Link Minds, Like Mine TV ad (WMV format)
We are featuring the second of three TV Ads developed in New Zealand by the Link Minds, Like Mine programme. This highly successful anti discrimination programme has been very effective in presenting to the people of New Zealand how mental health problems affect many of our neighbors and friends. You can see the first of the three ads about Lana on our IIMHL website. It may take sometime to download this file especially if you are not using a DSL line.
Monday, May 24, 2004
Study Reveals Hidden Cost of Depression: Large Amounts of Extra Help for Depressed Seniors
Ascribe Newswire story reprinted at PsycPORT - "A new study reveals that depression among senior citizens carries a huge unrecognized cost: many extra hours of unpaid help with everyday activities, delivered by the depressed seniors' spouses, adult children and friends. Even moderately depressed seniors, the University of Michigan study finds, require far more hours of care than those without any symptoms of depression, regardless of other health problems they may have."
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Ascribe Newswire story reprinted at PsycPORT - "A new study reveals that depression among senior citizens carries a huge unrecognized cost: many extra hours of unpaid help with everyday activities, delivered by the depressed seniors' spouses, adult children and friends. Even moderately depressed seniors, the University of Michigan study finds, require far more hours of care than those without any symptoms of depression, regardless of other health problems they may have."
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Jailing the ill
Miami Herald story reprinted at PsycPORT on the "nationwide failure to care for the severely mentally ill, a situation created over the last 40 years by the closing of psychiatric hospitals in Florida and other states. Those institutions -- often bleak warehouses for the "insane" -- were supposed to be replaced by local treatment centers that would get patients functioning in the community. But mental health experts widely agree that the new system never received enough funding and has offered fragmented services at best. With the safety net frayed to threads, untold thousands of people suffering schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or major depression have gone untreated, often homeless and wandering the streets, unable to guide their unruly minds through the straight lines of society." See also Justice System: Jailing A Mental Patient Can Be Expensive from the same source.
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Miami Herald story reprinted at PsycPORT on the "nationwide failure to care for the severely mentally ill, a situation created over the last 40 years by the closing of psychiatric hospitals in Florida and other states. Those institutions -- often bleak warehouses for the "insane" -- were supposed to be replaced by local treatment centers that would get patients functioning in the community. But mental health experts widely agree that the new system never received enough funding and has offered fragmented services at best. With the safety net frayed to threads, untold thousands of people suffering schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or major depression have gone untreated, often homeless and wandering the streets, unable to guide their unruly minds through the straight lines of society." See also Justice System: Jailing A Mental Patient Can Be Expensive from the same source.
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World Health Organization asked to keep buprenorphine as a treatment option for heroin addiction
Article at aidsmap - "A group of activists and physicians has asked the World Health Organization (WHO) to prevent the proposed reclassification of buprenorphine as a narcotic. If successful, this will allow the use of the drug as a treatment for heroin addiction to continue, helping to curb the transmission of HIV through intravenous drug use. Buprenorphine can help heroin users to move from illicit substance use to recovery programmes by reducing craving and withdrawal symptoms and reducing the ‘high’ experienced after taking heroin. Unlike the similar drug methadone, which is used for the treatment of heroin addiction under restricted access, buprenorphine has a low abuse potential and can be given to patients in the primary care setting."
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Article at aidsmap - "A group of activists and physicians has asked the World Health Organization (WHO) to prevent the proposed reclassification of buprenorphine as a narcotic. If successful, this will allow the use of the drug as a treatment for heroin addiction to continue, helping to curb the transmission of HIV through intravenous drug use. Buprenorphine can help heroin users to move from illicit substance use to recovery programmes by reducing craving and withdrawal symptoms and reducing the ‘high’ experienced after taking heroin. Unlike the similar drug methadone, which is used for the treatment of heroin addiction under restricted access, buprenorphine has a low abuse potential and can be given to patients in the primary care setting."
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Behavior at Age 10 May Predict Later Depression
Reuters Health story at Yahoo - "A child's behavior during the preteen years may predict whether he or she will experience depression, violent behavior or social phobia as a young adult, new research findings suggest. In a decade-long study, the researchers collected data for 765 children between the ages of 10 and 11 years old. At follow-up, they found that those who reported fighting, stealing or other conduct problems were almost four times as likely as their more well-behaved peers to have experienced depression or violent behavior by 21 years old."
