UCC Students' Union is holding a meeting on depression and suicide awareness in the university tonight. The meeting, a joint initiative with AWARE, will be chaired by 2FM DJ Ian Dempsey and will be addressed by Cork singer-songwriter, Jimmy McCarthy - who suffers from depression - and other experts and sufferers.

"Students are subjected to extreme pressure: study, exams and competition for a good mark to get the best job possible," says UCC students' union deputy president Alex Horstmann. "Unfortunately, a lot of people react badly to this type of pressure and this is when depression is most likely to hit. If people are aware of the dangers of depression then they can be supported."

Horstmann says that tonight's meeting is the first step in raising awareness of the problem. "It's my aim to set up a support group for people with depression and the student counsellors, who have already given me a lot of support, would be involved in this," he says.

The meeting takes place in Boole 4, tonight at 8 p.m.