Monday, May 23, 2005

Funds 'must stem suicide crisis'  BBC story - "More funding is needed to stem the 'crisis' of suicide and self harm among young people, the NI Commissioner for Children and Young People has urged. There have been at least 15 suicides in west Belfast in a three-month period this year with seven deaths occurring in one week in April. In north Belfast, 13 young men took their lives in two months last year. Nigel Williams said there was a crisis in mental health services and called for resources to tackle the problem."  
  

Mental health bill "fundamentally flawed" (UK) Story at Black Information Link - "Black mental health experts said the government's new Mental Health Bill needed major changes to avoid discriminating against ethnic minorities. Labour included the bill in a packed legislative package announced in the Queens Speech. The draft Mental Health Bill, which introduced in the last parliament before the election, was widely criticised by experts and politicians. Today mental health professionals expressed hope that the new bill would be an improvement on the last effort..."