Latest News
People who work 11 hours are twice as likely to suffer depression
Researchers found that the odds of a major depressive episode are more than double for those working 11 or more hours a day compared to those working seven to eight hours a day.
The authors, led by Marianna Virtanen of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and University College London, followed about 2,000 middle aged British civil servants and found a "robust" association between overtime work and depression.
The correlation was not affected when the analysis was adjusted for various possible confounders, including socio-demographics, lifestyle, and work-related factors.
There have been a number of previous studies on the subject, with varying results, but the researchers emphasise that it is hard to compare results across these studies because the cut-off for "overtime" work has not been standardized.
Dr Virtanen said: "Although occasionally working overtime may have benefits for the individual and society, it is important to recognise that working excessive hours is also associated with an increased risk of major depression."
The Telegraph 31st January
‘We have the opportunity to dramatically improve people’s lives this year’
2012 has the potential to be an exciting year for mental health and wellbeing in Wales.
The Mental Health Measure will soon be implemented and a new government strategy is being written, both presenting opportunities to dramatically improve people’s lives.
Unfortunately, 2012 also exists within a period of tightly restricted budgets and competing priorities, especially within the health portfolio.
The pressure on finances is extremely challenging but we fear failure to deal with mental health issues will have wide-ranging social and economic consequences.
One in four people will experience some kind of mental health problem in any given year and the human cost of this can be devastating – life expectancy is reduced by up to 17.5 years for people with serious mental health problems.
The economic cost of mental health problems in Wales has been estimated at £7.2bn.
New guidance for every social worker in RCT
Every social care worker in Rhondda Cynon Taff will be given new guidance as part of a major campaign to ensure the people they look after are treated with the dignity they deserve.
The toolkit has been put together by Care Forum Wales, the organisation which represents 500 private care providers.
It will be available as a downloadable form on the Care Forum Wales website and will combine film, audio and written material in a package aimed at promoting dignity and respect in the care sector.
Mario Kreft, chairman of Care Forum Wales , said: “The toolkit is about bringing together best practice from across Wales so that we can learn from each other. It is a very practical way forward because you can only build quality in to a system and we in Care Forum Wales are committed to building quality into the system.
You can’t have a supervisor with a clipboard in the home of every service user so we have to build a quality system that provides the best service we can and dignity in care is absolutely paramount.
from Cynon Valley Leader Thurs 26th January
Social Services Bill: Greater power for people in care
The Welsh government says it will give greater power and control to thousands of people who receive care.
It says its new Social Services Bill will give users a legal set of rights, and offer more chances for people to be in charge of their own care budgets.
Early intervention, and calls on councils to co-operate - including the possibility of sharing social services directors - have also been promised.
Care Forum Wales welcomed the Bill, which will go to public consultation.
The chips that are good for your health
Pharmacy to sell edible microchips that will alert doctors if patients are not taking right medicines.
An edible microchip that records the precise details of a patient's pill regime will be available in Britain by the end of year following a commercial deal that opens the door to an era of digital medicines.
LEGAL COERCION: THE ELEPHANT IN THE RECOVERY ROOM
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
In a specially commissioned article for SRN, international mental health leader with lived experience, Mary O'Hagan, critically challenges the use of legal coercion in a world where the recovery approach and human rights are accepted norms. Why not let us know what you think about this challenging but important subject by commenting on the article.
Ysbyty Cwm Cynon hospital nears completion
The £70m Ysbyty Cwm Cynon, which replaces Mountain Ash and Aberdare hospitals, is expected to be fully open by the end of April.
But dental patients are already being treated in the state-of-the-art unit in one wing of the 123-bed hospital.
We tell boys not to cry, then wonder about male suicide
In courageously speaking of his depression, ex-footballer Dean Windass has helped to highlight a crisis in men's mental health .
I'm not sure how old I was when I was first instructed that boys don't cry – at a guess, maybe six or seven. Once it began, it came at me from all angles: family, teachers, friends, the myriad voices of media and culture. Like pretty much all boys, I learned that tears and sobs were markers of failure. Whether facing up to playground beatings, bullies or teachers, the rules of the game were simple: if you cry, you lose. As little boys begin to construct the identities of grown men, the toughest lesson to learn is toughness itself. Never show weakness, never show fragility and above all, never let them see your tears.
