“One of the most relevant and helpful workshops for TY students around mental health and substance misuse”

The Irish Second – Level Students’ Union survey 2017.

Since its inception in 2009, The Harmony Workshops have delivered dual diagnosis prevention workshops to youth organizations around Ireland such as Foróige, Youthreach, CTC (Community Training Centers), and Garda Youth Diversion Projects. Since 2014, it has delivered full-day and half-day workshops to post-primary secondary schools nationwide, with an estimated 16,000 students now having taken part in the program.

Full day workshops

The morning sessions involve contextualizing the underlying causes of poor mental health and nicotine/alcohol/drug misuse through the music, lyrics, and music videos of music artists who have written about or experienced dual diagnosis. The evidence students discover is supported by the theories of the public health biopsychosocial model, the drug triangle (epidemiological), and the impacts of substance misuse on Maslow’s hierarchy of basic human needs.

Through the morning workshops students:

• Gain a knowledge of the psychopathology (root cause) of poor mental health and substance misuse – dual diagnosis,
• Identify if they are at risk to a future substance misuse issue,
• Understand the negative impacts of vaping or smoking nicotine/cannabis,
• Recognise the short and long term impact that alcohol has on the developing teenage brain,
• Learn through role play techniques how to combat peer pressure around drug/alcohol use,
• How to enjoy alcohol free nights out.

External environmental impacts on mental health & substance misuse:

• Community, culture & society,
• Peer pressure,
• Racism & bullying
• Media – music, film, advertising, sponsorship
• Digital social platforms

Internal environmental impacts on substance misuse:

• Family and personal background & history – biopsychosocial
• Current family use or misuse of substances,
• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s) – childhood trauma
• Genetics, age, sex & mental health.

• Recognise signs and personal hazards to vaping nicotine, misusing drugs or alcohol,
• Contextualize the underlying causes of why some individuals self-medicate poor mental health with alcohol or substances,
• Build empathy towards individuals coping with alcoholism / drug addiction,
• Become aware of the destructive, long term effects of a life with dual diagnosis,
• Appreciate that supports are available and people can recover.

The afternoon workshops

A creative writing and class-based performance workshop allows students to express their own experience or ‘walk in the shoes’ of someone coping with poor mental health and drug/alcohol misuse. Built on the learning of the morning workshops, the patterns, causes, and effects (epidemiology) of substance misuse are ‘given a voice’ by students, developing awareness and insight.

Expression Beats Depression!

Mental health, building resilience and natural highs

 Throughout the morning workshops students will have become aware of the importance of:

• Continuing in further education/trade/skills,
• Seeking support to deal with ACEs, childhood trauma, emotional or psychological issues.

Students will also build on and develop a well-being to manage stress, anxiety or depression by:

• Sharing difficult mental or emotional experiences with a family member, friend or counsellor

• Understand the science and importance of sport & exercise to build physical and mental health, self-esteem and emotional well being

• Utilising music as a therapeutic tool to cope with stress, anxiety and other challenging emotions, ,

Other resilience measures and natural highs include:

Creating self-expression through; music, singing, writing, drawing/painting or dance,

Creating your own safe space and world through hobbies, interests and pastimes.

Stay close to anything that makes you glad you are alive!

Half-day workshops

The talk and presentation is an abbreviated version of the day long programme over three hours. Due to time constraints, the creative writing rap/poetry/song performance workshop can not be delivered.

“My overall experience of The Harmony Program was brilliant. It changed my views on drugs and alcohol and what it can do to your life. It was life changing”.

– Student Niamh, St, Declan’s College, Co. Waterford.