Latest news with #Drivetime
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Counsellors bid to save youth mental health service
Counsellors at one of Scotland's oldest mental health charities are trying to save its youth service - after it closed suddenly leaving about 1,000 children and young people without support. Mental Health Aberdeen, which operated for 75 years, announced last week it was shutting with immediate effect. It said it faced a "complex set of circumstances and rising operational costs". However, former staff are trying to restart some services, including those previously provided in every primary and secondary school in the city, as well as student counselling. More stories from North East Scotland, Orkney and Shetland Listen to news from North East Scotland on BBC Sounds Ex-employees told BBC Scotland News it was "devastating" for young people to be left so suddenly without counselling and they want to set up a new charity. Alan McTamney was involved in the charity's ACIS Youth scheme which offered free one-to-one therapeutic counselling to young people. Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland's Drivetime programme, he said a number of those involved in the scheme were looking at setting up their own charity to provide a similar service. He said he hoped it could "maybe send a message to our client group that they're not forgotten, and we haven't abandoned them". Escalate mental health issues "There are no other services in Aberdeen city that do what we do," he said. "We would be very worried about how that escalates mental health issues." Mr McTamney said there had been a huge demand for counselling services in schools. He said: "Last year we offered in excess of 12,000 appointments, and that only gets bigger the more we're able to attend to the needs of children and young people." Mental health charity closes with immediate effect
BBC News
8 hours ago
- Health
- BBC News
Aberdeen counsellors seek to save youth mental health services
Counsellors at one of Scotland's oldest mental health charities are trying to save its youth service - after it closed suddenly leaving about 1,000 children and young people without Health Aberdeen, which operated for 75 years, announced last week it was shutting with immediate said it faced a "complex set of circumstances and rising operational costs". However, former staff are trying to restart some services, including those previously provided in every primary and secondary school in the city, as well as student counselling. Ex-employees told BBC Scotland News it was "devastating" for young people to be left so suddenly without counselling and they want to set up a new McTamney was involved in the charity's ACIS Youth scheme which offered free one-to-one therapeutic counselling to young to BBC Radio Scotland's Drivetime programme, he said a number of those involved in the scheme were looking at setting up their own charity to provide a similar said he hoped it could "maybe send a message to our client group that they're not forgotten, and we haven't abandoned them". Escalate mental health issues "There are no other services in Aberdeen city that do what we do," he said."We would be very worried about how that escalates mental health issues."Mr McTamney said there had been a huge demand for counselling services in said: "Last year we offered in excess of 12,000 appointments, and that only gets bigger the more we're able to attend to the needs of children and young people."
RTÉ News
18 hours ago
- Health
- RTÉ News
Back from holiday & feeling ill? The symptoms you should take seriously
Analysis: What happens when the souvenir you bring back from your holiday isn't a fridge magnet or a t-shirt, but a new illness? By Dan Baumgardt, University of Bristol Summer is synonymous with adventure, with millions flocking to exotic destinations to experience different cultures, cuisines and landscapes. But what happens when the souvenir you bring back isn't a fridge magnet or a tea towel, but a new illness? International travel poses a risk of catching something more than a run-of-the-mill bug, so it's important to be vigilant for the telltale symptoms. Here are the main ones to look out for while away and when you return. Fever Fever is a common symptom to note after international travel – especially to tropical or subtropical regions. While a feature of many different illnesses, it can be the first sign of an infection – sometimes a serious one. From RTÉ Radio 1's Supercharged, advice on holiday ailments from Dr Suzanne Kelly One of the most well-known travel-related illnesses linked to fever is malaria. Spread by mosquito bites in endemic regions, malaria is a protozoal infection that often begins with flu-like symptoms, such as headache and muscle aches, progressing to severe fever, sweating and shaking chills. Other signs can include jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes), swollen lymph nodes, rashes