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News: Suicide rates in Europe 'linked' to financial crisis - BBC News

2011-07-08T08:54:00.001+01:00

Suicide rates have increased following the global banking crisis, according to research published in The Lancet (9 July 2011).

The BBC (8 July 2011) reports that there has been an increase in suicides of between 5% and 17% in nine countries.

Researchers compared data of 10 countries with only Austria recording a drop in suicide rates between 2007-2009. The UK saw a 10% rise, with 6.75 suicides per 100,000 people. Greece had the worst record.

Dr David Stuckler of the research team comments: "There was a complete turnaround. Suicides were falling before the recession, then started rising in nearly all European countries studied. Almost certainly these rises are linked to the financial crisis."

For more stories about counselling, psychotherapy and mental health please visit www.therapyme.com.

News: Money woes 'linked to rise in depression' - BBC News

2011-04-07T08:10:00.000+01:00

Money worries and concerns about the economy are taking their toll on the nation's mental health, according to a BBC News report in the UK (7 April 2011).

Prescriptions for anti-depressants have increased by more than 40% over the past four years. During the same time period, there has been a four-fold increase in referrals to talking therapies, according to Department of Health figures.

Marjorie Wallace of mental health charity Sane comments: "It is impossible to say for sure that economic problems are leading to a rise in depression. But we are certainly hearing more from people who are worried where the next meal is coming from, job security and cuts in benefits - many who are getting in touch with us for the first time. It is a toxic combination, especially for those who already have darker thoughts and other problems."

More news about psychotherapy, counselling and mental health can be found on the www.therapyme.com website.

News: One in five Britons has consulted a counsellor or a psychotherapist - The Observer

2010-08-05T08:24:00.000+01:00

Has there been a 'therapy revolution' in the UK? A survey conducted by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) suggests there has. Their survey, featured in an article in The Observer (1 August 2010), says one in five Britons has consulted a psychotherapist or counsellor.

The stigma of talking about problems with a therapist appears to be diminishing. The present findings of the BACP research found that 94% of people in the UK consider it acceptable to have therapy for anxiety and depression, a marked jump from 67% back in 2004. There has also been a jump in figures for the acceptability of seeking therapy for divorce and relationship breakdowns.

Cary Cooper, BACP President, comments: "This survey represents a significant shift in people's attitudes towards therapy – practically a revolution – at a time when mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression are far more common than was realised. Mental health conditions currently affect one in six of the population at an annual cost to England alone of £77bn. It's no accident that the growth of the problem has encouraged mass support for more effective treatments," said Cooper.

For more stories about psychotherapy, counselling and mental health please visit the News page at www.therapyme.com.

News: Post-natal depression clues found - Telegraph

2010-06-19T12:53:00.000+01:00

Researchers in Leipzig may have discovered why many new mothers feel down after giving birth, according to a report in the Telegraph (19 June 2010).

Oestrogen levels drop dramatically for women when they give birth, which coincides with the blocking of certain feel-good chemicals in the brain, they found.

The report from the MPI for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences is published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Dr Julia Sacher, who led the research, comments: "Our results have the exciting potential for prevention for severe postpartum blues. This could have an impact on prevention and treatment of postpartum depression in the future."

Please visit TherapyMe.com for more about psychotherapy, counselling and psychiatry as it is reported in the media.

News: Younger people 'worry about loneliness' - The Guardian

2010-05-30T23:09:00.001+01:00

Young people between the ages of 18-34 are particularly susceptible to worrying about loneliness, according to a report published by the Mental Health Foundation. One in 10 adults in the UK feel lonely, and four in 10 have experienced depression as a result, reports Guardian (25 May 2010).

Andrew McCulloch, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation, commented: "Changes to the way we live are putting an increasing number of people at risk of loneliness, which can lead to health problems if chronic. People who find themselves feeling lonely should not have to feel uncomfortable talking about it or asking for help. By raising awareness of the subject we hope to tackle the stigma attached to loneliness and help individuals who are feeling lonely to connect with others."

You can read more stories in the news about mental health, counselling and psychotherapy at TherapyMe.com.

News: 'Green' exercise quickly 'boosts mental health' - BBC News

2010-05-02T21:38:00.001+01:00

Feeling blue? Then go green. Researchers from Essex University in the UK say enjoying some exercise in the great outdoors could perk up your mental health according to a report on BBC News (1 May 2010).

The study looked at the evidence of ten studies involving 1,250 people.

Commenting on the findings, Paul Farmer, of UK mental health charity MIND, said: "It's important that people experiencing depression can be given the option of a range of treatments, and we would like to see all doctors considering exercise as a treatment where appropriate."

For more news stories on mental health, visit www.therapyme.com.

News: Charity pushes for LSD use in medicine - Financial Times

2010-02-14T21:15:00.001Z

British charity the Beckley Foundation is helping to fund medical trials using LSD, according to reports in the Financial Times (13 February 2010).

Amanda Feilding, from the Beckley Foundation which promotes psychedelic research, said: "We want to open up these incredibly valuable compounds that have been used throughout history. We know LSD is non-toxic and non-addictive. The only way to overcome the taboo is by giving scientific explanations of how to use them beneficially."

LSD has been used in the past in psychotherapy settings in the late 1940s and following the second world war. Bans were introduced following the introduction of the UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances in 1971.

For more stories about mental health, counselling and psychotherapy, please visit www.therapyme.com and click on 'In the News'.

News - 'Internet addiction' linked to depression, says study - BBC News

2010-02-14T20:58:00.000Z

Research published by Leeds University suggests a link between internet addiction and depression, reports BBC News (3 February 2010).

Researcher Dr Catriona Morrison comments: "The internet now plays a huge part in modern life, but its benefits are accompanied by a darker side. While many of us use the internet to pay bills, shop and send e-mails, there is a small subset of the population who find it hard to control how much time they spend online, to the point where it interferes with their daily activities. Our research indicates that excessive internet use is associated with depression, but what we don't know is which comes first - are depressed people drawn to the internet or does the internet cause depression? Now we need to investigate the nature of that relationship and consider the issue of causation."

For more news stories about mental health, counselling and psychotherapy, please visit www.therapyme.com.

News: Jobless to be offered 'talking treatment' to help put Britain back to work - The Guardian

2009-12-06T10:34:00.001Z

The UK Government will announce plans this week to introduce counselling care of the job centre in an attempt to get people back to work, reports The Guardian (4 December 2009).

With six million adults in the UK suffering from depression and anxiety, the initiative will use therapy (predominantly CBT) to get people off incapacity benefit and back into paid employment.

Those referred to CBT clinics will receive eight sessions. Approximately 40% of long-term sickness benefit are diagnosed with depression.

For more stories about counselling, psychotherapy and mental health, please visit TherapyMe.com and click on In the News.