Andrew Flintoff suffered depression in Ashes whitewash
Andrew Flintoff, the former England captain, has admitted suffering depression during the 2006-07 Ashes in Australia, where he was on the receiving end of a 5-0 whitewash.
The all-rounder admitted he was not aware then of what exactly he was suffering from, but the illness drove him to drink and lose his love for the game.
Welsh charity that treats Post Traumatic Stress Disorder 'struggling to cope' with demand
The tragic death of Tiers Cross soldier Lance Sergeant Dan Collins has put the work of the Welsh charity which treats victims of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) into even sharper focus.
L/Sgt Collins was found hanged at Pantmaenog Quarry near Rosebush on New Year's Day. His funeral was held today (Wednesday) at St Mary's Church, Cardigan with full military honours.
The Healing The Wounds charity said it was already struggling to cope with demands for its treatment programmes and that demand had increased since the tragedy.
Tackling weight gain caused by medication
Young people with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia may be spared the side-effects of taking medication with the right diet and exercise program, a study has found.
Anti-psychotic drugs have been documented to cause dramatic weight gain, raised blood fats and Type-2 diabetes within the first six months of treatment.
Student prostitution prompts Swansea University study
A study is to be carried out over concerns that students in Wales are turning to prostitution to pay for their education.
Swansea University has been given nearly £500,000 of lottery funding to find out how big the problem is and to help provide support.
The National Union of Students (NUS) said it was aware some students were sex workers and research was needed.
Brain activity linked to delusion-like experience in study
The study was an initial exploration of the theory that the overactive firing of dopamine neurons in specific brain regions is involved in converting neutral, external information into personally relevant information among people with schizophrenia. This may lead to symptoms of delusions. “We wanted to see if we could find a way to ‘see’ these delusions during Magnetic Resonance Imaging scanning,” says Dr. Menon. The senior author of the study is Dr. Shitij Kapur, dean and head of the Institute of Psychiatry in the U.K.
New £5.5m funding for mental health help in Wales
Patients in Wales with mental health problems may be able to access more help from their GPs with new funding.
The Welsh government says its £5.5m investment will mean more patients have care plans tailored to their needs.
It is also expanding its advocacy service to help them understand their legal rights.
Health Minister Lesley Griffiths said the money would pay for some of the proposals in the Mental Health Wales Measure, which became law in 2010.
About £3.5m will go towards support at a local level.
Knitting 'can delay' memory loss
Engaging in a hobby like reading a book, making a patchwork quilt or even playing computer games can delay the onset of dementia, a US study suggests.
Watching TV however does not count - and indeed spending significant periods of time in front of the box may speed up memory loss, researchers found.
Nearly 200 people aged 70 to 89 with mild memory problems were compared with a group who had no impairment.
The findings are to be presented to an American Academy of Neurology meeting.
The researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota asked the volunteers about their daily activities within the past year and how mentally active they had been between the age of 50 to 65.
One million people will develop dementia in the next 10 years so there is a desperate need to find ways to prevent dementia
Alzheimer's Society
Those who had during middle age been busy reading, playing games or engaging in craft hobbies like patchworking or knitting were found to have a 40% reduced risk of memory impairment.
In later life, those same activities reduced the risk by between 30 and 50%.
Those who watched TV for less than 7 hours a day were also 50% less likely to develop memory loss than those who spent longer than that staring at the screen.
Read More >>
'We want to prevent people getting dementia'
Noticing an elderly relative is suddenly starting to forget things, is getting confused or displaying sudden changes of mood are usually the first signs they are developing dementia.
But what if the disease could be spotted - and treatment given - years before any symptoms begin?
That's the aim of researchers coming together in a new centre at University College London.
Dementia is the sixth leading cause of death in the UK, and a major cause of disability. Those affected often have to move into residential care.
About 750,000 people are currently affected, and that is set to rise to a million by 2021.
The research team will look at neurodegenerative diseases - including Alzheimer's disease, as well as Parkinson's disease and less common but equally devastating conditions such as Huntington's disease and Motor Neurone Disease.
Cynon Valley Hospital
Excellent news about the new hospital in the Cynon Valley which will play a major role in the development of locality services for Cynon residents. Major construction work is now complete on the new hospital and the
joint testing of infrastructure is well underway. This will make possible a phased handover and commissioning
of the building, to commence in the final weeks of this year.
