People should discuss mental health, say campaigners

People in England need to overcome the clumsiness and fear associated with talking about mental health issues, it has been claimed. According to anti-stigma campaign Time to Change, mental health affects everyone and should be talked about more candidly in everyday discussion.

The organisation has launched a new crusade, entitled It's Time to Talk, It's Time to Change, which hopes to address this reluctance after a survey found two-thirds of workers are scared to tell colleagues about their mental health problems. In contrast, 88 per cent of respondents said they would feel comfortable telling work mates they had been missing from work due to physical illness. Time to Change Director Sue Baker said: "Talking can strengthen friendships, aid recovery and break down stereotypes. It's often a few small words that can make a big difference and get the conversation started. You don't have to be a specialist - just a friend."

Riccardi trial delayed for mental status testing

A Luzerne County senior arbitrator on Monday scheduled a hearing to determine a homicide suspect’s mental status, ultimately postponing his scheduled April trial. Senior Judge Joseph Augello said an Atkins hearing will be held May 2 for Elvis Riccardi, 33, after his attorneys requested it to rule out the death penalty against their client because of mental health issues. An Atkins hearing is based on the outcome of a legal case. In Atkins v. Virginia, the U.S. Supreme Court determined that irritation of the death penalty on the mentally ill constitutes unkind and unusual punishment.

That hearing pressed back Riccardi’s scheduled April 4 trial to now begin on June 7 with jury selection. Riccardi and Michael Simonson, 33, allegedly killed Donald Skiff, 34, of Plymouth, on April 27, 2009. Skiff’s body was found with the help of Simonson in a wooded area off Suscon Road, Jenkins Township, on June 4, 2009. Investigators alleged Riccardi and Simonson kidnapped Skiff in Shickshinny. Simonson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison in August. Riccardi’s attorneys previously have said that if their client was to receive the death punishment, it would be against his rights because Riccardi has a history of “sub-average intellectual functioning, mental illness and/or intellectual disability.” Prosecutors compete in court papers that Riccardi’s request does not give a “factual basis” that would require an Atkins hearing.

Mental Health courtyard Opens in Manhattan

A special court devoted to non-violent cases of defendants with severe mental illnesses will open at 100 Centre Street in Manhattan, announced Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. on Wednesday. “The designation of a Mental Health Court in Manhattan will address the complex criminal justice challenges presented by defendants with serious mental illnesses and will promote greater safety for New Yorkers and greater equality for the mentally ill,” Vance said.

The court will be part of the New York State Supreme Court, with fairness Juan Merchan presiding. Other judges, prosecutors, and the Department of Probation officials, among others, will be able to refer cases to the Mental Health Court. The defendants will receive a psychiatric evaluation prior to the court’s recognition of the cases. Only cases of severe mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or major depression, will be accepted. “A significant percentage of defendants suffer from mental disorders—an issue that the courts and its criminal justice system partners simply cannot overlook,” stated New York state Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman. “By addressing the underlying mental health issues driving the crime, the Manhattan Mental Health Court will help ensure more effectual, long-term resolutions,”.

Lifeline focuses on mental health in the office

LIFELINE Macarthur struck another waft against the stigma of Mental illness when it hosted a symposium on Mental health in the workplace at its Smeaton Grange centre on Thursday. UWS clinical psychology professor Rocco Crino and Michael Hall, chief executive officer of the Wild Works organization which helps businesses align and engage their staff, jointly presented to give the 60-strong spectators insights into both the personal and corporate aspects of dealing with mental health issues.

While NSW State Liberal leader Barry O’Farrell took the opportunity to deliver his party’s policy on mental health, Lifeline Macarthur’s chief executive officer Peter Mihajlovic kept his praise for the two speakers who delivered potent messages on addressing Mental health issues in the workplace and the community. “Rocco spoke about types of mental disorders and why it is important to address them in the workplace and walked us through a case study of engaging with someone with mental health issues, then Michael spoke on the corporate viewpoint and what employers, supervisors and managers can do.” “It was an excellent presentation which inspired a vigorous question-and-answer time and had people asking us for details of the next symposium, which we will clutch if there is sufficient demand”

Mental illness survive

An agency may have been less than simple with North Canton residents about plans for a building on N. Main Street. Will it house only low-income military veterans? Or will it also house people who have a mental illness? Officials of ICAN Housing Solutions say they want to convert the Harleigh Inn into apartments for veterans. Their website, however, refers only to people with mental health issues. This confusion caused a great deal of anxiety at a City Council meeting last week. Ultimately, though, that issue misses the point.