News: Divorcing couples to be offered counselling on the NHS - The Observer

2009-11-22T22:03:00.000Z

Couples that hit the rocks may be offered free counselling on the NHS the UK Health Secretary Andy Burnham will announce this week reports The Observer (22 November 2009).

Burnham comments: "Trouble at home can lead to depression and anxiety. Sometimes even children can be caught up in the fallout. When couples hit a rocky patch, a bit of help and support can stop it spiralling out of control. Professional support can help people rebuild relationships or separate amicably."

The NHS counselling will be launched in April 2010 as part of the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme that aims to get people back to work.

For more stories about counselling, psychotherapy and mental health please visit the news blog on TherapyMe.com.

News: Depression 'can double chances of becoming obese' - Telegraph

2009-10-07T22:14:00.002+01:00

People who suffer from anxiety or depression are 33% more likely to become obese according to research published in the British Medical Journal today, reports the Telegraph (7 October 2009). The research was conducted by University College London.

More news about psychotherapy, counselling and mental health at www.therapyme.com.

News: Daily sweets 'linked to violence' - BBC News

2009-10-01T20:43:00.001+01:00

Can eating sweets make you sour? Research from Cardiff University suggests a link between eating sweets daily as a child and violent crime in later life, as reported by BBC News (30 September 2009).

The UK study examined data of 17,500 people and found that 69% of people who were violent at the age of 34 had eaten confectionery on a daily basis during childhood.

Researcher Dr Simon Moore led the study: "Our favoured explanation is that giving children sweets and chocolate regularly may stop them learning how to wait to obtain something they want.

"Not being able to defer gratification may push them towards more impulsive behaviour, which is strongly associated with delinquency. Targeting resources at improving children's diet may improve health and reduce aggression. We are fairly confident that this is a realistic relationship - the key is explaining what the mechanism is behind this relationship. We think that rewarding bad behaviour in childhood with confectionary can lead to later problems but we need to look at this more closely."

More news about psychotherapy, counselling and mental health at www.therapyme.com.

News: Depressed people should get online counselling, study says - Telegraph

2009-08-22T13:40:00.001+01:00

Patients who received online counselling were more than two-and-a-half times more likely to recover from their mental health problems than those who received 'standard care' from their doctor, according to a study from Bristol University (reports the Telegraph, 21/8/09).

Following a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) approach, patients received one hour appointments online via instant messaging.

Commenting on the study, Dr David Kessler, a part-time GP and senior primary care researcher at Bristol University, said: "Maybe it is the writing things down that helps so much because you have to think more when you do this. It is like being in a chat room with your therapist. It would greatly improve access to therapists for people who are disabled, housebound or living in remote locations. And you don't have to be some whizzy computer geek to use it. Some of our patients were in their seventies although the average age of people with depression is surprisingly young – around the 30s and 40s mark."

Nearly 300 patients took part in the study.

For more news stories about counselling, psychotherapy and mental health, please visit TherapyMe.com.

News: New strategy to bolster mental health care - The Independent

2009-07-19T20:52:00.001+01:00

The UK Government is set to announce a policy shake-up that emphasizes the importance of preventing mental health problems, according to this article in The Independent (19 July 2009).

The newspaper quotes Louis Appleby, the Government's 'mental health tszar': "While specialist services for people with schizophrenia, dementia and other mental health problems are, of course, vital, prevention has got to be better than cure. We know there are particular groups such as children [in care] who are particularly vulnerable but this is not just about illness. For the first time we will focus attention on improving everyone's emotional resilience as individuals, families, communities and employers can all benefit from strong mental health. Like good education, good mental health is a stepping stone for a whole range of positive outcomes in adult life which benefit individuals, the welfare system, the health service and the criminal justice system."

For more stories about psychotherapy, counselling and mental health you can visit www.therapyme.com.

News: Self-help 'makes you feel worse' - BBC News

2009-07-05T09:44:00.001+01:00

Some self-help books can make you feel worse according to research published by the University of Waterloo and the University of New Brunswick in Canada. Repeating positive statements (or mantras) such as "I am a lovable person" made people with low self-esteem feel even worse about themselves although people with high self-esteem responded well. The study was published in the journal Psychological Science.

This BBC story (3 July 2009) takes a look at the history of the self help industry when Samuel Smiles published his book Self Help 150 years ago. It include a playful feature: Self help Victorian style.

For more news stories about counselling, psychotherapy and mental health, you can visit TherapyMe.com.

News: Divorcees and widows 'face three times the risk of Alzheimer's' - Telegraph

2009-07-05T09:31:00.000+01:00

Research conducted by the Karolinska Institute in Sweden found that those people who lived alone in middle age doubled the risk of Alzeheimer's, and the risk was even higher for those who were divorced or widowed.

Reporting on the study published in the British Medical Journal, The Telegraph (3 July 2009) quotes Dr Susanne Sorensen of the Alzheimer's Society: "Evidence suggests that remaining socially active may reduce your risk of dementia and living with someone is certainly a good way of doing this.

"Other lifestyle factors associated with living together may also help reduce your risk. However, single people shouldn't worry - there are many other ways to reduce your risk of dementia. The best evidence is around eating a Mediterranean diet, exercising regularly, and getting your cholesterol and blood pressure checked regularly."

You can read more stories related to counselling, psychotherapy and mental health at TherapyMe.com.

News: Prozac use up 25 per cent in recession depression - The Mirror

2009-06-22T15:16:00.001+01:00

Prescriptions in the UK for Prozac and other antidepressants have increased by nearly 25% in the last five years.

Last year, doctors wrote 2.1 million more prescriptions for antidepressants in the wake of the credit crunch.

Philip Hodson, from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, is quoted in this piece in The Mirror (22 June 2009): "Depression can be caused by unacceptable change happening at an unacceptable rate. For some, too much change can be paralysing. Pills have a role, but play better with some people than others."

Victoria Walsh, from mental health charity Rethink, adds: "We are seeing people who have been high fliers and now find life without their jobs overwhelming."

The Guardian also covers this story.

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News: Attitudes to mental illness 'changing for the better' - Guardian

2009-06-13T20:47:00.003+01:00

This piece in the Guardian (12 June 2009) reports on research from the UK government's Department for Health which found a favourable shift in the way people regarded mental illness. When questioned 73% of people felt that people with mental health problems should have the same employment rights as other people - an increase of 7% compared to last year.

Some ignorance about mental health still persists according to Paul Corry from Rethink who comments: "One in five people still believe that anyone with a history of mental health problems should be excluded from taking public office. This is a shocking statistic on the eve of a general election which will be fought against the background of politicians from all parties being seen as out of touch with voters. If we as voters really want politicians to reflect the constituents they serve, we need to change our attitudes and open up parliament to the one in four people with mental health problems who will think twice before standing and coming out about their experiences."