In the New Year one whole wing of the hospital will be handed over to the Health Board. This part of the
building includes the new dental service which will open its doors at the start of January. This service will be
run by Cardiff and Vale Health Board and will help train Welsh dental students as well as providing high class
services for our residents. The first patients will therefore start benefiting from the hospital in January 2012.
Staff will be given access to clinical areas to start installing equipment and cleaning so that the hospital is
ready for patients in early 2012.
The commissioning of the outpatients and radiology departments
will enable them to be ready for patients at the beginning of
March.
Finally the whole range of services will be open during April
including the transfer of inpatient services, dedicated therapy
suites, day hospital and mental health services.
All accommodation will be modern and of high quality.
Full details of the opening will be presented at the next Cynon Valley Forum where the offer of visits to the
new hospital for members of the public will be made. The new hospital in the Cynon Valley will be a facility of
which the Health Board and the Cynon population can be proud.
sourced: december 14th 2011 the Link issue 56
Cuts are pushing mental health services to the edge, says study
Mental health services for society's most vulnerable people are unfit for purpose, according to the findings of a damning independent inquiry published today.
Seriously ill patients are subjected to assaults, taunts and overcrowding in over-stretched hospital wards where containment rather than recovery is the priority. Meanwhile, others on the verge of suicide or a manic breakdown cannot access help because crisis teams are too busy or closed outside office hours. A combination of rising demand and government cuts is leaving the services at breaking point in some areas.
The year-long inquiry by the charity Mind found huge variations in the quality and availability of hospital and community crisis services across England and Wales. Evidence from 400 patients and staff found that innovative, humane and responsive services do exist, but only for a lucky minority.
Cynon Walking Group
The Cynon Walking Group meets every Thursday at the Aberdare bus station (stand 1) at 10.15am to leave at 10.30am. The group enjoys a selection of walks to suit all abilities. Everyone is welcome. It is your responsibility to wear suitable clothing and footwear.
Please ring 01685 884918 for further information.
Some benefits of regular walking are as follows:
Walking is free
Improves your mood and confidence making you feel good.
Improves your stress levels and you are more likely to have a good nights sleep.
Helps with both physical and mental health to have a better sense of wellbeing.
Meeting people to walk and chat to. Helping with isoplation and loneliness.
Discovering areas of open space and natural beauty in your local area.
We also have monthly walks with Daerwynno Outdoors Centre based in Llanwunno. The centre is currently funded by Gregg's to provide this service.
To see dates and places for walks etc click here >>
Patients 'struggle to get emergency mental health care'
People with urgent mental health problems are struggling to get emergency treatment in England and Wales, campaigners say.
A review by Mind highlighted a range of difficulties patients face getting help from community crisis teams and hospitals.
Its report said responses were all too often slow or not available at all.
The charity warned the problems were getting worse as the NHS made savings, and urged managers to review services.
Mind chief executive Paul Farmer said: "People experiencing mental health emergencies can be faced with long waits, poor quality care and in some cases are unable to access help at all.
Ban on sale of tobacco from vending machines in Wales
A Welsh Government ban on the sale of tobacco from vending machines in Wales has been approved and will come into force on 1 February 2012.Although tobacco vending machines account for only one per cent of the UK market in tobacco sales, a disproportionate number of young people under 18 purchase cigarettes from vending machines. Ten per cent of regular smokers aged 11 to 15 report that cigarette vending machines are their usual source of tobacco.The Protection from Tobacco (Sales from Vending Machines) (Wales) Regulations 2011 are designed to protect children and young people by restricting access to tobacco.Health Minister Lesley Griffiths said:“Most smokers start during adolescence. Two thirds of adults who have ever smoked say they started before they were 18.“A voluntary code has not been effective in sufficiently restricting young people’s access to tobacco from vending machines. I am therefore pleased that we are able to introduce regulations banning the sale of tobacco from vending machines in Wales as part of our wider effort to safeguard children and young people from the dangers of smoking.”Enforcement of the regulations is the responsibility of local authorities. Information will be distributed to explain the new requirements of the regulations and to outline to owners and managers of premises what they will need to do in order to comply.