Some residents and city officials quickly assumed the nastiest about having people with mental illness as neighbors, predicting “the downfall of North Canton” and “a drain on city services,” presumably police. Have they seen the studies that disperse the stereotypes about mental illness and violence? Would they object to having a military veteran who is mentally ill as a neighbor? Would they rather see people with mental illness living on the street, or would they just prefer that they live in someone else’s community? While few people would consciously turn their backs on military veterans, why would they feel any less worry for the well-being of others with mental illness? Because stereotypes and stigmas die hard.

Government 'to expend £400m on mental health'

The government is planning to spend a large sum of money on tackling mental health problems in the UK, aiming to get additional people back to work. The government is to spend £400 million on tackling the way mental health is treated on the NHS, according to reports. Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg is to announce the move in the new few days, which aims to end the stigma surrounding mental health, treating it as equal to physical sickness or injury.

One target is to "cure" up to one million wounded in the next four years, in an effort to get those signed off work for mental health issues back in jobs. There will also be an emphasis on ending the "Prozac nation", in which doctors apparently just prescribe pills to patients with a variety of different conditions. This comes after findings reported by the Alzheimer's Society said that a quarter of a million individuals with dementia are being let down by their home care. Fifty per cent of carers claimed the patient was not receiving sufficient care and support.

Doctors to assess mental health efforts

Initiatives at Barrington High School to raise awareness about teenage mental illness in the wake of a number of suicides in new years will be critiqued by doctors under a new partnership announced Wednesday. The doctors from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University will evaluate such labors as policies and procedures, programs, resources and communication surrounding mental health issues. They also will offer recommendations for improvements.

The Skokie-based Cheryl T. Herman Foundation, which supports education, diagnosis and treatment connected to depression, bipolar disorders and associated illnesses, is funding the partnership. Dr. John Zajecka, an associate professor of psychiatry at Rush University Medical Center who specializes in bipolar disorder, depressive disorders and mood disorders is one doctor and the other is psychologist Mark Reinecke, a professor and chief of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Feinberg School of Medicine. His specialty is developmental psychopathology of depression and suicide, and the treatment of teenager depression.

Gucci Mane Suffer From Mental Disorders

Gucci Mane has never presented himself as a well-read emcee with poetic depth. Although the majority of his rhymes are nonsensical and lack critical thinking, most of his fans would've never speculated that he is mentally incompetent. On Jan. 4, 2011, Gucci Mane avoided going to jail after he filed a plea claiming that he is "unable to go forward and/or intelligently participate in the probation revocation hearing." Gucci Mane was finally committed to a mental health treatment center where his condition is being evaluated.

Although it could be a last-minute ploy by Gucci Mane to avoid returning to jail, his willingness to admit that he suffers from mental issues should raise awareness about the troubles that many people in the hip-hop generation deal with alone. While young adults who grow up in more rich homes are likely to receive counseling or medication, there are thousands of youth who suffer from mental health issues that go untreated. Instead, these individuals are likely to deal with their issues by self-medicating with drugs or alcohol, becoming involved in crime, or falling into a deep despair. It's important to know the symptoms of mental health disorders so that the problems can be diagnosed and treated.

New kits hoist mental health awareness

A MENTAL health crusade hopes to raise awareness by sponsoring the shirts of three children’s football teams. Time to Change is backing the three under-eight sides in Colden Common, which play in the Mini Soccer League. The campaign hopes to reduce the stigma attached to mental health issues, and has provided the football kits to get its message across. The national campaign, which is backed by the Premier League and Sport Relief, is run on a provincial basis by health chiefs in Dorset.

Gail Taylor from Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust said: “The local Time to Change Dorset group decided to back the three junior teams as an ideal way to target both children and their parents. “The shirts will see 150 boys and girls benefit from the donation and, given that each team plays in a league of at least 12 other teams, 360 other boys and girls will play against them each year. “This means that the ‘Time to Change’ message will be seen by over 2,000 boys and girls and their families over the predictable five year life of the shirts.”

Mental health risk elevated among pregnant war veterans

The risk of mental health issues is higher among pregnant women who earlier served in war. This is according to recent research published in the Journal of Women's Health, which looked at veterans from the conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan. They discovered that the chances of mental health problems including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and concern are higher among the veterans than their civilian peers.