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News: Men with depression 'failing to ask for help' during recession - Telegraph

2009-05-12T23:33:00.002+01:00

Men are much less likely than women to be diagnosed with mental illness because they feel embarrassed about asking for help, according to UK mental health charity, Mind.

This Telegraph (11 May 2009) story refers to the YouGov survey of 2,055 adults in the UK. The research reveals that the top concern for men is job security.

Paul Farmer, Mind's CEO, is quoted: "The recession is clearly having a detrimental impact on the nation's mental health but men in particular are struggling with the emotional impact. Being a breadwinner is something that is still crucial to the male psyche so if a man loses his job he loses a large part of his identity putting his mental wellbeing in jeopardy.

"The problem is that too many men wrongly believe that admitting mental distress makes them weak and this kind of self stigma can cost lives. At this time, it's really important that it's as easy as possible for men to find the help they need."

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News: State must stay out of psychotherapy - The Guardian

2009-04-21T18:18:00.001+01:00

Opposition to the UK Government's plans to regulate talking therapies is gathering pace. A letter published in The Guardian (9th April 2009) from the Coalition Against Over-Regulation of Psychotherapy has been signed by a host of well known names including Hanif Kureishi, Susie Orbach, Oliver James, Tracey Emin, Will Self and Alain de Botton.

The letter reads:

"Under new government proposals, psychoanalysis and the talking therapies will be regulated by the State under the Health Professions Council. We the undersigned wish to register our protest and disagreement with this initiative. Psychoanalysis is a private conversation between adults, and the proposed regulations threaten to limit the basic human right to freedom of speech. Each individual should have the freedom to choose the therapist they wish to consult, without the State dictating who is legitimate and who is not.

"The new proposals have shown a serious and bizarre misunderstanding of the nature of talking therapy. They see it as a definable technique to be applied with predictable outcomes. Yet the key to talking therapies is the nature of the relationship between the parties rather than the performance of any particular procedure. Analytic work involves an open-ended relationship, where results may emerge that were never predicted or even thought of beforehand. The proposed regulation leaves no room for the unknown, as if the solution to each person's problems were known in advance: therapist and patient will be expected to adhere to a clear predetermined agenda. Government intervention thus threatens the very foundation of analytic work, compromising both its creativity and authenticity.

"The new regulations proposed for the talking therapies - which include 451 rules for the analytic session - would effectively make it impossible to practice psychoanalysis and many other forms of therapy in the way they have been practiced for the last hundred years. The Health Professions Council plans a public campaign to discredit those practitioners whose own practice and ethical code would not allow them to sign up to its market-led vision of therapy and normality."

"The main reason given for the regulatory project is protection of the public. Yet all analytic and therapy organisations already have stringent codes of ethics and practice, as well as complaints procedures. Replacing these with an inherently unsuited model of healthcare will destroy the growth and vitality of the field for both therapists and those who consult them. We urge an alternative model, like that adopted in other countries, where government intervention is limited to the requirement that all therapists join a register which is administered by an independent professional body, giving full details of their training and affiliations. This would enable members of the public to make their own informed choice rather than having politicians make it for them."

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News: One in six therapists 'has tried to cure homosexuals' - Telegraph

2009-03-28T16:30:00.000Z

The Telegraph (25 March 2009), like many other media outlets, jumped on this story about a "significant minority" of mental health professionals who said they had tried to help their clients change their sexual orientation.

The research conducted by Annie Bartlett, Glenn Smith and Michael King is published in the open access journal, BMC Psychiatry (26 March 2009). Surveying 1400 healthcare professionals, 17% reported treating clients to help them reduce or change their homosexual or lesbian feelings.

Quoted in the Telegraph, Professor Michael King, of University College London, said: "There is very little evidence to show that attempting to treat a person's homosexual feelings is effective and in fact it can actually be harmful. So it is surprising that a significant minority of practitioners still offer this help to their clients. The best approach is to help people adjust to their situation, to value them as people and show them that there is nothing whatever pathological about their sexual orientation.

"Both mental health practitioners and society at large must help them to confront prejudice in themselves and in others."

News: Cash for 'recession depression' - BBC News

2009-03-10T10:18:00.000Z

The UK Government has announced an extra £13million to help people who experience mental health problems during the recession.

The BBC News story (8 March 2009) quotes Paul Farmer, chief executive of mental health charity Mind: "Redundancy and money worries put strain on family relationships, cause sleepless nights, trigger stress and increase the risk of developing depression. When it comes to the scale of the current recession we are in uncharted territory about how many people could be affected.

"We must learn from the mistakes of past recessions where people lost their job, their confidence and their self esteem leaving them unable to return to the workforce."

News: Stroke post-traumatic stress risk - BBC News

2009-02-25T17:42:00.000Z

UK researchers say stroke victims are at risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The team of researchers from Durham University, James Cook University Hospital in Middlesborough, and Newcastle General Hospital assessed patients 13 months after suffering a subarachnoid haemorrhage.

More than a third of those who took part in the research reported flashbacks and painful memories of when their brain haemorrhage occurred.

Professor Allan House of the Stroke Association said: "Doctors do realise this type of stroke is stressful for the patient, but they do not always ask the patient about anxiety and depression. Someone needs to. Some patients undoubtedly have PTSD, while others might have depression or anxiety after a subarachnoid haemorrhage and it is understandable why."

Researchers say PTSD is under reported because clinicians focus more on physical recovery.

News: Survey reveals depressed youths - BBC News

2009-01-05T18:34:00.000Z

A survey by The Prince's Trust found that one in 10 young people in Scotland are wrestling with depression. Nine per cent of young people who answered the survey said life was not worth living.

BBC News (5 January 2009) quotes Peter Kellner of YouGov, who conducted the research: "Most young people have a positive outlook on life, but the Youth Index reveals a significant core of unhappy people aged under 25.

"Their concerns need to be addressed, and not only for the sake of the youngsters themselves; for if we ignore their concerns, we shall be storing up big problems for the future."

The survey results found that 23% of respondents said they were 'often' or 'always' down or depressed and 48% said they were regularly stressed.

Geraldine Gammell, director of the Prince's Trust Scotland, comments: "This is an increasingly vulnerable generation. There has never been a greater need for programmes which help steer young people away from false support systems such as gangs, drugs and alcohol, whilst giving them new direction."

News: Psychiatrists Revise the Book of Human Troubles - New York Times

2009-01-04T11:17:00.001Z

The American Psychiatric Association are working on the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V). This article in the New York Times (17 December 2008) highlights the challenge of defining and classifying mental illnesses such as obsessive compulsive disorder, binge eating, Asperger's syndrome, high-functioning autism and bipolar disorder amongst others.

Contributors to the DSM-V have been asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Amendments to the book are often hotly debated and contentious. The previous edition sold more than 830,000 copies.

