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The amount of money Northern Ireland universities are spending on mental health and wellbeing services for students has increased significantly since the Covid-19 pandemic. Figures received via Freedom of Information requests have revealed the amount of money allocated has increased by an average of more than 40% since 2020. That includes the annual amount for salaries, wellbeing services and counselling. Northern Ireland's mental health champion welcomed the increased spending but called for a joined-up approach with statutory services. Professor Siobhan O'Neill said starting university very often coincided with the age at which most common mental disorders first present themselves. She put an increase in the recorded rates of poor mental health in students down to "increased financial and social pressure" as well as a "reduced stigma and a willingness to ask for help". "International students, and those from marginalised communiti...

HAVE you ever met someone who, one day, is full of energy, talking fast, making big plans, and then, a few days or weeks later, withdraws completely, feeling hopeless and drained? You might have thought, “This person is just moody,” but what if it’s something more? Let’s meet Ms. Grace, a 28-year-old woman who works in marketing. She’s the life of the office, full of ideas, always initiating new projects, and often volunteering to help others. But sometimes, without warning, Ms. Grace disappears from work. She won’t answer calls, doesn’t leave her bed, and feels like a failure. Her colleagues joke that she’s just being dramatic, but Grace is actually living with bipolar disorder. There have been misconceptions over the years, misconceptions just like those of Ms. Grace’s colleagues. Many still believe that bipolar disorder is a sign of weakness, laziness, or even a spiritual problem. But in truth, it is a brain-based condition influenced by a mix of genetics, chemical imbalance...

The death toll from a Russian missile strike on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih has risen to 18, including nine children, according to regional officials. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy – who comes from Kryvyi Rih – says the youngest to lose their life in Friday’s attack was just three-years-old. At least 72 others were injured, with the youngest being a three-month-old baby, in what authorities say was a ballistic missile attack. About half of them remain in the hospital receiving treatment, with 17 of them still in critical condition, according to regional Governor Serhii Lysak. “There can never be forgiveness for this,” said Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the city’s defence council. Local authorities said the strike damaged some 20 apartment buildings, close to three dozen vehicles, an educational facility and a restaurant. Authorities say the missile targeted a residential neighbourhood. Kryvyi Rih has a population of approximately 600,000 and lies ab...

New Delhi [India], April 6 (ANI): Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Sunday paid heartfelt tributes to the founding fathers and senior leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP ) on the occasion of the party's Foundation Day . In a post shared on the social media platform X, the Union Minister expressed deep gratitude toward the party's pioneers, acknowledging their sacrifices and dedication in building and expanding the BJP . "Today, on the ' Foundation Day ' of the Bharatiya Janata Party, I pay my heartfelt tributes to all the founding fathers and senior leaders of the organization, who nurtured the creation and expansion of the party with their blood and sweat and remained constantly engaged with it with all their heart and soul," the post read. Further, he also extended his best wishes to the party workers across the country, recognising their t...

STRUGGLING to afford food today could mean heart problems tomorrow. Young adults experiencing food insecurity have a 41 percent greater risk of developing heart disease in midlife, even after accounting for demographic and socioeconomic factors, according to a Northwestern University School of Medicine, United States, study published recently. Food insecurity—struggling to get enough nutritious food to stay healthy—affects one in eight households in the United States each year, the study added. “We’ve known that food insecurity and heart disease often go hand in hand, but this study shows, for the first time, that food insecurity comes first,” said Dr Jenny Jia, an instructor of general internal medicine and preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a Northwestern Medicine internist. “That makes it a clear target for prevention—if we address food insecurity early, we may be able to reduce the burden of heart disease later.” Related Death...

Austria has closed off two dozen border crossings with its neighbours Hungary and Slovakia in a big to contain the spread of foot-and-mouth disease and prevent it from entering the country. Slovakia declared an emergency situation on Tuesday after the disease was found on three farms. Hungary had the first outbreak of the highly infectious disease in 50 years on Wednesday, leading the country to deploy soldiers and launch disinfection measures to contain it in an area bordering Slovakia and Austria. The diseases, which poses no danger to humans, mostly affects cattle and other cloven-hoofed animals like swine, sheep and goats. Infected animals experience fever and mouth blisters as part of the symptoms of the disease. Outbreaks often lead to trade restrictions and culls of some livestock. Austrian health authorities are conducting rigorous checks at the few open border crossings with Hungary and Slovakia. Cars have to cross over an epidemic rug to prevent the virus from ...