Nicknames may hurt me, not sticks & stones

A YoungMinds survey studying the classroom experiences of 2629 young people between the ages of 9 and 25 has reported the distress caused to mentally ill pupils by verbal abuse. The report also stated that witnesses to the abuse were often distressed by this behaviour. The stigma involved made it very difficult for mentally ill children to report feeling unwell compared with children who were feeling physically unwell. The charity has called for intensified health promotion to reduce the stigma involved.

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Cleanliness not next to happiness?

Rates of depression in younger people have outstripped that of older people and this has led to researchers searching for biological factors. Scientists at a US university medical school have come to the conclusion the higher rates are due to the lack of healthy bacteria in immune systems; a direct consequence of our cleaner environment

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Thousand of child carers of the mentally ill

The Mental Health Foundation has published a report My Care that states there are an estimated 50,000 to 200,00 child and adolescent carers of severely mentally ill adults. Many suffer from bullying as a result of the stigma surrounding their parents' conditions. Anxiety and frustration are leading to the carers themselves becoming mentally ill and also disruption of their education. Professionals who have contributed to this report are calling for more support for this vulnerable group.

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The Stigma Lingers on

A study in the American Journal of Psychiatry journal maintains that despite decades of strategies aimed at reducing the stigma attached to various mental illnesses, success has been minimal. The opinions of a sample of the American public were gathered and compared with opinions from ten years ago.

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Child development impacts on later mental health

A review in the journal Current Opinion in Psychiatry explored how child development impacts on the mental health of people in later life. The findings also recommended more research into preventative interventions.

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Anti-psychotic drugs reduction pledge

A new coallition of forty organisations, The Dementia Action Alliance, has announced that one of its goals is to reduce the use of anti-psychotic drugs for dementia patients. A government review estimated these drugs are wrongly prescribed to approximately 145,000 sufferers, and have resulted in 1,800 needless deaths.

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Keep taking the tablets?

German scientists have released research that states the drug reboxetine (Edronax) which has been routinely prescribed for depression over the last thirteen years is no more effective than a placebo. The BMJ study furthermore states that it is possibly harmful and that the manufacturer has been guilty of suppressing trials results. It is implied that NICE will have to review their guidance on the prescribing of the drug.

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Not Minding the Gap

A study in the British Journal of Psychiatry maintains that young people are falling into a black hole when they become adults and leave child and adult mental health services (CAMHS). Researchers from the University of Warwick followed 154 service users who made the transition for a year and concluded that provision was in the main poor.

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Whole family therapy for anorexic teens

A study in the Archives of General Psychiatry journal states that whole family therapy rather than therapy centred on the anorexic teenager alone, may be more effective in the long term. The model of treatment shifts away from past treatments which insinuated parents were to blame for their children's eating disorders. Better results were established at the six month and twelve month intervals.

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Antipsychotic drugs linked to blood clots

Research published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) has linked the prescribing of antipsychotic drugs to increased dangers of blood clots. The Nottingham University study maintains that the evidence is the most persuasive yet. Patients prescribed these drugs in the last two years have a third higher risk of developing clots. Other scientists agree that antipsychotics are powerful drugs that should be treated with caution.

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The worldwide cost of dementia

The economic burden of the predicted worldwide dementia "epidemic" has now been calculated in a report published by the Alzheimers Disease International (ADI). ADI is calling upon the World Health Organization (WHO) to take action now to make dementia its number one health priority. The report states that the economic costs of dementia will exceed 1% of the world's gross domestic product this year: $604bn or £388bn.

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Anthrax contamination of heroin

A fourth incident in the Leicestershire area of heroin being contaminated by heroin has come to light after another young man died after taking the drug. The Health Protection Agency is making a full investigation and a further post mortem of the victim is set to take place. Meanwhile heroin users are being urged not to take the drug.

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No jail for mentally ill minor offenders

A poll of the general public has shown that 64% of those polled believe that mentally ill people who commit minor offences that do not pose a threat to others should not be given custodial sentences. Instead treatment should be combined with community service. The poll comes in the wake of the Justice Minister's call for reform in this area.

