Posts by swsweb
Nibbling away at our understanding of PTSD
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has historically been linked to return soldiers involved in, or having witnessed, threats to life, usually during the course of war. More recently, however, it has been recognised that people exposed to physically, emotionally or mentally traumatic conditions in childhood may also go on to manifest a similar pattern of…
Read MoreThe proven benefits of growing old gracefully
If it’s true you’re as old as you feel, then it would seem, from a recent piece of research, that you’re also as depressed as others think you should feel for your age. New research from the Yale School of Public Health in the USA suggests that older people who see growing old in…
Read MoreGet to the art of mental health
There’s nothing more satisfying than allowing that inner child to let rip with a fist full of crayons and a blank sheet of paper. That’s my opinion, anyway. And members of the York community seem to be of a similar mind. They’ve decided to set up a new art and crafts group specifically for people…
Read MoreMental health and the up-coming general election
Last week saw the publication of what has been titled ‘A manifesto for better mental health‘, jointly written by the Mental Health Foundation, Mental Health Network, Mind, the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Rethink Mental Illness and the Centre for Mental Health. That’s a lot of mental health in one paragraph. Hopefully its fruits will be…
Read MoreDon’t lose sleep over this…
Having recently shared a twin room with a heavy snorer, I can tell you a thing or two about sleep deprivation. I lasted a total of three nights and, had I sustained the remaining four for which we were booked, I’m convinced I would have gone mad (I paid the extra for a single room).…
Read MoreFirst aid for mental health
I’ve never done a course in first aid, which has always seemed to represent a glaring hole in my CV. You never know, after all, when you might be called upon to apply an emergency tourniquet or, worse still, perform CPR. But now there’s an altogether new species of first aider – the mental health…
Read MoreThe high price of funding cuts to North London mental health services
A recent review of mental health services in the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey NHS trust suggests that significant community funding cuts may be on the horizon. Local NHS commissioners ordered the review, which was carried out by consultancy group Mental Health Strategies – who found that NHS mental health services across the region were ‘unsustainable’…
Read MoreNow there’s DBT for BPD
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterised by problems with regulating emotions and thoughts, impulsive and reckless behaviour and unstable relationships with other people. Depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicidal behaviours can also be part of the picture. I can’t help but think that these symptoms sound remarkably like those of addiction – any addiction – and…
Read MoreSchizophrenia proven genetic, claims new US study
A new study published in Nature and widely reported in the mainstream media claims to have ‘removed any doubt’ about a biological cause for schizophrenia. The study claims that more than one hundred genes associated with dopamine, the immune system and heavy smoking are implicated in causing the condition. The researchers, from across many different…
Read More‘Pursuit of happiness’ is the answer say UK mental health experts
This month, the CentreForum Mental Health Commission concludes what is being described as a ‘landmark study on the state of mental health in England’. The 12-month commission has identified five key priorities for implementation between now and 2020. The final report calls for policy makers to: Establish the mental wellbeing of the nation or ‘the…
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