Tuesday, October 19, 2004

New research needed to reduce suicide in our young people
Story in Medical News Today (UK) - "Youth suicide is a major global public health issue and consistently ranks as one of the leading cause of death for adolescents aged 15 -19. Suicide accounts for 30% of deaths in the 15-24 year age group. Studies have shown that many young people that die by suicide or who make a serious attempt have a recognisable psychiatric disorder such as depression, anxiety, conduct disorder and substance abuse at the time of their attempt. Youth suicide prevention, is a joint initiative between the Health Development Agency, the Institute of Public Health in Ireland and Programme for Action in Ireland. It aims to identify all systematic reviews in this field and to analyse and combine the evidence to highlight what measures work to prevent youth suicide. "  
  

Plight of patients who are denied their rights (UK)
Feature story in The Times - "Many thousands of people who are given psychiatric hospital treatment they do not fully understand have had their plight highlighted by a ruling in the European Court of Human Rights. Each year up to 50,000 people with mental incapacity are given such treatment without their consent or statutory safeguards. This month the European court found that “HL”, a man in his fifties with autism and severe learning disability who had been admitted to hospital, kept under sedation, and not allowed to see the carers he normally lived with, had been deprived of human rights protections against unlawful detention and treatment in hospital. Those protections are provided via the Mental Health Act. No one can be compulsorily treated in hospital unless two doctors have agreed in writing that statutory conditions defining the disorder and the need for compulsory care have been met."