News: Counselling doubles chances of surviving breast cancer by cutting stress levels - Telegraph

2008-11-21T23:15:00.002Z

Researchers from Ohio State University found that attending fortnightly counselling groups helped women with breast cancer.

This Telegraph article (18 November 2008) reports on the study from the Comprehensive Cancer Centre which found that interventions boosted survival rates for breast cancer patients.

Barbara Andersen, who led the research, comments: "The results suggest that we can help breast cancer patients make positive steps that may help them live longer. Many of the strategies learned in the intervention programme, such as stress reduction, may have had benefits against heart disease and other causes of death."

You can find out more about this research by visiting the press pages for the Ohio State University.

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News: Binge-drinkers 'risking dementia' - BBC News

2008-11-01T08:54:00.001Z

Britain could be heading for a dementia epidemic following a doubling of alcohol consumption since the 1960s, warns this BBC News article (1 November 2008).

Reporting on research published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, Alcohol-related dementia: a 21st-century silent epidemic, the BBC piece quotes Dr Susanne Sorensen, of the Alzheimer's Society: "Binge drinkers hitting the town on a Saturday night are becoming a familiar sight, but we don't yet understand how it will affect the numbers of people with dementia."

"As drinking habits change, it is vital we understand more about the relationship between alcohol and this devastating condition."

The research authors, Dr Susham Gupta and Dr James Warner, comment: "Given the neurotoxic effects of alcohol and the inexorable increase in per capita consumption, future generations may see a disproportionate increase in alcohol-related dementia."

News: This is the age of paranoia, scientists say - Telegraph

2008-10-20T22:33:00.001+01:00

Who are you calling paranoid? One in four of us regularly has paranoid thoughts, according to research from the Institute of Psychiatry. The Telegraph (20 October 2008) article quotes Dr Daniel Freeman from King's College London: "Social isolation, a frequent drawback to urban life, is closely associated with paranoid thoughts. In the UK nearly four times as many people live alone than 50 years ago. Increasing paranoia is certainly one more challenge posed by galloping urbanisation."

News: Long-term psychotherapy is superior, study finds - Los Angeles Times

2008-10-07T23:23:00.001+01:00

Long-term psychotherapy is more effective than short-term therapy when treating complicated conditions, according to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (1 October 2008).

The LA Times (30 September 2008) quotes the JAMA editor, Richard M. Glass, who comments upon the the report's positive findings: "It is ironic and disturbing that this occurs at a time when provision of psychotherapy by psychiatrists in the United States is declining significantly. The reasons for this merit careful evaluation. To some extent this may reflect the cost-efficacy of treatments for some mental disorders with medications and brief supportive visits. However, this trend appears to be strongly related to financial incentives and other pressures to minimize costs. Is this what is really wanted for patients with disabling disorders that could respond to more intensive treatment?"

His point is well made.

News: The therapist will ring you now - Los Angeles Times

2008-09-28T23:08:00.000+01:00

This LA Times article (22 September 2008) refers to a study from Northwestern University which found that people with depression continued seeing their telephone counsellor for longer than those who consulted an office-based therapist.

The study's author, David Mohr, comments that only 20% of those people who say they want therapy actually turn up and 50% drop out of treatment: "One of the symptoms of depression is people lose motivation. It's hard for them to do the things they are supposed to do. Showing up for appointments is one of those things."

It's not clear from this article whether the study measures efficacy. The fact that people remained with treatment for longer via telephone does not necessarily equate with clinical effectiveness of course, although it's interesting to see how the therapy world is changing to accommodate client need.

News: A quick fix for the soul - Guardian

2008-09-09T22:43:00.002+01:00

Darian Leader writes an interesting piece for the The Guardian (9/9/08) about the UK government's concentration on cognitive behavioural therapy.

He writes: "Unlike CBT, traditional therapies do not aim to give access to a common, scientific reality but to take the patient's own reality seriously: to explore it, to define it, to elaborate it and to see where it will go. No outcome can be predicted in advance: the patient may go back to work but equally they may give up a well-paid job to pursue another path."

News: Older fathers linked with bipolar - BBC News

2008-09-02T17:10:00.003+01:00

A Swedish study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry (Vol. 65, No. 9, September 2008) suggests a link between paternal age and bipolar disorder (BPD).

Older fathers are more likely to have children with BPD than younger fathers.

The study prompts a news item on the BBC News website (1 September 2008). BPD affects half a million people in the United Kingdom.

News: Medical trials explore benefits of hallucinogenic drugs to patients with terminal illnesses - Guardian

2008-08-25T08:56:00.001+01:00

Scientists in Switzerland are exploring how psychedelic drugs may be used to treat the likes of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression. The Guardian (12 August 2008) report provides an interesting video clip from Pamela Sakuda who took part in another study, where people with terminal illness were given psilocybin, a chemical substance found in magic mushrooms.

Vanda Taylor of Cancer Research UK is quoted in the Daily Mail: "Research into the use of a variety of drugs to help with pain, anxiety and quality of life, may lead to better treatments and help patients cope better with their illness."

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News: Move over Freud: Psychiatrists embrace pill power - Reuters

2008-08-07T10:46:00.002+01:00

Could financial considerations be getting in the way of appropriate psychiatric care? Office-based psychiatrists in the United States are increasingly turning to pills for a quick fix replacement for psychotherapy, according to research published in the Archives of General Psychiatry (and reported by Reuters, 4 August 2008 and the LA Times, 5 August 2008).

Comparing the percentage of patients who received psychotherapy in 2004-2005 and 1996-1997, researchers discovered a fall of 15.5%.

Dr Ramin Mojtabai, of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, who conducted the research whilst at the Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, comments: "Psychiatrists get more for three, 15-minute medication management visits than for one 45 minute psychotherapy visit."

Commenting on the research, Dr Eric Plakun, of the American Psychiatric Association, voiced concerns: "I'm worried about our patients. Patients need the best help we can give them...If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail."

News: Mental illness sufferers barred from Olympics - Stuff

2008-08-07T10:37:00.002+01:00

People suffering from mental illness are banned from entering China, according to a report on the Stuff website (7 August 2008).

In New Zealand, the Foundation for Mental Health has urged the Chinese government to change their policy.

The Foundation's chief executive, Judi Clements, comments: "The Olympic spirit is all about taking part. It is a cruel blow for sportspeople and spectators to be excluded purely because they experience mental illness, which affects around one in five people in New Zealand alone."

You can read the Foundation's press release on their website.

News: Genes for schizophrenia uncovered - BBC News

2008-07-30T19:54:00.004+01:00

Genetic mutations may increase the likelihood of schizophrenia, according to findings from three research projects published in Nature (30/7/08) and Nature Genetics. Research suggests the risk of schizophrenia is influenced by genetic make-up although scientists believe they are a long way off from really understanding the causes of the condition.

