liaison consultant in Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin since 2014. She has a long standing interest in Liaison Psychiatry and Eating Disorders, especially the therapeutic aspects.

María Romanos completed her studies in Spain and moved to London where se completed her training in psychiatry becoming a MRCPsy in 2000 and a Forensic Psychiatrist in 2004. Maria worked as a consultant in Forensic Psychiatry in London, The John Howard Medium Secure Unit, for 4 years. I 2008 moved to Dublin and worked for about a year and a half in St Brendan’s hospital low secure women service. In April 2012 moved to work to St John of God Hospital and in 2017 became the consultant responsible of the Eating Disorder Services at SJOGH. María has especial interest in developmental disorders.

1. ENHANCING THE MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS ENGAGED IN CRACK COCAINE USE AT THE NATIONAL DRUG TREATMENT CENTRE

SARAH BRENNAN¹, MIKE SCULLY²

¹ Mid North Kildare Community Mental Health Team, Celbridge Health Centre, Co Kildare
² National Drug Treatment Centre, Pearse Street, Dublin

2. DOUBLE-BLINDED PRESCRIBING? AN AUDIT ON MEDICATION RECONCILIATION IN A COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY SERVICE

AISHLING E. COLLINS¹, GABRIELA M. SORIN²

¹ Linn Dara CAMHS Inpatient Unit
² Mental Health Addiction & Intellectual Disability Service (MHAIDS l Capital, Hutt Valley and Wairarapa, Wellington, New Zealand

3. EXAMINING THE RESEARCH NEEDS OF HIGHER SPECIALIST TRAINEES IN PSYCHIATRY IN IRELAND: A MIXED METHODS STUDY

EIMEAR COUNIHAN¹, CORNELIA CAREY², ANNA FEENEY³, KEVIN LALLY⁴, CIARA O’CONNOR⁵, ANNE M. DOHERTY^6,7

¹ National Forensic Mental Health Service, Dublin
² Cluain Mhuire Mental Health Service, Blackrock, Dublin
³ St Vincent’s Hospital, Fairview, Dublin
⁴ National Drug Treatment Centre, Pearse St, Dublin
⁵ St. Patrick’s University Hospital, Dublin
⁶ School of Medicine, University College Dublin
⁷ Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Dublin

4. EVALUATION OF A NEW PSYCHO-ONCOLOGY SERVICE IN A DESIGNATED CANCER CENTRE IN IRELAND

GENEVIEVE CRUDDEN¹, ALFONSO GOUVEIA², EDEL FENTON³, KATE CORRIGAN⁴, EIMEAR MCMAHON³, ANNE DOHERTY³

¹ National Maternity Hospital, Dublin
² Psychiatry Service, Local Health Unit of Baixo, Alentejo, Beja, Portugal
³ Psycho-Oncology, Mater University Hospital, Dublin

5. AN ANALYSIS OF GENERAL PRACTITIONER REFERRALS TO A CHILD AND ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE: BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC

PATRICK FITZPATRICK¹, ANKITA GEORGE², FIONNUALA LYNCH³, FIONA MCNICHOLAS⁴

¹ Ballyfermot Mental Health Service, Dublin
² School of Medicine, UCD
³ Lucena Clinic, Belgard Square, Tallaght, Dublin
⁴ Lucena Clinic, Rathgar, Dublin

6. PERSPECTIVES ON USING A CELEBRITY NARRATIVE TO TEACH THE PSYCHIATRIC FORMULATION TO FINAL YEAR MEDICAL STUDENTS

DAVID HICKEY¹, JOHN MCFARLAND²

¹ CAMHS, Thurles Primary Care Centre, Thurles, Co Tipperary
² Stella Maris Mental Health Centre, Lisdoonvarna, Co Clare

7. THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PHYSICAL HEALTH MONITORING FOR OUTPATIENTS ATTENDING COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

ELAINE JOY¹, KATHRYN CORRIGAN¹, ALLYS GUÉRANDEL¹

¹ St Vincent’s University Hospital, Elm Park, Dublin

8. ADHERENCE TO STANDARDS OF INDIVIDUAL CARE PLANS (ICP) IN A COMMUNITY CAMHS TEAM – A COMPLETE AUDIT CYCLE

ORLAITH KEARNEY¹, DANIEL LEAHY², GERRY RAFFERTY²

¹ Acute Adult Mental Health Unit, Cork University Hospital, Dublin
² CAMHS, Unit 9 St Stephen’s Hospital, Cork