and abdominal pain – though symptoms vary widely and can mimic many other illnesses. Prompt medical attention is essential. Malaria is serious and can become life threatening. It's also worth noting that symptoms may not appear until weeks or even months after returning home. In the UK, there are around 2,000 imported malaria cases each year. Travellers to at-risk areas are strongly advised to take preventative measures. This includes mosquito-bite avoidance as well as prescribed antimalarial medications, such as Malarone and doxycycline. Although these drugs aren't 100% effective, they significantly reduce the risk of infection. From RTÉ Radio 1's Drivetime, Prof Adrian Hill from Oxford University's Jenner Institute on the malaria vaccine Aside from malaria, other mosquito-borne diseases can cause fever. Dengue fever, a viral infection found in tropical and subtropical regions, leads to symptoms including high temperatures, intense headaches, body aches and rashes, which overlap with both malaria and other common viral illnesses. Most people recover with rest, fluids and paracetamol, but in some instances, dengue can become severe and requires emergency hospital treatment. A vaccine is also available – but is only recommended for people who have had dengue before, as it provides good protection in this group. Any fever after international travel should be taken seriously. Don't brush it off as something you've just picked up on the plane – please see a doctor. A simple test could lead to early diagnosis and might save your life. Diarrhoea Few travel-related issues are as common – or as unwelcome – as diarrhoea. It's estimated that up to six in ten travellers will experience at least one episode during or shortly after their trip. For some, it's an unpleasant disruption mid-holiday; for others, symptoms emerge once they're back home. Traveller's diarrhoea is typically caused by eating food or drinking water containing certain microbes (bacteria, viruses, parasites) or their toxins. Identifying the more serious culprits early is essential – especially when symptoms go beyond mild discomfort. Warning signs to look out for include large volumes of watery diarrhoea, visible blood in the stool or explosive bowel movements. These may suggest a more serious infection, such as giardia, cholera or amoebic dysentery. These conditions are more common in regions with poor sanitation and are especially prevalent in parts of the tropics. Some infections may require targeted antibiotics or antiparasitic treatment. But regardless of the cause, the biggest immediate risk with any severe diarrhoea is dehydration from copious fluid loss. In serious cases, hospital admission for intravenous fluids may be necessary. The key message for returning travellers: if diarrhoea is severe, persistent or accompanied by worrying symptoms, see a doctor. What starts as a nuisance could quickly escalate without the right care. And if you have blood in your stool, make sure you seek medical advice. Jaundice If you've returned from a trip with a change in skin tone, it may not just be a suntan. A yellowish tint to the skin – or more noticeably, the whites of the eyes – could be a sign of jaundice, another finding that warrants medical attention. Jaundice is not a disease itself, but a visible sign that something may be wrong with either the liver or blood. It results from a buildup of bilirubin, a yellow pigment that forms when red blood cells break down, and which is then processed by the liver. Several travel-related illnesses can cause jaundice. Malaria is one culprit as is the mosquito-borne yellow fever. But another common cause is hepatitis – inflammation of the liver. Viral hepatitis comes in several forms. Hepatitis A and E are spread via contaminated food or water – common in areas with poor sanitation. In contrast, hepatitis B and C are blood-borne, transmitted through intravenous drug use, contaminated medical equipment or unprotected sex. Besides jaundice, hepatitis can cause a range of symptoms, including fever, nausea, fatigue, vomiting and abdominal discomfort. A diagnosis typically requires blood tests, both to confirm hepatitis and to rule out other causes. While many instances of hepatitis are viral, not all are, and treatment depends on the underlying cause. As we've seen, a variety of unpleasant medical conditions can affect the unlucky traveller. But we've also seen that the associated symptoms are rather non-specific. Indeed, some can be caused by conditions that are short-lived and require only rest and recuperation to get over a rough few days. But the area between them is decidedly grey. So plan your trip carefully, be wary of high-risk activities while abroad – such as taking drugs or having unprotected sex – and stay alert to symptoms that develop during or after travel. If you feel unwell, don't ignore it. Seek medical attention promptly to identify the cause and begin appropriate treatment.