Further restrictions on sunbed use in Wales
From Monday 31st October the introduction of The Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010 (Wales) Regulations 2011 will require the competent supervision of sunbed use in all sunbed businesses in Wales, Health Minister Lesley Griffiths has announced.The move follows a ban on sunbed businesses from allowing the use of, or access to, sunbeds on their premises by under-18s. This was introduced in April this year under the Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010. As well as ensuring all salons are properly supervised, the new Regulations also:
- prohibit the sale or hire of sunbeds to under 18s;
- extend to businesses that operate from domestic premises the requirement that sunbeds are not used, or offered for use, to under 18s on those premises;
- prescribe the health information that is to be displayed and made available to adults who may seek to use a sunbed;
- prohibit the provision or display of any material relating to health effects of sunbed use, other than material containing the health information prescribed; and,
- require the provision and wearing of safe and appropriate protective eyewear for adults.
We need to talk about breaking the mental health taboo
St Clements Hospital in Mile End, in the east end of London, is a Victorian building which was a mental health hospital until it closed in 2005. It is now a derelict site.
But I understand that some of the former inmates are still to be found there forlornly camping in the grounds or hanging around the entrance. They think of it as home. That sums up the abject failure that can occur of the 'care in the community' policy.
Troops 'feel mental illness stigma'
David Cameron makes British Legion poppies with Dean Gibbs at a treatment centre for ex-service personnel with combat stress
The fate of military veterans suffering mental illness is "a stain on our country", an MP has said as he helped launch a charity campaign.
Figures released by the Combat Stress charity showed more than four in five still feel shame and embarrassment at their conditions.
Around a third feel so stigmatised that they cannot even tell their families and it takes on average 13 years after leaving the services for them to seek help.
At a function to mark World Mental Health Day, the charity - which looks after thousands of veterans, including many psychologically scarred by action in Iraq and Afghanistan - launched the next phase of its The Enemy Within fundraising drive.
"It is a distressing situation indeed when some of those who have quite literally put their lives on the line in service of our country to protect the freedoms that we all cherish then find themselves, after their service, suffering from these profound problems," Conor Burns told invited guests in the Commons Speaker's official residence.
"And it is a tragedy for them, and a stain on our country, that today, in 2011, they still feel stigma at their illness," the MP added.
Combat Stress president General Sir Redmond Watt said the first 18 months of the appeal had reduced the average time before veterans seek help from more than 14 years.
"But this is still too long to suffer and there is much more to do," he added, not least as the numbers seeking help rose 10% last year.
Among the audience was Iraq war veteran Neil Blower, who has written a novel drawing on his own experiences tracing a squaddie's battle with post-traumatic stress disorder.
He said the UK was "sitting on a timebomb" of mental health issues resulting from recent conflicts
Direct payments not reaching mental health service users
People with mental health problems are being denied the benefits of direct payments because of a lack of staff knowledge and inadequate information from councils, a Rethink Mental Illness report has warned.
Are women more depressed or just better at getting help?
New research suggests that European women are two-and-a-half times more likely to suffer from depression than men, and twice as depressed as they were in the 70s.
Generation depression
At 16, Jade Collins should have been out having fun, studying for her exams and looking forward to an exciting future ahead.
Instead she fell into such a state of despair, she struggled to get out of bed in the morning, found herself constantly in tears and worst of all, she did not know where her sadness was coming from.
“It came completely out of the blue,” recalls Jade, now 19, from Scarborough, North Yorks. “There didn’t seem to be any reason for it – my home life was fine, school was really good and my social life was OK.
Scientists make schizophrenia breakthrough
US scientists say they have "fundamentally transformed" the understanding of the genetics of schizophrenia.
A report in the journal Nature Genetics showed that "fresh mutations" in DNA are involved in at least half of schizophrenia cases, when there is no family history of the illness.
the benefits of Mental Health First Aid in the workplace
It is estimated that as many as one in four people may experience a mental health difficulty in the course of a year.
For many this experience will be a brief blip in life, although for others it will have a far more serious effect.
One of the important things about staying well is work.
Read More >
Vulnerable patients face 'painful waits in the NHS
Vulnerable patients are being left for months in pain and with disability because of long waits for orthopaedic care, campaigners have said.
Arthritis Research UK has warned the worsening situation across England is particularly affecting the elderly.
Patients needing orthopaedic care, such as knee and hip replacements, face the longest hospital waits in the NHS.
Police 'Ignore Hate Crimes Against Disabled'
Police are ignoring hate crimes against disabled people, according to a new report from a leading learning disability charity, Mencap.
Mencap claims disabled people are being left to suffer violence, harassment and abuse because police efforts to tackle disability hate crime are failing.
