Create consciousness on mental health

Infosys mentor Narayana Murthy today urged India''s premier mental health institution NIMHANS to play a lively role in disseminating information on mental health and illness and to help eliminate the fear and stigma associated with it. Speaking at a function to mark NIMHANS (National Institutte of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences) 37th year, he said the institute should carry out an awareness campaign to help people realise that such illnesses could be treated. He also strongly advocated use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) solutions to take mental health care to the rustic masses.

'We obtain crazy'upsets mental health advocates

Mental health care advocates say a high school dance custom called "We Get Crazy" is disturbing and insensitive. Waunakee's High School's varsity dance team had costumes that resembled straitjackets with the words "Psych Ward." The dancers messed their hair, put on black eye structure and snarled through their routine. It was too much for advocates for the mentally ill. Wisconsin Family Ties executive director Hugh Davis says the routine evokes painful memories for some. The team's coach, Erin Cotter, says she's taken back by the reaction to the hip-hop routine. Cotter says the aim was to get fans energized; it wasn't about mental illness.

Few youth with Mental Disorders Get Proper Care

A large percentage of young people who suffer from severe mental disorders are not receiving sufficient care, according to data from a survey of more than 10,000 teens (ages 13-18), funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The researchers tracked how often these teens reported having ever received services to treat their specific mental disorder, as well as what type of help they received and how often they received it. Specifically, only about 36 percent suffering with a lifetime mental disorder received help; only half of these teens who were considerably impaired by their mental disorder received professional mental health care.

Furthermore, 68 percent of the youth who were able to receive professional care visited a provider fewer than six times during their lifetime. Professional help was highest for teens with ADHD (60 percent), and behavior disorders such as conduct disorder or oppositional defiant disorder (45 percent). For those with mood disorders such as bipolar disorder or depression, 38 percent received services, and 18 percent of teens with an anxiety disorder received help. Fifteen percent of teens with a matter use disorder received care, and 13 percent with an eating disorder received services.

Mental health disaster training a smart move

More law officers should be trained in how to recognize and deal with the mentally ill based on the knowledge one assistant took home from the training. Members of the National Alliance for Mental Illness’ Four Seasons Chapter and other mental health care providers met in February with local law officers to advocate for local officers to be trained. The training gives officers an overview of different types of mental illness they may encounter — from schizophrenia to age-related dementia to post-shocking stress disorder — as well as medications patients may be taking.

It also includes meeting people with mental illness, a tour of local mental health care providers and role-playing situations. Officers deal every day with people going through mental health crises that can include being off medications, matter abuse and family problems. That’s why it is so important that officers get this training.“We walked through all types of mental illness and medications. We were taught the triggers that may cause some patients to become aggressive.”

Mental Health Care Funding needs to be improved

Mental health care in Australia was yet again put under the scanner, with the Australian of the Year, Prof. Patrick McGorry calling for an increase in funding for mental health care. The advice made by McGorry was during a mental health summit being held by the Queensland Government.

While asking for an increase in the federal budget for mental health care, Professor McGorry said that rites for mental health in Australia were currently at $5-billion, and that they needed to be trebled to $15-billion. He also announced that the numbers of wounded because of mental disorders were 2,500 in the country and that an Australian killed them self every three to four hours.
The comments made by Professor McGorry have come after a Briton awaiting exile at a detention centre had died of a suspected suicide in his quarters. Prior to the Englishman, another prisoner awaiting deportation had died in the previous month at the Villawood Detention Centre in Sydney.

Talking about the increased incidences of people waiting to be deported killing themselves, Professor McGorry said that people seeking protection in Australia were already under enough mental pressure and the long wait of deportation further deteriorated their mental health, which resulted in them committing suicide.