Susan Kornstein, executive director of the Virginia Commonwealth University Institute for Women's Health, commented: "With the increased number of women helping in the military it is important that we understand their unique health issues such as mental health problems during pregnancy."The authors reviewed the records of more than 43,000 female veterans who completed their military service in Iraq or Afghanistan between 2001 and 2008.The team, from the Yale School of Medicine, wished-for that the risk of mental health issues was increased by pregnancy due to the hormonal and physiological changes happening in the woman's body

Kennedy to undertake mental health issues

Patrick J. Kennedy, leaving Congress after eight conditions representing Rhode Island, says he wants to launch "The Next Frontier" in mental health treatment. Kennedy, who chose not to run for re-election in 2010, admits to some doubt about what lies ahead for a man raised in the nation's most celebrated political family, The Providence (R.I.) Journal reported Sunday.

He says he will take a public role on his signature subject of mental health, influence a national effort on treatment and understanding in the same way his uncle, President John F. Kennedy, once called for a national goal of putting men on the moon as part of his "New Frontier." One main goal, he says, is the need to treat neurologically damaged war veterans, whether suffering from battle-related post-shocking stress or from the physical brain injuries affecting the survivors of roadside bombings.

Glenn Close opens up on the subject of mental health

Hollywood actress Glenn Close will open up about her family's history with mental illness at a future meeting. The star, who is famous for films such as 101 Dalmatians and TV series such as Damages, will speak at the upcoming Neuroscience 2010 episode. Close's sister suffers from bipolar disorder and her nephew Calen has been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder.

It is also thought she may touch on her own experiences with mental health issues, having admitted to suffering from mild depression in the past. The actress works with the contributions bringchange2mind.org which aims to remove the stigma from mental health disorders. She appears in a public service announcement for the charity, along with her sister Jessie. Neuroscience 2010 will take place in San Diego, US, between November 13th and 17th. Neuroscientists from around the world will be in attendance to discuss cutting-edge research into the brain and anxious system.

Illness Of Sick Leave

Mental health issues may not be a subject employees speak about as openly as heart problems or coming down with the flu, but research suggests they are using as much sick leave to address mental problems as any physical ailments. A recent study by the Canadian Centre for Addiction and Mental Health concluded mental illness resulted in more sick days among Canadians than any other chronic illness, costing the country's economy $51 billion annually in lost productivity.

Closer to home, a 2007 study appearing in the Archives of General Psychiatry found mental disorders account for more than 1.3 billion lost productivity days a year in the U.S., whether they mean taking time off from work, school or unable to perform functions at home. Major depression was the second leading cause of lost productivity, eclipsed only by back pain. Psychologists say society is more open to talking about mental health problems than it used to be. But a stigma still is attached to the health issue. People who admit to suffering from some sort of mental disorder may face significantly higher insurance rates even if they present relatively little risk, and there always is the concern they could be passed up for promotions or important tasks because employers believe they can't handle the stress.

Sport helps young people strike mental health issues

Sport helps young people strike mental health issues

A SOCIAL enterprise scheme in Erdington which uses exercise to help young people with mental health issues is welcoming new members. Start Again is aimed at empowering young people with or at risk of mental health issues and encouraging them to regain control of their lives. Aimed at those aged 13 to 30, Start Again team gives the traditional approached one-on-one sessions, group work, help with housing issues, work placements, sexual health advice and confidence building. But they also offers exercise, which is shown to improve mental wellbeing. Their football coaching service provides young people with access to a structured and safe environment where football is used therapeutically and as a gateway into a wide range of developmental services

The scheme has proved so successful that it is now able to open up to new recruits and has a new base in the Erdington Health and Wellbeing Walk-in Centre, in High Street. Mark Peters, chief executive officer of the Start Again Project, said: "The results from our pilot project showed that at the end of the football programme, 90 percent of the participants enrolled in further education and there was a reduction in cannabis use and dependency on prescription drugs. Users continued to be involved with their own health after the sessions were finished, and one participant even signed up to start their own social enterprise in art and design."One in six people in the UK will have, at some point in their life, a mental health issue. It is widely known that effects of mental illness in early life have a negative impact upon people's opportunities to complete education, training, gain qualifications or become socially and economically independent."The Start Again team will be available at the Walk-in Centre, from 10am to 11am on Tuesdays and Fridays, from next week. Young people can drop in to sign up to the scheme.