The BBC report (30/7/08) quotes Professor Michael O'Donovan of Cardiff University School of Medicine: "It's very dangerous to say never, but to me, there are so many genes involved, that the idea of predicting whether someone will develop schizophrenia doesn't seem to me very likely."

Quoted also in The Independent (31/7/08), Professor O'Donovan comments: "These findings are impressive leaps towards understanding the origins of schizophrenia. But since only a small amount of the genetic risk of schizophrenia has been accounted for, they are not ready to be applied to genetic testing, an area that has seen fierce controversy as a number of biotech companies have begun offering genetic tests for psychiatric disorders."

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News: National schizophrenia awareness week launched - Irish Times

2008-07-22T23:26:00.001+01:00

Access to talking therapies should be improved in Ireland, says John Saunders, director of Schizophrenia Ireland.

He tells the Irish Times (22/7/08) that provision for counselling and psychotherapy across the country is inconsistent.

Launching National Schizophrenia Awareness Week, John Saunders comments: "The demand for psychological and social therapies and the evidence for their effectiveness has been growing in recent years, and the consensus among users and service providers is that they should be regarded as a routine component of basic mental healthcare services."

News: Therapy requires the right type of regulation - Times Online

2008-07-20T13:58:00.002+01:00

A recent article in The Times about the UK government's intention to regulate the psychotherapy and counselling industry provokes contributions to the letters page (18/7/08).

Andrew Samuels, of the Centre for Psychoanalytic Studies at Essex University, says it's time for the government to rethink how it conducts its review.

He concedes that psychotherapists may have brought this on themselves: "We psychotherapists probably do have ourselves to blame for not presenting ourselves well. Caught between unnecessary mystification and bogus science, ravaged by ideological splits and the narcissism of small differences, a profession seemingly open to anyone to practise — it can seem to those who don’t follow these things closely that it has become only too necessary for the Government to act. But the total shambles of the exercises being carried out by Skills for Health and the Health Professions Council mean that it is timely to call a halt."

News: MPs reveal mental health problems - BBC News

2008-07-16T13:43:00.000+01:00

Nearly one-fifth of UK MPs have experienced some form of mental health problem, according to a survey published by the All-Party Parliamentary Group of Mental Health.

Widely reported in the press today (16/7/08), this piece on the BBC website quotes joint chairman and Liberal Democrat MP Sandra Gidley: "Greater openness at Westminster about mental health problems would have a significant impact in challenging stigma and discrimination.

"When the former Norwegian prime minister Kjell Magne Bondevik publicly disclosed his experience of depression, it did not affect his popularity.

"He went on to be re-elected and proved that people who have experienced mental health problems can recover and manage a challenging job."

News: Can you regulate psychotherapy? - Times

2008-07-16T08:03:00.000+01:00

Andrew Billen for The Times (15/7/08) looks at the UK government's plans to regulate psychotherapy.

The clamour of comment from the industry suggests an uneasy ride towards regulation.

News: Giving up alcohol can lead to depression - Telegraph

2008-07-12T09:35:00.000+01:00

Abruptly giving up alcohol may be linked to depression, according to a study from the University of North Carolina.

Lucy Cockroft's piece in the Telegraph (10 July 2008) quotes Professor Clyde Hodge: "Our work establishes a link between abstinence from alcohol drinking and depression. In mice that voluntarily drank alcohol for 28 days, depression-like behaviour was evident 14 days after termination of alcohol drinking.

"This suggests that people who stop drinking may experience negative mood states days or weeks after the alcohol has cleared their systems. This research provides the first evidence that long-term abstinence from moderate alcohol drinking leads to a negative mood state, depression."

The academic study - Abstinence following Alcohol Drinking Produces Depression-Like Behavior and Reduced Hippocampal Neurogenesis in Mice - can be found on nature.com.

An easier read can be found on the NHS Choices site.

News: The pursuit of happiness: it's good to talk... or is it? - Independent

2008-07-12T09:25:00.000+01:00

The Independent (8 July 2008) reports on the conference of the World Association for Person Centred and Experiential Psychotherapy and Counselling held at the University of East Anglia earlier this week.

The UK government's support of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) over other forms of therapy received criticism.

Professor Mick Cooper, from the University of Strathclyde, released a statement on behalf a group of therapists: "It is scientifically irresponsible to continue to imply and act as though CBT is more effective, as has been done in justifying the expenditure of £173m to train CBT therapists throughout England. Such claims harm the public by restricting patient choice and discourage some psychologically distressed people from seeking treatment. We urge our CBT colleagues and Government officials to refrain from acting on this harmful myth and to broaden the scope of access to include other effective forms of psychotherapy and counselling."

CBT is certainly the flavour of the day as far as government policy is concerned, with UK Health Secretary, Alan Johnson, promising an extra 3,600 CBT therapists from 2010. CBT therapy tends to be short term with the emphasis on changing negative thoughts and behaviour.

Many psychotherapists and counsellors recognise the effectiveness of CBT for addressing specific problems but are concerned about its limited scope.

The UK government's increased funding for psychological services is welcomed but does the concentration on CBT rob clients of longer-term gains through other forms of therapy?

See also the Independent leader piece.

News: Skunk 'psychosis risk' warning - BBC News

2008-07-02T22:33:00.000+01:00

A study of 300 people found that those who suffered an episode of psychosis were 18 times more likely to have used skunk rather than other users of cannabis.

Dr Maria Di Forte of the Institute of Psychiatry, London, conducted the study. She comments: "We should take a cannabis history in a more detailed way like we do when we take a history of cigarette smoking to establish risk of lung cancer. But it would be naive to say that smoking a joint is safe as we do not have enough data to reach such conclusion."

Skunk is three times stronger than other types of cannabis. Other research points to the possibility of a link between schizophrenia and cannabis use.

The BBC News piece (2 July 2008) quotes Richard Colwill from SANE, the mental health charity: "We have daily evidence that it can trigger frightening psychotic episodes, relapse, and in some cases a life-long mental condition such as schizophrenia."

News: Psychiatric patients 'feel lost and unsafe' - The Observer

2008-06-29T11:07:00.001+01:00

The comments of Professor Dinesh Bhurga, the new president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, have provoked a stream of articles in The Observer (29 June 2008).

Many in-patient units are overcrowded, uninhabitable and unsafe he says: "I would not use them and neither would I let any of my relatives do so."

"You don't go into hospital to get hurt, but that's what's happening. There are too many wards that are not safe, which is the one thing these most vulnerable of people should be able to rely on them to be. We would not accept these conditions, any of these conditions, in surgical wards so why is it happening in psychiatric wards?"

Other articles worth a read in The Observer today include:

* The mental health units that shame the NHS
* Mental illness must be taken from the shadows (Editorial)
* 'I decided I'd rather die than go back into that ward' (Personal account)
* 'People need a feeling of safety in their place of refuge' (Interview with Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of mental health charity, Sane)

News: Antenatal blues 'hit development' - BBC News

2008-06-27T07:54:00.000+01:00

Children born to women who have experienced depression during pregnancy face an increased chance of delays in their cognitive development, according to research from Bristol University and the University of West England.