9. ‘THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY OF GHB’ A 10 YEAR REVIEW OF EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT PRESENTATIONS INVOLVING GHB MISUSE– A CHALLENGE FOR LIAISON PSYCHIATRY

SAN KIM¹, VICTORIA ADEDEJI², GENEVIEVE CRUDDEN², ANNE DOHERTY³, MAAMEI LEBOGANG MALALE², ADRIAN MOUGHTY²

¹ CAMHS Dublin North Inner City and Clontarf Team, 44 North Great George’s St, Dublin
² Unaffiliated
³ 63 Eccles Street, Dublin

10. ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN ADIPOSITY MEASURES AND DEPRESSION AND WELL-BEING SCORES: A CROSS-SECTIONAL ANALYSIS OF MIDDLE TO OLDER-AGED ADULTS

CAOIMHE LONERGAN¹, SEÁN MILLAR², ZUBAIR KABIR²

¹ South Lee Mental Health Services, Ravenscourt Day Centre, St. Finbarr’s Hospital, Cork
² Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College Cork

11. ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PERSONALITY DIFFICULTIES AND ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY OUTCOMES IN DEPRESSION

CATHAL MCCAFFREY^1,2, ANA JELOVAC^1,2, MARTHA FINNEGAN³, GABRIELE GUSCIUTE⁴, DECLAN MCLOUGHLIN^1,2

¹ St. Patrick’s Hospital, James’ St, Dublin
² Trinity College Dublin
³ Tallaght University Hospital, Dublin
⁴ School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin

12. THE IMPACT AND ACCEPTABILITY OF METACOGNITIVE TRAINING (MCT) FOR PSYCHOSIS WITH COGITO APP -A MIXED METHODS STUDY IN AN IRISH COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTHCARE SETTING

ROISIN MCCAFFERTY¹, KATARINA TIMULAKOVA², DERRY HOULIHAN², JENNIFER BARRY³, FIONUALA SCOTT³, AOIFE O’NEILL²

¹ Department of Old Age Psychiatry, 61 Eccles Street, Dublin 7
² Strand House, Philipsburgh Avenue, Dublin 3
³ Summerhill Primary Care Centre, Dublin 1

13. IMPROVING THE UPTAKE OF NALOXONE IN PATIENTS RECEIVING OPIOID SUBSTITUTION THERAPY

RUAIRI MCNICHOLAS¹, NICOLA SWEENEY², ROSS DOUGAN³, EMMA MOONEY⁴, MOLLY AHERN², FIONA FENTON²

¹ Exchange Hall, Belgard Square, Tallaght, Dublin
² National Drug Treatment Centre, Pearse St, Dublin
³ St John of God Hospital, Dublin
⁴ St John of God Community Mental Health Service, Newtownpark Ave, Blackrock, Dublin

14. AN AUDIT TO REVIEW COMPLIANCE WITH ACUTE BEHAVIOURAL DISTURBANCE GUIDELINE

KATE MULHOLLAND¹, EMMANUEL TANYOUS¹, PHILIPPA RENTON¹

¹ Adult Mental Health Unit, Mayo University Hospital, Mayo

15. SCREENING FOR SYMPTOMS OF HYPERPROLACTINAEMIA IN ADULT PATIENTS PRESCRIBED ANTIPSYCHOTICS – DOES THE INTRODUCTION OF A STANDARDISED SCREENING TOOL IMPROVE COMPLIANCE WITH BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES? A COMPLETE AUDIT CYCLE

DANIEL O’CONNOR¹

¹ North Kildare CAMHS, Celbridge Primary Care Centre, Maynooth
Road, Celbridge, Co. Kildare

16. AUDIT ON THE APPROPRIATE USE OF BENZODIAZEPINES IN AN INPATIENT COHORT IN ST. EDMUNDSBURY HOSPITAL

SEAN BARRA O’LEARY¹, SARAH PRASAD²

¹ St. Patrick’s University Hospital, Dublin
² St. Edmundsbury Hospital, Lucan, Co Dublin

