Monday, April 12, 2004

Young mental health care slammed (UK)
BBC story - "Young mental health patients are being put on 'inappropriate' hospital wards, research suggests. A study shows many are admitted to adult psychiatric wards and general children's wards when they should be in specialist units. Incorrect admissions happen in a third of cases, Royal College of Psychiatrists' researchers said. Campaigners said there was a national shortage of beds for young people with mental health problems..."  See also, at the British Medical Journal, the study which forms the basis for the story, Inappropriate admission of young people with mental disorder to adult psychiatric wards and paediatric wards: cross sectional study of six months' activity. The BMJ article is also available in Adobe Acrobat  format.  
  

People with mental health problems are normal, too (UK)
Story at this is derbyshire on Mental Health Action Week - "Despite the fact that one in four of us suffer from mental health problems, many films, television programmes and other media still stereotype mental health patients as out of control. It is no wonder that Derbyshire Patients' Council, which represents people using mental health services in the county, is keen to change the public perception of mental ill health..."