The BBC News (26 June 2008) site quotes Dr Toity Deave of the University of West England: "The most important finding is that maternal antenatal depression has a negative impact on children's cognitive development, even when postnatal depression has been taken into account."

In the Daily Mail, Professor Philip Steer, the editor in chief of the International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, comments: "Maternal depression has a significant impact on women and their families. It is essential for doctors, midwives and other healthcare professionals to play an active role in assessing and identifying it."

News: Net addicts skip meals and sex in favour of porn and games - Pink News

2008-06-23T23:02:00.000+01:00

Addicted to the net? You're not the only one. This piece in Pink News (23 June 2008) reports on a recent article in the American Journal of Psychiatry, where Dr Jerald Block, of Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, says adults are becoming addicted to using the web: "It's much more acceptable for kids to talk about game use, whereas adults keep it a secret. Rather than having sex, or arguing with their wife or husband, or feeding their children, these adults are playing games.

"They exhaust emotions that they could experience in the real world on the computer through any number of mechanisms: emailing, gaming, porn."

News: Dr Raj Persaud: from populist psychiatrist to plagiarist - Telegraph

2008-06-23T22:54:00.000+01:00

How quickly the media swarm spots a fallen soul. This article in the Telegraph (20 June 2008) explores Dr Raj Persaud's recent fall from grace "from populist psychiatrist to palgiarist".

News: Depression rife among family home carers - Herald Sun

2008-06-17T13:06:00.000+01:00

This piece in the Herald Sun (17 June 2008) reports on the Australian Institute of Family Studies research which suggests that many home carers are suffering from depression.

The Australian Government's Families Minister, Jenny Macklin is concerned that home carers could be "permanently marginalised" due to social isolation.

News: Media doctor admits to plagiarism - BBC News

2008-06-16T20:08:00.001+01:00

UK psychiatrist and broadcaster Raj Persaud has admitted plagiarising other people's work but he denies bringing his profession into disrepute, BBC News reports (16 June 2008).

The psychiatrist, who made a name for himself in the public eye on programmes like Richard and Judy, has faced accusations of plagiarism before.

The General Medical Council in Manchester hold regular fitness to practise hearings. A statement on their website reads: "The Panel will inquire into the allegation that Dr Persaud, whilst working as a Consultant Psychiatrist for the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust and holding an honorary post as a senior lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College, University if London, published a book which contained passages which were plagiarised from various sources.

"Further, it is alleged that Dr Persaud submitted a number of articles, portions of which were not his own work, copied and reproduced from other sources. It is alleged that Dr Persaud’s actions were inappropriate, misleading, dishonest and liable to bring the profession into disrepute."

The Times (17 June 2008) also cover this story.

News: Ruby Wax the shrink will see you now - The Times

2008-06-16T19:53:00.001+01:00

Ruby Wax, "the scarlet-lipped smartass", is interviewed in The Times (15 June 2008) about her new project, Ruby's Room, part of an online BBC series of films about mental health.

Ruby has been training to become a psychotherapist. In the piece she is asked about the difference between American and British neurosis. She comments: "The British don’t talk about them,” she says . “It’s a combination of anal retention and the stiff upper lip. Funny, they are both orifices. The British are in full denial of the fact that anything can be wrong."

News: Counselling should not be used immediately after traumatic events - The Times

2008-06-10T21:20:00.001+01:00

It's good to talk but should counselling really be regarded as an emergency service? This article in The Times (9 June 2008) by Penny Wark intelligently reviews the assumption that therapy should be the first port of call after a disaster occurs.

Phillip Hodson from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy is quoted in the piece: "Life is full of unavoidable unhappiness and if you think that you should be in a permanent state of euphoria, you have misread the dictionary. Being blue is not a reason to seek help. Probably one of the biggest errors the therapy movement made was to support uncritical trauma counselling in the past.

"[Counselling is] a reflective process, not an emergency service. You can't counsel someone who's raving or in extreme distress; you have to access not only empathy and emotion, but also reason. Counselling is more than dealing with immediate disaster."

Well worth a read. Also take a look at the BBC News story about the University of Buffalo research which prompted the piece.

News: 70 years later, Freud gets therapy college in Vienna - International Herald Tribune

2008-06-08T23:08:00.000+01:00

The Sigmund Freud University in Vienna claims to be the first university in the world to offer a psychotherapy degree, reports the International Herald Tribute (4 June 2008).

Alfred Pritz founder of the university says: "We're the first university worldwide to offer a complete psychotherapy degree, which Freud wrote about in 1928 as his great dream. We're realizing that now."

News: 'Gay counselling' call rejected - BBC News

2008-06-06T23:55:00.000+01:00

Iris Robinson, chair of the Stormont health committee in Northern Ireland, gets into a spot of bother following a local radio interview, BBC News reports (6 June 2008).

Her comments in an interview on BBC Radio Ulster appeared to be suggesting that gay people could receive counselling to 'turn them round'. The piece includes a link to an audio clip, where she says: "I have a very lovely psychiatrist who works with me in my offices and his Christian background is that he tries to help homosexuals - trying to turn away from what they are engaged in. I'm happy to put any homosexual in touch with this gentleman and I have met people who have turned around and become heterosexuals."

The Royal College of Psychiatrists were quick to release a press statement: "The Royal College of Psychiatrists holds the view that lesbian, gay and bisexual people should be regarded as valued members of society who have exactly similar rights and responsibilities as all other citizens. This includes equal access to health care, the rights and responsibilities involved in a civil partnership, the rights and responsibilities involved in procreating and bringing up children, freedom to practice a religion as a lay person or religious leader, freedom from harassment or discrimination in any sphere and a right to protection from therapies that are potentially damaging, particularly those that purport to change sexual orientation.

"In 1973 the American Psychiatric Association concluded there was no scientific evidence that homosexuality was a disorder and removed it from its diagnostic glossary of mental disorders. The International Classification of Diseases of the World Health Organisation followed suit in 1992.

"There is now a large body of research evidence that indicates that being gay, lesbian or bisexual is compatible with normal mental health and social adjustment. However, the experiences of discrimination in society and possible rejection by friends, families and others, such as employers, means that some lesbian, gay and bisexual people experience a greater than expected prevalence of mental health and substance misuse problems.

"Although there have been claims by conservative political groups in the USA that this higher prevalence of mental health difficulties is confirmation that homosexuality is itself a mental disorder, there is no evidence whatever to substantiate such a claim."

News: Sister fears for troubled Gazza - BBC News

2008-06-04T12:12:00.002+01:00

Former England footballer, Paul Gascoigne, has been sectioned under the Mental Health Act, the BBC News reports (4 June 2008).