The report, Don't Stand By, says many police forces do not understand the crimes and do not have strategies in place to tackle them.
The study was carried out with the help of 14 police forces across England.
It cites examples of where low-level harassment was ignored by police and allowed to escalate into sustained abuse with fatal consequences.
Read the report >Time to Change Wales: Innovative £1.9 million partnership to end mental health discrimination in Wales
Three leading mental health charities in Wales granted nearly £2 million for collaboration to challenge stigma and discrimination under the banner 'Time to Change Wales'.
Three leading mental health charities in Wales are joining forces today to challenge the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health problems with the launch of a new national programme.
Time to Change Wales will be led by Gofal, Hafal and Mind Cymru and funded by the Big Lottery Fund Cymru (1), Comic Relief (2) and the Welsh Government (3). The new anti-stigma programme aims to improve attitudes to mental health by building on the success of Time to Change in England, to achieve real and lasting change in Wales.
Time to Change Wales will include three key strands:
-
A high-profile, national social marketing and media work to challenge the negative attitudes that can surround mental health, and raise awareness of the campaign;
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People with lived experience of mental health problems delivering anti-discrimination training to the people whose attitudes to mental health matter most, including employers and community leaders;
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A range of community activities that will bring together people with and without lived experience of mental health problems, to empower people with experience of mental distress to challenge the discrimination they face every day.
Time to Change has been actively working in England since 2007 to tackle the stigma surrounding mental illness and improve public knowledge, attitude and behavior around this issue.
The programme has already seen positive change in England, with a 4 percent reduction in reported discrimination and a 2.2 percent improvement in public attitudes since its launch (4).
Exercise linked to reducing risk of Alzheimer's
Exercise increases levels of a brain molecule that may protect against Alzheimer's disease, research has shown.
Scientists believe the protein PGC-1alpha could open the door to new ways of treating Alzheimer's.
The protein has metabolic effects that also appear to guard against type-2 diabetes.
Researchers studied brain samples from dead Alzheimer's patients and compared them with others from healthy individuals. They found there was less PGC-1alpha in the Alzheimer's-affected brains.
Further investigation revealed that cells containing more PGC-1alpha produced less of the toxic amyloid protein that accumulates in the brains of people with the disease.
Since exercise is known to raise levels of PGC-1alpha, the findings may help explain the link between regular physical activity and reduced Alzheimer's risk.
They also provide a clue to why people with diabetes are more likely to develop Alzheimer's.
Magdalena Sastre, from Imperial College London, who led the study, said: "These early results tell us much more about how diabetes and Alzheimer's are linked, but more importantly, they have given us a potential treatment target.
"Research is the only way to defeat dementia, and it is essential that we follow up this work to see whether drugs that raise the levels of the PGC-1alpha protein could help protect against Alzheimer's."
The findings were published on June 13th in the 'Journal of Alzheimer's Disease'
Coleg Morgannwg wins prestigious health award
COLEG Morgannwg has become the first further education college in Wales to receive a prestigious award for its high standards of health and wellbeing.
As one of the largest providers of education and training, Coleg Morgannwg has been working hard to maintain and improve the health and well-being of its staff and has been awarded the Gold Corporate Health Standard by the Welsh Government.
After receiving the silver standard last year, Coleg Morgannwg has continued its commitment to creating an ideal working environment for its 500 staff.
The college spans across four different campuses in Aberdare, Pontypridd, Llwynypia and Nantgarw, where a £40m state-of-the-art, new facility is currently under construction.
The college has been commended for the range of health and well-being interventions that have been implemented, such as promoting healthy eating across all campuses and supplying staff with a supportive return to work process.
Categories assessed during the process are mental health promotion, nutrition, physical activities, general health, occupational health and rehabilitation and health and safety.
Coleg Morgannwg has made an effort to achieve the gold standard by holding health and safety presentations in reception areas, giving staff access to leisure facilities and monitoring the health of staff along with bringing in speakers to help them stay healthy.
The college is determined to continue to build on its health and well being standards and hopes that further positive change will make Coleg Morgannwg one of the top places in Wales to work.
The Corporate Health Standard, run by the Welsh Government, is the quality mark for workplace health promotion in Wales.
It is presented in bronze, silver, gold and platinum categories to public, private and third sector organisations implementing practices to promote the health and wellbeing of their employees.
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