RTÉ News
5 days ago
- Health
- RTÉ News
Why our Stone Age brains aren't designed for sustained attention
Analysis: Our modern world demands sustained vigilance, but we're using brains that weren't designed for this kind of focus We've all been there. You're trying to focus on an important task, but your mind starts wandering. Maybe you're a student struggling to pay attention during a long class or lecture, or you're at work trying to concentrate on a detailed report. You might think the solution is simple: just try harder, practice more, or maybe find the right productivity hack. But what if we told you that perfect, unwavering attention isn't just difficult but actually impossible to achieve? Recent research from cognitive scientists reveals something that might surprise you: the human brain simply isn't designed for perfect sustained attention. This isn't a personal failing or something you can overcome with enough willpower. It's a fundamental feature of how our minds work. From RTÉ Radio 1's Today with Claire Byrne, why is our attention more vulnerable than ever and what can we do about it? Think of your attention like a flashlight with a flickering battery. No matter how much you want that beam to stay perfectly steady, it's going to flicker. Scientists have discovered that our brains operate through rhythmic pulses, with attention naturally cycling several times per second. It's not something you can control or train away. The brain networks responsible for attention, particularly areas in the front and sides of your head, show constant fluctuations in activity. Even when you think you're paying perfect attention, brain scans reveal that your neural activity is constantly shifting. It's like trying to hold water in your cupped hands. During World War II, researchers noticed something troubling: radar operators whose job was to spot enemy aircraft on screens would inevitably miss targets after just a short time on duty. This wasn't because they weren't trying hard enough or lacked training. Even the most skilled, motivated operators showed the same pattern. From RTÉ Radio 1's Drivetime, Dr. Philipp Hövel from UCC on what's competing for our shrinking attention spans Scientists called this the "vigilance decrement", which is the inevitable decline in attention over time. This finding has been replicated thousands of times across different jobs and situations. Air traffic controllers, security guards watching CCTV screens, and even lifeguards at busy beaches all show the same pattern. It doesn't matter how important the job is or how much training someone has received: performance starts to drop within minutes of starting a vigilance task. You might wonder why evolution would give us such a seemingly flawed attention system. The answer seems to lie in survival. Having attention that automatically shifts and scans the environment was actually a survival advantage for spotting danger in the wild. Our "distractible" attention system kept our ancestors alive. Even experienced meditators, who spend years training their attention, don't achieve perfect sustained focus. Brain scan studies of Buddhist monks with decades of meditation experience show they still have, and can't eliminate, natural fluctuations in attention. What meditation does teach is awareness of these fluctuations and the ability to gently redirect attention when it wanders. From RTÉ 2fm's Morning with Laura Fox, tech journalist Elaine Burke on how the entertainment industry is adapting to shorter attention spans Our attention limitations create real problems in today's world. Medical errors in hospitals, aviation accidents and industrial disasters often involve attention failures. We've built a modern world that demands sustained vigilance, but we're using Stone Age brains that weren't designed for this kind of focus. The traditional response has been to try harder: more training, more motivation, more discipline. But this approach is like trying to make water flow uphill. It fights against the fundamental nature of human attention rather than working with it. Instead of fighting our attention limitations, we need to design systems that work with them. This means creating technology that can handle the boring, repetitive vigilance tasks while humans focus on what we do best: creative problem-solving, understanding context (including emotions aroused), and making complex decisions. Some industries are already moving in this direction. Modern aircraft use automation to handle routine monitoring while pilots focus on higher-level decision-making. Medical devices can continuously monitor patients while nurses provide care and interpret complex situations. The key is finding the right balance. Complete automation isn't the answer either. Humans need to stay engaged and maintain skills. But neither is expecting perfect human attention in situations where technology could provide better, more reliable monitoring. Accepting that perfect attention is impossible might actually be liberating. Instead of feeling guilty when your mind wanders during a long meeting or beating yourself up for losing focus while studying, you can recognise this as normal human behaviour. The goal isn't to eliminate attention fluctuations but to work with them. Take regular breaks, change tasks periodically, and design your environment to support rather than fight your natural attention rhythms. Perfect attention isn't just difficult to achieve but theoretically impossible - and that's OK.
BBC News
5 days ago
- BBC News
Elders 'devastated' as church 'ransacked' during break in
The elders of a church in West Dunbartonshire say they are "devastated" after a four figure sum of money and food from a community pantry were stolen during a Church of Scotland Dalmuir Barclay Church, near Clydebank, was targeted in the early hours of Wednesday community food pantry, which was set-up three years ago, has been forced to close on Thursday and Friday as a Scotland said inquires were ongoing. Church elder, Fiona Hennebry told BBC Radio Scotland's Drivetime programme she was "absolutely heartbroken" about the break-in and the impact it's said: "If someone had came and asked us, said they were struggling, we would have absolutely helped them, they didn't need to break in and do this to us."Ms Hennebry said a safe was broken into and a four-figure sum of money which had been earmarked to pay for more food for the pantry was vestry was broken into with a fire extinguisher and the minister, Reverend Steven Henderson's desk was "ransacked". A summer holiday club for around 30 families has also had to be cancelled as a result of the break-in and six doors will have to be replaced due to the Scotland said they were investigating the break-in and have appealed for anyone with information about what happened, or the current whereabouts of the stolen items, to come Insp Pamela Grant said: "Break-ins and thefts like this are not victimless crimes. There's a financial loss of the stolen items and a cost to repair damage caused."However, some of the items taken cannot be replaced and this has an even bigger impact on those who attend the premises."