His sister, Anna Gascoigne, is quoted in the piece: "He's been drinking, I believe, to escape, to get away, and it's been a vicious circle. I have feared for his life, especially I would say the last couple of weeks.

"It had literally gotten to the point where I was having to be with him constantly, to the point where I was taking him to hospital because I believed that he needed help."

Anna Gascoigne talked to ITV News and told them about her concern for his "dangerous mix" of depression and addiction.

News: Therapy for terrorists won't extinguish the hate - Telegraph

2008-06-04T11:44:00.001+01:00

Jan Moir writes in the Telegraph about the UK Home Office's £12.5 million investment in counselling services "in an attempt to stop extremism spreading".

It's a comment piece rather than a news article so the tone is pretty emphatic: "Offering counselling to religious fanatics is like putting a sticking plaster on a brain tumour."

News: People With ADHD Do One Month's Less Work Per Year, Study Finds - Science Daily

2008-05-30T21:53:00.001+01:00

More than 7,000 workers were screened for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for the WHO World Mental Health Survey. This article in Science Daily (28 May 2008) reports on the research findings: 3.5 per cent had an ADHD diagnosis. People with ADHD worked 22.1 less days than those people without ADHD.

This story is also covered by the BBC. In response to the research findings, Professor Philip Asherson, of the Institute of Psychiatry in London, said: "It's important that ADHD isn't stigmatised as many people with the condition can hold down jobs, or may be particularly good at certain tasks."

News: Peer group pressure is what ultimately forces people to quit smoking, say US researchers - ABC Australia

2008-05-29T14:23:00.000+01:00

Did you know it's World No Tobacco Day on Saturday (31 May 2008)?

Giving up addictions, whether it's alcohol, drugs or tobacco is never easy.

Researchers at Harvard University have found that peer group pressure, from friends, family and work colleagues helps smokers who want to stop. This article on the ABC website explores how group support (and pressure) helps smokers give up.

For more in-depth coverage of this report, try the New York Times.

The Harvard University Gazette Online is worth a read too. The title of David Cameron's piece sums it up nicely: Smoking is addictive, quitting is contagious.

News: Mental health bill 'will spiral' - BBC News

2008-05-28T22:49:00.000+01:00

Mental health costs in the UK are due to 'spiral' according to a report from the King's Fund. This BBC story quotes Niall Dickson of the King's Fund: "The fact that we are living longer is cause for celebration, but it will mean that the health and social care systems will have to cope with a dramatic increase in the number of people suffering from dementia."

The Paying the Price research reveals that mental illness in England cost £50 billion in 2007.

Co-author of the report, Professor Martin Knapp, is quoted on the King's Fund website: "We found that paying for more people to be treated would create net savings as reductions in lost employment costs would outweigh treatment costs. With a third of adults with depression and a half with anxiety disorders not in touch with services there is significant potential to treat more people with those illnesses and make savings because of the boost to the workforce. The problem is that the costs of care fall largely to the health service whereas the economic benefits mostly accrue elsewhere - to employers, the taxman, the benefits system and the criminal justice system. The government, the NHS, social services and employers need to extend efforts to help people with mental health needs who are of working age but not in employment to get back to work."

News: 'I've got kids who sleep with knives under their pillows' - Independent

2008-05-27T13:02:00.001+01:00

The Independent interview Camila Batmanghelidjh about Kids Company, an organisation she set up to offer practical and emotional support to vulnerable inner city children.

As news of yet another killing in London hits the headlines, this piece makes salutary reading.

Batmanghelidjh tells the Independent: "The most dangerous children are those who have experienced violence first-hand, behind closed doors. Other children, who have been well cared-for at home, can come across these very violent children and have to mimic their behaviour to protect themselves from it. It's those children who are more likely to be influenced by violence in films, video games and rap music."

"The fundamental issue is how much quality attachment you had to a parent figure as a child. If you have had good care as a child, you can survive almost anything. Emotional deprivation is a lethal weapon."

Batmanghelidjh has used her psychotherapy and counselling training to provide a much-needed resource for vulnerable children in London.

You can find out more about Kids Company by visiting their website.

News: Experts now push for counselling of chaos victims - NationMedia

2008-05-24T21:11:00.003+01:00

Victims of Kenya's post election violence should be given counselling, according to Dr Gladys Mwiti, CEO of Oasis Africa. As people return to their homes, where they witnessed horrendous scenes of violence, they may need support to cope with after effects of trauma. "If all these people are not assisted to heal, the hatred witnessed in January could be rekindled. That is why providing food for the body and ignoring the soul for emotional healing is not wholly helpful," she told NationMedia.

News: Soldiers with combat experience wanted as counsellors and therapists - Canadian Press

2008-05-23T23:42:00.001+01:00

The Canadian Defence Department is launching a pilot scheme to encourage soldiers to take up 'mental-health counselling' the Canadian Press reports (23 May 2008).

The Canadian government has allocated $98 million to improve post-traumatic care for soldiers returning from the battlefields of Afghanistan.

News: Boffins sound exam cheat warning on brain enhancing pills - The Register

2008-05-22T18:13:00.000+01:00

The Brain Science, Addiction and Drugs report from the Academy of Medical Sciences has been covered by most of the UK papers today (22/5/08).

Professor Sir Gabriel Horn warns: "The use of psychoactive drugs by patients and healthy individuals will become an increasing feature in all our lives. Society must be prepared to respond to these developments. We must act now to harness the opportunities offered by advances in brain science to treat and prevent disease, but also to reduce the harms associated with drug misuse and addiction."

Links: The Register, BBC News, Guardian

News: China sends 800,000 counselling books to child quake survivors - China View

2008-05-21T17:37:00.003+01:00

The China View site reports (20 May 2008) on the Chinese government's actions to help those affected by last week's devastating earthquake in Sichuan, which resulted in the death of more than 40,000 people. Five million people have been left homeless following the quake.

News: Boozed-up boy, ten, is given drink counselling - Evening News

2008-05-21T17:23:00.002+01:00

A ten-year-old boy has been referred for counselling after being picked up by police in South Edinburgh, the Evening News reports (20 May 2008).

Police have been working with the NCH children's charity to help children who have become habitual alcohol users.

Ian Murray, from the local council, is quoted as saying: "The referral system has been hugely successful, and it's good that the police are doing something about this. But a ten-year-old [being referred] is utterly extraordinary – this child will have gone to alcohol counselling, which is severe. It's a worry for everyone, but these are the extreme cases. There is still an issue with underage drinking in south Edinburgh. The vast majority of youngsters who drink get their alcohol from off-licences, get someone to buy them it, or get it from their parents."