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Religion & Psychosis

A study in Psychological Medicine journal refutes previously held ideas that intense religious experiences will result in serious mental problems. The evidence points to the fact that even the experience of brief pyschosis will be limited.

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Mental illness hits the pocket

A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO), following a survey, shows that seriously ill people earn up to a third less than their healthy counterparts. The research discussed in the British Journal of Psychiatry explains that unlike previous surveys that targeted high income countries, the data included in this one was also from low and middle income countries

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What's normal?

The new draft of the fifth edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) has numerous new conditions which begs the question what makes a person normal. In the wake of this eagerly awaited publication the latest edition of the Journal of Mental Health concentrates on diagnosis in mental health with articles written by celebrities and experts. One contributer is Sir Terry Pratchett who gives his personal view of Alzheimer's

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Dementia and diabetics

Researchers in Florida have found a major difference in the dementia of people who also suffer from diabetes from that of non-diabetics. The most likely cause of dementia in diabetics appears to be vascular disease of the brain whereas in non-diabetics it is a build up of plaques

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Chairman of Bar Council advocates legalised personal drug use

The chairman of the Bar Council which represents the UK's barristers has put forward the view that personal drug use should be made legal. Nicholas Green argues that this would save the British economy billions of pounds. Drug crime alone reaches 13 billion per year. Benfits to public health would also be achieved.

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Ecstasy use on the wane

An investigation by Radio 2's Newsbeat maintains that new alternatives such as mephadrone have replaced Ecstasy in Britain's night clubs. Dealers and law enforcement agencies say tighter controls on chemicals have contributed to a fall in production of the drug.

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Mental health failing autistic children

The National Autistic Society has published a report following a survey carried out on 450 parents of autistic children. The society is, as part of its campaign: You Need to Know, lobbying the government to improve Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) for autistic children

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Mephedrone not to blame for teenage deaths

In the wake of the clubbing high mephadrone being made a Class B illegal drug, comes the news that toxicology tests have proved that the two teenagers thought have died as a direct results of using mephadrone, died from other causes. However expert opinion maintains that the ban was based on research rather than two isolated incidents.

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New legal highs warning

A warning about new "legal highs"has been issued by Wales Drug and Alcohol Helpline. With mephedrone recently banned as a Class B drug, clubbers are looking for alternatives and 400 have been identified on the Internet

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Alcohol dependency increases prescriptions

Statistics released from the NHS Information Centre show that there was a 12% increase last year in prescriptions handed out to deal with alcohol dependency in England. The figures cited compared the prescribing of two particular drugs in 2009 with that in 2008. However, experts caution that it may be a matter of increased willingless of patients to face their addiction rather than an increase in alcoholism itself.

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Loneliness and the social networking generation

A survey commissioned by the Mental Health Foundation surprisingly found that in this day of instant messaging and social networking it is the young and not the older generation who are more prone to loneliness. The charities report The Lonely Society cited changes in society and family life as being the key reasons for feelings of isolation.

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Creativity and mental health

Scientists have linked creativity to schizophrenia by studying the receptors in the brain.The study from the Karolinska Institutet found that dopomine levels in creative people are similar to the levels found in in the brains of schizophrenics.

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The recesssion and workplace stress

The charity MIND commissioned a survey of 2,050 workers to assess the effects of the recession on mental health. It found that fears about job security, longer hours or a cut in hours had resulted in 1 in 11 British workers consulting their GP due to stress, anxiety or depression


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Mental health and "green exercise"

A study in the Environmental Science and Technology journal concludes that all it takes is five minutes of exercise in an outdoor setting such as a park, wood or garden to help maintain mental well being. The different exercises taken into consideration ranged from gardening to horse riding.

