News

Community-based mental health project - Trialogue

9 March 2011

An exciting initiative called the ‘Mental Health Trialogue Network Ireland’ is to be launched on Tuesday 8, with  Trialogue  being held in seven locations around Ireland. 

Trialogue Meetings are regular, open discussion forums for people who may have different understandings of mental health and mental health problems.  They now have a platform to come together to discuss mental health and community response to mental health problems in a ‘neutral terrain’ located outside any therapeutic, familial or institutional context.

There are now over 5000 people involved in 150 different Trialogue Meetings taking place in Germany, in Switzerland, Germany, US, UK and China and now there is an opportunity for Trialogue Meetings to regularly take place in Ireland, open to all those living and working in the community with an interest in mental health. 

Irish locations will include St James in Dublin 8, Tallaght in Dublin 24, Clonmel in South Tipperary, Letterkenny in Donegal, Castlebar in Mayo, Galway City and various locations in West Cork. 

The rationale behind these open dialogue forums is that people who have lived experience of mental distress have important ‘primary knowledge’ of mental health problems to share with people who work in the mental health services, just as people who work in the mental health services have valuable ‘secondary knowledge’ gained through training and working in the area of mental health.  Family and friends who support people with mental health difficulties also have valuable experience and perspectives to contribute to dialogue about mental health.

The unique starting point of the Trialogue meeting is that everyone in the discussion circle is absolutely equal and entitled to express their opinion, experience, perspective and questions and to be heard and respected for that.  This equality and respect is accorded to all those who chose to contribute and to those who choose just to listen.

A Trialogue Facilitator ensures that the ground rules in the Open Dialogue are kept and that people can freely and safely share their own experiences, stories or questions about mental health and mental health problems.   This facilitated, open dialogue approach offers people the opportunity to deeply listen and to gain insight into the lived, personal experience of others.

A whole range of suggestions, ideas, connections and understandings arise from sharing experiences and concerns in this way that may contribute to better approaches to supporting mental health in the community. 

Diverse people interested in mental health are welcome to attend Trialogue Meetings including people who provide mental health services, people who use the mental health services, relations or who support those with mental health distress, people who have never engaged with mental health services, and people from the local community who are interested in understanding more about mental health. 

The initiative in Ireland is being funded by Genio being led by Paddy McGowan and Liam MacGabhann, Programme Co-ordinator of of the Collaborative Leadership programme in Mental Health Service Improvement at DCU.  The Mental Health Irish Trialogue Network is being steered and supported by a multiagency group including the Irish Advocacy Network and the National Service User Network, and is supported by the HSE National Mental Health Office and local HSE community services. 

Professor Michaela Amering, Professor of  Psychiatry in the University of Vienna is an Expert Advisor consultant to the Irish project.  She explains: “There are certain things which can be experienced and understood only in the Trialogue meetings. The Trialogue can make you understand – in a rather uncomplicated way – the kinds of things that can otherwise only be found in the theoretical literature, where they are often presented in a deficient and lifeless fashion. In trialogic communications people who are personally affected can make others feel personally affected too by expressing their issues in emotional and rational terms.”

Professor Amering remarked she  finds Trialogues interesting, fun, she learns something every time she goes to one, and she feels that her life and her work has been enriched by exposing herself to different perspectives at these evening discussion meetings about mental health.  She said “The multi-perspective nature of the Trialogue is like alchemy, some kind of a transformation happens... It’s bit magic!”

If you are interested in understanding more about other people’s experiences and perceptions about mental health and associated challenges, and willing to engage with all as equals, then please come along to the Trialogue meetings where there is much honesty, laughter and potential for change.  Paddy McGowan, and/or Líam MacGabhan, from Dublin City University, will initially facilitate the Trialogue meetings.