News: Silvio Berlusconi 'needs counselling over his bad attitude to women' - Telegraph

2008-05-20T08:39:00.001+01:00

Spanish equality minister Bibiana Aido offers advice to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, as reported in the Telegraph (20 May 2008). Berlusconi had previously commented that the Spanish government was 'too pink' with nine women appointed to cabinet roles.

News: Victims of rape turn to web for help - ABC News

2008-05-19T12:47:00.001+01:00

Emily Friedman, for ABC News, reports on the increasing number of women turning to the web for support when they have suffered a sexual assault. Young women who have been raped are looking for online support says the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN).

The news story, also featured in USA Today, highlights RAINN's new online support line.

Scott Berkowitz, president of RAINN, comments: "The National Sexual Assault Online Hotline provides the services these young victims need, using the technology they embrace. The Online Hotline provides a safe way to begin recovery by using extensive security measures to guarantee that the visitor remains completely anonymous."

News: 'Stiff upper lip' culture blamed as British men top Euro depression league - Mail on Sunday

2008-05-18T15:40:00.001+01:00

This news piece in the Mail on Sunday (1 May 2008) marks the publication of a study in the British Journal of Psychiatry that found that men are most likely to suffer depression between the ages of 30 and 50, and panic attacks most frequently occur between the ages of 40 and 50. Males in the UK were more likely to experience depression and panic attacks than in the five other countries included in the study.

News: Why men are telling wives 'not tonight' - The Observer

2008-05-18T15:24:00.001+01:00

Marriage counsellors from Relate report a 40% increase in men who say they can't be bothered to have sex. Although a headline grabber, this news piece in The Observer (4 May 2008) doesn't explore in depth why this situation has occurred. Professor Michael King of the Royal Free and University College Medical School in London says the reported drop in male libido could be due to depression. Professor Cary Cooper at Lancaster University says men "are less emotionally intelligent than women" and they have less social support to be able to work through emotional difficulties.

News: Why are women better than men at dealing with redundancy? - The Guardian

2008-05-18T15:11:00.001+01:00

In these unsettled economic times following the so-called 'credit crunch', it's likely that some firms will be laying people off. In this article in the Guardian (19 April 2008), Laura Marcus reviews a piece of research conducted a few years ago, which suggested that women are better than men at coping with redundancy.

Philip Hodson of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy is quoted in the piece: "It is a generalisation, and many women are breadwinners, but I do think more often than not a man's career is central to his identity. Men are more invested in work status - perks, cars, titles, privileges - so losing these things can be devastating."

Our work and personal identities are not conveniently separate entities even though they may feel like two different worlds. Redundancy and other 'life shock' events can throw us off course, leaving us feeling vulnerable and rudderless.

There's an old article on the BBC website called Coping With Redundancy, which may be worth a read.

News: Teens using marijuana to 'self medicate' for depression risk more serious mental illness - ONDCP

2008-05-18T00:19:00.001+01:00

On Wednesday, 9 May 2008, the US Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) published its report on teenage marijuana use.

The press release makes gloomy reading:

"The new report, "Teen Marijuana Use Worsens Depression: An Analysis of Recent Data Shows 'Self-Medicating' Could Actually Make Things Worse," shows the following:

* Teens who smoke marijuana at least once a month are three times more likely to have suicidal thoughts than non-users;
* Using marijuana can cause depression and other mental illnesses;
* The percentage of depressed teens is equal to the percentage of depressed adults, but depressed teens are more likely than depressed adults to use marijuana and other illicit drugs;
* Teen girls who use marijuana daily are more likely to develop depression than girls who do not use marijuana;
* Depressed teens are also more likely than non-depressed teens to engage in other risky behaviors such as daily cigarette use and heavy alcohol use."

The Talk to Frank website is a good UK resource with lots of background information about the effects and risks of drug use.

News: Can talking make you better - New Statesman

2008-05-15T13:32:00.000+01:00

Simon Wessely, of the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London, writes about the UK Government's 'therapy of choice', CBT. This article in the New Statesman suggests that 'CBT does not cure cancer, schizophrenia or arthritis, but it does improve mood, coping and quality of life.'

He comments that there is a good evidence base for supporting the use of CBT. Of course, other talking therapies, that take a more holistic approach, don't tend to favour the randomised controlled trials approach, which has its roots (some would argue) in the commercial considerations of the pharmaceutical industry. Within the psychotherapy community, there is a preponderance of heated discussions about the efficacy of one type of therapy over another.

News: Talk Therapy Proves Effective for Terminal Cancer Patients - Washington Post

2008-05-15T00:04:00.000+01:00

This Washington Post article is about research suggesting that talking therapy is effective in treating depression in patients with terminal cancer. Japanese researchers consulted six studies featuring interviews with 517 patients.

News: Ecstasy is the key to treating PTSD - Times Online

2008-05-14T23:52:00.000+01:00

An interesting news feature from The Times about how a South Carolina psychiatrist is using the club drug, Ecstacy, to help people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. For a more academic treatment about the possible therapeutic use of MDMA, see AC Parrot's work Psychopharmacology.

News: Banks urged to ease debt worries of people with mental health problems - Society Guardian

2008-05-14T23:33:00.000+01:00

Mental health charity, Mind, surveyed 1,800 people about the impact of financial worries on their mental health. A good overview of this research has been written by Society Guardian journalist, Mary O'Hara. The Mind report reveals that people with mental health problems are three times more like to be in debt compared to the national average. You can see more about the In the Red report on the Mind website.

News: Rise of a treatment that works

2008-05-14T15:53:00.000+01:00

This article in the Guardian explores the UK Government's plans to improve access to psychological therapy within the NHS. With a bias on promoting cognitive behavioural therapy, there is much debate amongst psychotherapy and counselling professionals about whether the plans are well formed.

News: Does sex addiction exist?

2008-05-14T14:24:00.000+01:00

Addictive behaviours can ruin lives. This magazine piece on the BBC website makes interesting reading.

News: 1 in 12 American Teens May Suffer from Depression

2008-05-14T14:21:00.000+01:00

Concerning statistics about teen depression in America have just been published - see PsychCentral. In the UK we have 11 million children with an estimated 1.1 million children experiencing mental health issues according to the Office of National Statistics. Did you know that 80% of youngsters who display behavioural problems by the age of five go on to develop other anti-social behaviours as adults.

News: Sick days in the UK costs billions of pounds

2008-05-14T14:19:00.000+01:00

This survey from the CBI reveals that companies are paying out on average £476 per employee for sick days. Public sector workers take more sick days than private sector workers. Bare-bones research like this hides the real human story of how work stress is affecting us all.

News: Ex-Monty Python John Cleese's divorce 'worth every penny'

2008-05-14T14:10:00.000+01:00

This news item in the Telegraph highlights some of the obvious costs to divorce, which John Cleese typically greets with humour. Emotionally divorce presents a huge life change for both parties, leading to a sense of new-found freedom for some and deep loneliness for others. Therapy can be useful in negotiating this transition.