Online GP CPD

Find out more about the mental health information films currently available to view online through our GP Portal below. 

• Adolescent Mental Health and Service Delivery during COVID-19

  The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated public health restrictions have had significant impacts on mental health. One cohort where the mental health implications are particularly evident is in adolescents. Due to the closures of schools, uncertainty around exams and social isolation, many young people are experiencing mental health difficulties for the first time, and pre-existing mental health difficulties have been exacerbated. 

  In this one-hour recording of a live webinar, Dr Aileen Murtagh, Assistant Medical Director with Special Responsibility for Adolescent Mental Health Services, and Dr Una Dennison, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at SPMHS, explore the impact of the pandemic on adolescent mental health. 

  This film is recognised for one CPD point.

• Anxiety: Question and Answer Workshop

  Dr Michael McDonough, Consultant Psychiatrist and Head of our Anxiety Disorders Programme team, and Dr Ann Rakpraja, Psychiatry Registrar here at SPMHS, explore assessments and referrals for anxiety presentations; the impact of COVID-19 on anxiety presentations; managing complex presentations of anxiety in the GP surgery; and therapy for anxiety disorders.

  Established in 2005, our Anxiety Disorders Programme is the only specialised anxiety service in Ireland and caters for a wide range of anxiety disorders. It is delivered by a multidisciplinary team and offers service users a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy, psychiatry and occupational therapy to assist them in the management of their anxiety.

  This film is recognised for one CPD point.

• Bipolar Affective Disorder in Primary Care

  Sean Lonergan, Cognitive Behavioural Therapist on the Bipolar Affective Disorder programme here in SPMHS, explores how GPs can treat and support their patients living with bipolar affective disorder.

  This one-hour module explores:

  • how to increase recognition and awareness of how patients may present with symptoms of bipolar affective disorder in primary care
  • how to differentiate bipolar affective disorder from unipolar depression
  • bipolar affective disorder diagnoses types
  • risk factors and stressors for people living with bipolar affective disorder
  • supporting patients when they are well, becoming unwell or when a severe mood episode occurs
  • when to refer to specialist care.

  This film is recognised for one CPD point.

• Compassion-Focused Therapy: An Introduction

  Dr Marion Mernagh and Dr Sinéad Ní Chaoláin PHD, Clinical Psychologists here at SPMHS, explore what compassion-focused therapy is and who it is aimed at, as well as discussing its core therapeutic elements.

  This film looks at some of the key concepts and principles within compassion-focused therapy, and why compassion is important from a mental health perspective. Dr Mernagh and Dr Ní Chaoláin also discuss the "Three Systems" model of emotion regulation, and how GPs might apply this model to both their own work as practitioners, as well as to the needs of their patients.

  GPs are invited to consider how concepts of compassion apply to themselves, and to engage in a compassion-focused therapy practice.

• Compassion Focused Therapy for Eating Disorders (CFT-E)

  Dr Clodagh Dowling, Principal Clinical Psychologist here in SPMHS, talks through CFT-E, a compassion-focused therapy for people with eating disorders. GPs can refer patients to the programme.

  Dr Dowling gives an understanding of what CFT-E is, how to develop a compassionate understanding of eating disorders and how CFT-E can help patients through the recovery process.

  This film is recognised for one CPD point

• Memory Clinic: Supporting people experiencing memory difficulties

  The Memory Clinic at SPMHS offers a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary diagnostic assessment of service users who present with a range of memory and cognitive difficulties. The purpose is to accurately define, describe and diagnose any underlying clinical conditions, as well as to compile a detailed plan of management to remit the difficulties. 

  In this one hour film, presenters Dr Karen Looney, Principal Clinical Neuropsychologist and Dr Sarah O’Dwyer, Consultant Psychiatrist, describe the work of the Memory Clinic and discuss a variety of related topics such as cognitive screening tools and normal versus cognitive changes more likely to reflect an underlying clinical condition. 

  This film is recognised for one CPD point.

• Mental Health Difficulties During and After COVID-19

  With COVID-19 restricting our normal ways of living, working and socialising, many people have felt mental health effects due to social isolation, anxiety over the public health crisis, changes to daily routines and more. In this film, Professor Paul Fearon, our Medical Director, explores mental health issues during the COVID-19 pandemic and into the future post-pandemic. He discusses some of the common mental health issues to arise as a result of the pandemic and the supports available. 

  This film is recognised for one CPD point.

• Psychological Formulation and Addiction

  Dr Violet Johnstone, Senior Counselling Psychologist, and Dr Aideen O’Neill, Clinical Psychologist here at SPMHS, explore how addiction and substance use disorders fit into a psychological formulation.

  As well as discussing our Temple Formulation Group psychology programme, this module also explores how the history of addiction has been understood and treated to date, as well as discussing addiction from a psychological perspective, and emerging psychological theories related to addiction.

  This film is recognised for one CPD point.

• Self-harm: Psychoeducation and Intervention

  In this one-hour recording of a live webinar, Dr Kevin O’Hanrahan, Senior Clinical Psychologist, and Dr Ruth Groarke, Clinical Psychologist, both working here at SPMHS, deliver a practical self-harm psychoeducation presentation for GPs, as well as exploring self-harm interventions and how to respond to self-harming behaviours in the GP surgery.

  This film is recognised for one CPD point.

• Transgender Healthcare in Primary Care

  Over a three-part series, Dr Aileen Murtagh, Assistant Medical Director with Special Responsibility for Adolescent Mental Health Services here in SPMHS, explores transgender healthcare in the GP surgery.

  Part one provides an introduction and covers the gender spectrum, gender identity, management of gender variance, gender dysphoria, characteristics of referrals, comorbidity and differential diagnosis and assessment.

  Part two covers social, legal and medical transitions and the outcomes of these.

  Part three delves further into how GPs can manage transgender healthcare in a primary care setting, exploring service pathways, service experience, the GP perspective and resources. 

  This film is recognised for one CPD point when all three parts are completed.

• Understanding, recognising and responding to over-control in mental health difficulties

  There is growing interest and research into what might underlie certain mental health disorders that are associated with too much control (over-control). People who are over-controlled keep distant from others, are rigid in their patterns and are emotionally inhibited. They often receive a diagnosis of refractory depression, anorexia nervosa, obsessive compulsive personality disorder or avoidant personality disorder, and tend not to respond well to traditional treatments. 

  In this one-hour film, Dr Violet Johnstone and Dr Cian McDonough, Senior Clinical Psychologists here at SPMHS, explore how to understand and recognise over-control, what a GRO programme involves, research into radical openness, and referral pathways. 

  This film is recognised for one CPD point.