Medical Health Blog

Preventing patients from leaving psychiatric wards without staff agreement could avoid up to 50 suicide deaths every year, say University of Manchester researchers. A new report by the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness suggests that the ward environment may play a part in the level of patients leaving the ward, and that attempts should be made to optimise it. It also urges mental health services to improve awareness among staff of the antecedents of suicide among high-risk groups…

A survey from the American Psychiatric Association has found that workers’ fears about losing their status at work and about confidentiality are the reasons American workers hesitate to seek treatment for mental health issues, HealthDay/BusinessWeek reports. “More than 40 percent of the 1,129 respondents said their employer was supportive or extremely supportive of their workers seeking care for health concerns. However, the online survey also found that barriers persist for workers who said their workplace is unsupportive of employees seeking treatment, especially for mental health concerns…

Outdated legislation that requires MPs who have been detained under the Mental Health Act to stand down has been branded ‘untenable’ by the Government, representing the strongest move yet towards outlawing mental health discrimination in Parliament. Section 141 of the Mental Health Act means that MPs have to resign if they are sectioned for more than six months, and the Government has come under considerable pressure this month to repeal the law ‘as soon as practicable’ (1)…

Interim rules for implementing parity include victories for fairness in insurance coverage for individuals with mental illness and substance use disorders, but some important issues must still be resolved, the American Psychiatric Association said today after the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury released implementation rules. The APA is reviewing and analyzing the newly announced regulations implementing the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA)…

In the face of growing need for mental health and substance abuse treatment, the U.S…

The recent shootings at the Ft. Hood, Texas army base, allegedly by an army psychiatrist, have placed much-needed focus on mental health care in the army. In an article published in the December issue of the journal CNS Spectrum, renowned psychopharmacology expert Stephen M. Stahl, MD, PhD, calls for increased mental health staffing at Fort Hood and other army bases. Stahl, adjunct professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, reports that findings from interviews, surveys and education programs at Ft…

PC Richard Harwin from the Metropolitan Police in the London Borough of Hackney has just been highly commended as part of the Una Padel Award for outstanding work in the field of criminal justice. Mind nominated PC Harwin for this award in recognition of his active commitment to improving police practice towards people with mental health problems. PC Harwin has been working with Mind on our Another assault campaign to improve access to justice for victims and witnesses…

Researchers have discovered a new explanation for differences in the severity of mental illness in males. The more excess copies of a certain gene, the more serious the handicap. The genetic defect is situated on the X-chromosome; and it is suspected that it is the amount of copies of the GDI1 gene that is responsible…

John Moloney T.D., Minister of State with responsibility for Equality, Disability and Mental Health has expressed his satisfaction that Budget 2010 has provided for a multi-annual programme of capital investment in high priority mental health projects consistent with ‘A Vision for Change’…

Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), National supports several of the recommendations of “In From The Margins: A Call to Action on Poverty, Housing and Homelessness”, Report of the Subcommittee on Cities of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology tabled yesterday in Ottawa. “We are very pleased that the Senate Sub-Committee recognized CMHA’s contributions to the report”, says Dr. Taylor Alexander, CEO, CMHA National Office…