Smoking pan speeds mental illness

CANNABIS can speed up the appearance of psychotic illness, an innovative Australian study has found. Dr Matthew Large, a staff specialist in Mental health from the University of New South Wales and the Prince of Wales Hospital, said the risks are especially high for younger people, whose brains are still developing. For young people who smoke cannabis regularly, in its place of having about a 1% chance of developing schizophrenia during their lifetime, they would end up with something like a 5% chance of developing schizophrenia, said Dr Large.

His research, that pulled together information on 20,000 patients and drew on more than 80 international studies, is published in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry. The study has again prompted drug experts to call for regulation, not prohibition, of marijuana. With about 33% of the Australian population and 18% of secondary school students using the drug, in a few years there would be more Australians smoking cannabis than smoking tobacco, said Dr Alex Wodak, the director of the Alcohol and Drug Service at Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital and head of the Australian Drug Law restructuring Foundation. He recently said he believed the time was right for an audition of a hash coffee shop in the community of Nimbin.

Flouting the silence about mental illness

Niagara women will meet to break the silence about mental illness. The Canadian Mental Health Association – Niagara Branch, in partnership with national sponsor Shoppers Drug Mart, is hosting a fundraiser to help dispel myths and create hope for the one in five Canadians who suffer from despair or other brain-based illnesses.

Women & Wellness – Real Life Transformations takes place Thursday, Feb. 17, at 7 p.m. at the DSBN Education Centre, 191 Carlton St. Catharines. Donations received at the event will help continue the TAMI (Talking About Mental Illness) program for Niagara teens, and help with a number of educational and support programs for people dealing with aspects of mental illness.

Ottawa women seek to nullify stigma of mental illness

Two Ottawa women have launched a city-wide mental health awareness crusade to break the stigma associated with mental illness. Laura Kidd, 19, and Riley Grace, 21, have created a video that tells their personal stories of trade with mental illness in their families as part of the Royal Ottawa Hospital's "You Know Who I am" video contest.

Their video was inspired, in part, by the catastrophic suicide of 14-year-old Daron Richardson. The daughter of Ottawa Senators' coach Luke Richardson took her own life in November. Heather Badenoch, spokeswoman for the hospital, said the videos produced for the contest have helped many people in the area. "We hear from people that say family members or they themselves have gotten help because of the campaign," she said. "It makes people realize mental illness has come out of the dark shadows and onto the facade page."

Real Madrid Star Cristiano Ronaldo anguish from Mental Illness

Last weekend, Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Osasuna’s Pandiani were at the centre of a heated dispute. The Portuguese winger, who couldn’t stand provocation from Pamplona’s embarrassing atmosphere, mocked Pandiani as he questioned the amount of his salary. Cristiano Ronaldo, who earns around £200,000 a week, also voiced out his frustration at Real Madrid’s unfortunate 1-0 loss against Osasuna which put them 7 points behind Barcelona. CR7 blamed his distraction on “constant fouls and more balls than are normally allowed on the field” – something which made the match look likes a “naval battle” according to the former Ballon d’Or winner.

But Osasuna players haven’t been impressed by Cristiano Ronaldo’s attitude at all. The Real Madrid star turns 26 on Saturday and Pandiani has asked him to grow up by following the example of his rival and El Clasico expert Lionel Messi. “Cristiano Ronaldo must be more humble. He has a screw loose. He should learn from Lionel Messi and lose his cocky attitude. “He creates problems every week that should normally be penalised. Real Madrid are paying for his cocky attitude.” Now while the controversial winger claims that he is not bothered by criticism, Osasuna’s Pandiani also claims that Cristiano Ronaldo may well be suffering from mental illness. What a response to CR7's provocative salary taunt!

Northern Ireland mental illness levels at all-time elevated

Northern Ireland has one of the highest incidences of Mental illness in the developed world, it has emerged. Mental nervousness costs the economy here £380m a year. The new findings were |unveiled at the launch of the University of Ulster’s groundbreaking new Centre for Study of Mental Health in Londonderry yesterday. The centre has been named after the late Professor David Bamford, who carried out a wide-ranging review into mental health services in 2002, and will co-ordinate the work of 40 scholastic and post-graduate students. Professor Brendan Bunting, director of the new Bamford Centre, revealed that a study |by the centre’s academics involving detailed interviews with 4,300 members of the public in Northern Ireland establish that many people were waiting 20 years before seeking help.

One of the main findings was that in any 12-month period |in Northern Ireland one in |four people displayed symptoms of mental health circumstances. The bill for treating anxiety, which now affects 15% of people here, stands at £95m. Professor Bunting said: “People with depression were among the most likely to seek treatment early, waiting on average a year, although over 25% of individuals in this category waited 10 years or more before seeking treatment. “However, those with nervousness disorders waited on average 20 years before asking for help. Individuals with substance disorders waited on average 15 years.” Levels of mental illness were 25% higher here than in Britain, while subsidy was 25% less.

Mental illness is topic of conversation

The program will focus on efforts to decrease the stigma surrounding mental illness. The specific focus will surround a national campaign called BringChange2Mind, created by actress Glenn Close. Glenn's sister, Jessie, has bipolar disorder and her nephew has schizophrenia. This prompted Glenn to launch an enormous mental illness anti-stigma campaign in 2009.

The mission of the campaign is twofold:
1. Provide people who have misconceptions about mental illness quick and easy contact to information that combats stigma, and
2. Provide people who have mental illness and those who know them, quick and easy way in to information and support.
Several short videos will be aired featuring people who have mental illnesses and these will be interspersed with an opportunity for conversation. Many local mental health professionals will be in attendance to answer questions. Area mental health resources will also be discussed and available as contributions.

Mental fitness specialists for govt hospitals in 3 months

The state government will assign specialists to treat patients with mental illnesses at all government hospitals in three months’ time. The government made a submission to this effect on Monday, while a case relating to the shortage of specialists in this discipline was being heard in the Karnatakahigh court. A petition contending that there were no specialists to treat the mentally ill at government hospitals came up for audible range before the division bench of the high court, headed by Justice N Kumar.

The government counsel said the state would take three months to finish the procedure of recruitment of specialists in government hospitals. The government advice added that a new director would be appointed at the Dharwad Institute of Mental Disorder Sciences in a fortnight. On January 20, the high court had sought a report from the state government regarding distribution of medicines to those suffering from mental illness, undergoing treatment at government hospitals. The partition bench has adjourned the case to February 23.