Mental Health & Social Care Bulletin No. 404

The Department of health have announced that the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme for children and young people is to be extended with 24 new sites being added. It is hoped that by the end of the year over half of under 19's will have access to the programme which offer each person a course of six evidence-based therapy sessions. Bulletin 404 is a bumper 17 page edition.

Barriers to ethnic carers uptake of dementia services

A study in International Psychogeriatrics journal investigated why carers of ethnic minority dementia sufferers were significantly later in obtaining medical help compared to non ethnic carers. The authors concluded that traditional beliefs surrounding the duty of the family to look after its members prevented carers from seeking specialist help. The researchers also concluded that interventions were required that would break down the barriers to ethnic carers accessing specialist help.

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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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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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Talking Therapies could be victim to the recession

There are fears that the programme Improving Access to Psychological Therapies could be put at risk due to the recession. Leaders of the Royal Society of Psychiatrists and the Mental Health Network are concerned that job losses will result in reduced services. The report voicing these concerns will be published today at the Mental Health Network’s annual conference

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Brush up your Kafka

According to psychologists at the University of British Columbia, reading surreal literature such as Kafka can impove the cognitive functioning of the brain that is responsible for learning. The study has been published in the September issue of Psychological Science.

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Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

A study published in Science magazine observed the behaviour of Capuchin monkeys and consequently how social bonds are formed. Researchers found that the monkeys prefered the company of the scientists who, when interacting with them, mimicked their own actions.

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Women are from Venus, Men are from Mars

A study in the British Journal of Psychology maintains that women and men use different pathways in the brain and therefore see things differently.

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Hearing what you want to hear

Data from 91 studies involving nearly 8000 people was analysed by researchers from Illinois and Florida Universities giving new insights in people's attitudes to information that conflicts with their own beliefs. The study published in the journal Psychological Bulletin reflected that while people still often ignore views which contradict their own, there are occasions when a person will prefer to investigate other opinions.
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