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Dementia will cost less because of research

A new report from the Alzheimer's Research Trust claims that the cost of dementia in England will be reduced in the future due to advances from research which will lower the predicted number of dementia sufferers

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Coalition of charities plan to improve mental health of young people

The Children and Young People's Mental Health Coalition, is planning new strategies to improve the mental health of young people up to the age of 25. The fifteen charities involved are concerned that the stress affecting young people in the UK is not being adequately addressed

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Confident Communities, Brighter Futures

The Mental Health Division of the Department of Health has published a new report: Confident Communities, Brighter Futures: a framework for developing well being as part of the New Horizon: A Shared Vision for Mental Health strategy. It "sets out the argument and evidence base for prioritising well-being, and provides a systematic approach to selected evidence-based approaches and interventions that have been shown to be effective across the life course, and across key public health domains"
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Better treatment for depression needed say GPs

A survey rolled out by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has found that despite recommendations by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), 65% of UK general practitioners do not initiate psychologcal therapies for depressed patients within two months. The survey was conducted in conjunction with the mental health charity MIND who are campagning for better therapy services.

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New report on criminal justice & mental health

The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health has published a new report which confirms that mental health services and the criminal justice system have had more collaboration. However those who experience both services have had differing perceptions on the results

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Dementia and stigma

A government survey has highlighted the stigma related to dementia. One in three people omitted to feeling uneasy in the company of a person suffering with dementia. To counteract this a new campaign has been launched involving people with dementia. The aim is to educate people as to how they can relate to and help dementia sufferers.

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Dementia experts to boost research

The Care Services Minister Phil Hope is chairing a group of experts who will be striving to stimulate more research into dementia. It aims to generate more funding and more public support for research. The group is comprised of scientists, researchers, charity leaders and government officials.

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Call for better NHS care for mentally ill offenders

A report by Laing and Buisson analysts states that severely mentally ill prisoners are not getting the NHS care they need despite the savings in reoffending costs this treatment would generate. It is estimated that severely ill offenders make up 1.5% of the 80, 000 prison population. The government has said that measures are in hand to rectify the problem.

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Ofsted report on CAMHS for young people in care

Ofsted have published a report on the inconsistent provision of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) for young people in care. Young people over the age of 16 from twenty seven homes in eight local authorities were assessed and the barriers to accessing services were highlighted.

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Valium as addictive as heroin

Scientists have warned that benzodiazepines such as Valium (diazepam) that are well known treatments for anxiety are as addictive as Class A drugs such as heroin. The Swiss study in Nature journal said benzodiazepines use the same "reward pathways" in the brain. It is hoped that the findings of this research will lead to the next generation of non-addictive treatments for anxiety.

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One in four suffer from depression in the UK

People suffering from depression in the UK is a staggering one in four. A survey has further shown that only a third of sufferers will seek help. Reasons for depression vary according to gender and sufferers appear to be ignorant of the range of treatments available to them.

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Ecstasy most lethal drug for non-addicts

British researchers have identified Ecstasy as being more lethal than Speed or Crystal Meth for fit and healthy young people who are not drug addicts. A study published in the journal Neuropsychobiology analysed data of stimulant deaths from 1997 - 2007. There were 832 deaths for Speed and Crystal Meth combined and 605 related to Ecstasy.


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Self control - it's out of your control

Researchers have found that self control, or lack of it, is down to peer pressure and is contagious. Five studies involving hundreds of volunteers were conducted over a two year period at the University of Georgia. The results are published online, ahead of print in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

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Highly educated autism clusters

A Californian study has linked autism to highly educated areas. Although is unclear why the link occurs, the research published in the journal Autism Research found that children of older parents who were highly educated were more likely to be autistic. Data of 2.5 million births during a five year period was analysed resulting in 10 clusters of autism.

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More alternatives to antidepressants needed

The Mental Health Foundation (MHF) says that there is still not enough access to alternatives to antidepressants after it has emerged that three quarters of GP's who prescribed them would have prefered to be able to offer alternatives. MHF says that an eight week course of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (a combination of yoga, meditation and cognitive therapy) (MBCT) halves the risk of becoming depressed again. However the Department of Health has said that access to alternatives to drug therapy has improved in the past year.
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Up the ZZZZs to minimise depression

Research has shown that teenagers who have fewer hours of sleep each night are more likely to suffer from depression and they are also more likely to have suicidal thoughts. The study in the journal Sleep studied 15,500 12 - 18 year-olds and concluded that lack of sleep could effect emotional brain responses.

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