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Reuters Health story at Yahoo - "A child's behavior during the preteen years may predict whether he or she will experience depression, violent behavior or social phobia as a young adult, new research findings suggest. In a decade-long study, the researchers collected data for 765 children between the ages of 10 and 11 years old. At follow-up, they found that those who reported fighting, stealing or other conduct problems were almost four times as likely as their more well-behaved peers to have experienced depression or violent behavior by 21 years old."
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Maker to Pull Antidepressant Off Market
AP story at Yahoo - "The maker of Serzone will pull the controversial antidepressant off the U.S. market next month, blaming a decline in sales rather than concern about a risk of liver failure. The end to U.S. sales comes after Serzone was pulled off the market in many other countries, and as maker Bristol-Myers Squibb was under mounting pressure from lawsuits. Serzone has been linked to dozens of cases of liver failure and injury, including at least 20 deaths. A Bristol-Myers spokesman confirmed the decision in an interview Wednesday, a day after the company notified wholesalers that distribution would end June 14."
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AP story at Yahoo - "The maker of Serzone will pull the controversial antidepressant off the U.S. market next month, blaming a decline in sales rather than concern about a risk of liver failure. The end to U.S. sales comes after Serzone was pulled off the market in many other countries, and as maker Bristol-Myers Squibb was under mounting pressure from lawsuits. Serzone has been linked to dozens of cases of liver failure and injury, including at least 20 deaths. A Bristol-Myers spokesman confirmed the decision in an interview Wednesday, a day after the company notified wholesalers that distribution would end June 14."
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High rates of mental illness in jail inmates (Australia)
Story at The Age - "High rates of mental illness among prisoners suggest prisons are filling the gaps for a failing mental health system, Father Peter Norden, convener of the Victorian Criminal Justice Coalition said yesterday. Figures from the Department of Justice show that more than a quarter of prisoners had been diagnosed with mental illness at some stage of their lives and that one in six had been admitted to a psychiatric ward. The findings also showed that 15 per cent of prisoners were being medicated for a mental health problem..."
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Story at The Age - "High rates of mental illness among prisoners suggest prisons are filling the gaps for a failing mental health system, Father Peter Norden, convener of the Victorian Criminal Justice Coalition said yesterday. Figures from the Department of Justice show that more than a quarter of prisoners had been diagnosed with mental illness at some stage of their lives and that one in six had been admitted to a psychiatric ward. The findings also showed that 15 per cent of prisoners were being medicated for a mental health problem..."
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ERs don't treat mental patients fairly
Story in the Seattle Post Intelligencer - " Hospital emergency rooms routinely refuse treatment for medical conditions of people regarded as 'mentally ill.' Attorney Susan Stephan, author of the recent book, Unequal Rights: Discrimination Against People with Mental Disabilities and the Americans with Disabilities Act, surveyed people with 'mental illness' who went to ERs for medical conditions. Stephan's survey concluded ERs trivialize our medical conditions, or refuse to treat our medical conditions until after a psychiatric exam, or involuntarily commit us to the psychiatric ward when we need treatment for a non-psychiatric medical condition..."
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Story in the Seattle Post Intelligencer - " Hospital emergency rooms routinely refuse treatment for medical conditions of people regarded as 'mentally ill.' Attorney Susan Stephan, author of the recent book, Unequal Rights: Discrimination Against People with Mental Disabilities and the Americans with Disabilities Act, surveyed people with 'mental illness' who went to ERs for medical conditions. Stephan's survey concluded ERs trivialize our medical conditions, or refuse to treat our medical conditions until after a psychiatric exam, or involuntarily commit us to the psychiatric ward when we need treatment for a non-psychiatric medical condition..."
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Wellington mental health crisis needs action now (New Zealand)
Story at Scoop - "Green MP Sue Bradford says the Minister of Health must take swift and immediate action to solve the staffing crisis at Wellington Hospital's mental health unit before another tragedy strikes. A rape allegation reported today has followed earlier deaths and injuries among patients attributed to staff shortages at the unit..."
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Story at Scoop - "Green MP Sue Bradford says the Minister of Health must take swift and immediate action to solve the staffing crisis at Wellington Hospital's mental health unit before another tragedy strikes. A rape allegation reported today has followed earlier deaths and injuries among patients attributed to staff shortages at the unit..."
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Copyright 2003 © Bill Davis.
IIMHL Update is a project done in collaboration with MHCA and the Centre for Community Change International. IIMHL Update is powered by Radio Userland.