17. MANAGEMENT OF PSYCHOTROPIC-INDUCED PRIAPISM WITH PENILE IMPLANT SURGERY: A DESCRIPTIVE CASE SERIES

AOIBHEANN RAINFORD¹, PONNUSAMY MOHAN¹, BRIAN HALLAHAN²

¹ Beaumont Hospital, Dublin
² Galway University Hospital, Galway

18. OMEGA-3 POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF METABOLIC SYNDROME IN SCHIZOPHRENIA AND OTHER PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

AOIBHEANN RAINFORD¹, TOM DOYLE¹, BRIAN HALLAHAN²

¹ Beaumont Hospital, Dublin
² Galway University Hospital, Galway

19. CASE SERIES OF ADMISSIONS TO A DESIGNATED TRAUMA CENTRE FOLLOWING SUICIDAL ACTS

CLAIRE SMITH¹, GENEVIEVE CRUDDEN², KATE CORRIGAN³, AINE RICHARDS⁴, ANNE DOHERTY⁴, ANA MARIA CLARKE⁴, LINDA O’ROURKE⁴

¹ Programme for the Homeless, Usher’s Island, Dublin
² National Maternity Hospital, Dublin
³ St Vincent’s Hospital, Elm Park, Dublin
⁴ Department of Psychiatry, Mater Misercordiae University Hospital, Dublin

20. EFFICACY OF INTRANASAL ESKETAMINE IN A SAMPLE OF PATIENTS WITH TREATMENT RESISTANT DEPRESSION

AILBHE TUMMON¹, SHANE MCINERNEY¹

¹ Adult Acute Mental Health Unit, Galway University Hospital

21. MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS AND LEVELS OF SOCIAL SATISFACTION IN EXPECTING AND NEW FATHERS AND CO-PARENTS

RALPH TWOMEY¹, RICHARD DUFFY², MIKE GEARY², FIONA HANRAHAN², EMMA MCBRIDE³, EMER CROKE³, AJITA RAMAN³, CHRISTINE CORCORAN⁴

¹ Cluain Mhuire Mental Health Service, Blackrock, Dublin
² Rotunda Hospital, Dublin
³ Clinical Midwife Manager 2
⁴ Clinical Midwife Manager 3

22. SEVERE AND RESISTANT BENZODIAZEPINE WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS IN OLDER ADULTS AFTER SUDDEN DISCONTINUATION OF FLURAZEPAM FROM THE MARKET (DALMANE): A CASE SERIES

VIJO JOEL VERGHESE¹, ZAFIR NISAR¹, ANNE GALLAGHER¹

¹ Teach de Hide, Golf Links Road, Roscommon

23. LESSONS FROM A CRISIS: A THEMATIC ANALYSIS ON OCCUPATIONAL STRESS IN STAFF IN AN ACUTE PAEDIATRIC TEACHING HOSPITAL IN IRELAND

SHAY WARD¹, GRAINNE DONOHUE^2,3, JOHANNA MURRAY³, FIONA MCNICHOLAS^3,4,5

¹ Lucena Clinic, Belgard Square, Tallaght, Dublin
² St Patrick’s University Hospital, Dublin
³ University College Dublin
⁴ Lucena Clinic, Orwell Road, Rathgar, Dublin
⁵ Children’s Health Ireland, Crumlin Hospital, Dublin

24. DEVELOPMENT OF A CRISIS RESOLUTION TEAM: REFLECTING ON YEAR ONE OF OUR PILOT PROJECT

LESLEY YAO¹, MOHANAD ELTIEB¹, ELIZABETH GETHINGS¹

¹ Crisis Team, St Columba’s, Clarion Road, Sligo

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IMPACT OF DIETARY FIBER ON GUT MICROBIOTA COMPOSITION, FUNCTION AND GUT-BRAIN-MODULES IN HEATHY ADULTS

DAVID ANTOINE LACHMANSINGH^1,3,4, JOHN F. CRAYN^2,3,4, GERARD CLARKE^1,4, AONGHUS LAVELLE^3,4

¹ Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Science, Biosciences Research Institute, University College Cork
² Office of Vice President for research & Innovation, Food Science Building, University College Cork
³ Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, Western Gateway Building, University College Cork
⁴ APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork