Christmas Cheer

Well, here we are, nearly Christmas. I have not blogged for some time, pressure of work and illness. Hopefully at this time we will all get a well deserved rest, I know I need one. A chance to recharge the batteries and be ready for the new year, whatever that may bring. With the thought of new years resolutions looming don't attempt to make too drastic changes to your life style. Sometimes not being able to keep to a lifestyle change can leave us with a sense of failure and have a negative impact on our self esteem.

Chill out this Christmas

MoodScape

Have a bit on fun on Friday afternoon and look at the BBC Headroom site. You can built your own Moodscape to give a visual expression of how you are feeling. The link is:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/headroom/moodscape/create/

Britain's £100bn mental health crisis

Experts demand radical policy rethink, to focus on illness prevention rather than expensive and ineffective treatments

By Nina Lakhani

See the article at:

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/exclusive-britains-163100bn-mental-health-crisis-2096372.html

Mental Health Quiz Winners!

I am pleased to announce the winners of the 'Get the Facts' quiz about knowledge of mental health issues. On the Bedford site Dan Cox was the winner with 7/8 correct answers. At Luton, Andrew Clements won with all correct answers. Both have received a book voucher worth £20. The Road Shows were a great success with over 130 students and staff pledging how they would look after their own mental health or challenge stigma for others.

The answers to the quiz are below:


Q.1. Mental health problems are rare

Myth

Fact

Answer: This is a myth. Mental health problems affect one in four people in any one year. So, even if you don’t have a mental health problem, it’s likely your best friend, a family member or work colleague will be affected. Mental health problems affect people of all ages, from all different backgrounds.



Q.2. People with mental health problems are violent

Myth

Fact

Answer: This is a myth. People with mental health problems are much more likely to be the victims of violence. The violence myth makes it harder for people to talk openly about mental health problems. It can also make friends reluctant to stay in touch.



Q.3. People can recover completely from a mental illness

Myth

Fact

Answer: this is a fact. Many people can and do recover completely from mental health problems. Alongside professional help, the support of friends, family and getting back to work are all important in helping people recover.



Q.4. On average, people with severe mental illnesses die ten years younger

Myth

Fact

Answer: This is a fact, but it’s not the mental illness that kills – it’s the discrimination. The physical health needs of people with mental health problems are often dismissed, causing higher rates of death from heart attacks, diabetes and cancer for people with severe mental illness.




Q.5. You can be open about mental health problems without fearing you’ll be
treated differently

Myth

Fact

Answer: This is a myth. People fear telling friends, family and work colleagues if they have a mental health problem because of stigma. In fact, 87% of people with a mental health problem have experienced discrimination.



Q.6. There’s not much you can do to help a friend experiencing a mental health
problem

Myth

Fact

Answer: This is a myth. If someone you know is experiencing a mental health problem, just staying in touch can really help. For many people, it is the small things that friends do that can make a difference, like visiting or phoning.



Q.7. People can’t work if they have a mental health problem

Myth

Fact

Answer: This is a myth. With one in four people affected by mental health problems, you probably work with someone with a mental health problem. However, people who are open about their experiences often experience discrimination at work or in trying to get a job because of mental health problems.



Q.8. If you use a mental health service, there’s a one in three chance you’ll lose
contact with friends

Myth

Fact

Answer: This is a fact. Sometimes friends feel like they don’t know enough to be able to help, or feel uncomfortable. But you don’t need to be an expert on mental health to be a friend. It’s often the everyday things that make a difference.

Mental Health Support

The Mental Wellbeing Team will be closed the week beginning the 11th October and will re-open on Monday 18 October

I will be available on the 2nd floor of the new Campus Building from the week beginning the 18th October.

To make an appointment to see me you can email jill.gale@beds.ac.uk or telephone 01582 489338 or 489391. You can also contact the SID (Student Information Desk ) on 0300 300 0042 or email sid@beds.ac.uk


Come along and meet me at the Making A Difference road shows. i will be on Bedford Campus from 10-3 on Tuesday 12th October and Luton on Friday 15th.

Not depressed, just sad, lonely or unhappy

Cases of depression have grown around the world. But while awareness of the illness has helped lift the stigma it once attracted, have we lost touch with the importance of just feeling sad, asks Mary Kenny.

Read the article at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11431720

Well-being Festival 2010

Just wanted to let you know about activities in Bedfordshire that I have been involved with over the last year. Below is information on the local Well-being group of which I am a part. There will also be two roadshows at the university in October and a Mental Well-being and Spirituality event on Bedford campus on November. More information about this to come in September.

Well-being Festival 2010 - ‘Make a Difference’
During the summer months the Well-being Festival Group has been hitting the hotspots in Luton and Bedfordshire to promote mental well-being across the community and challenge the stigma that exists towards mental illness.
To promote the flagship event taking place on World Mental Health Day – 10 October 2010 – and spread their message the group has coordinated a roadshow across the county. From racing dragon boats on the River Great Ouse at the Bedford River Festival to dressing up as celebrities at the Luton Carnival, no task has been too daunting!
Engaging the public and providing information about mental health and the need to look after your well-being the group has been collecting pledges asking people to consider ways of looking after their own, someone else’s or the wider community’s mental well-being.
The team’s main event for 2010 will be on Sunday 10 October 2010, World Mental Health Day, 10am-4pm at Marston Vale Forest Centre where a ‘Time to Get Moving’ event will focus on physical activity and how it can improve our mental well-being.
The day is absolutely jam packed with events and everything is completely free! There will be therapies, street dancing, laughter yoga, belly dancing, tai chi, a football tournament, smoothie bike and much, much more.
The team want you to get involved and here’s how:
· Let your feet do the talking by coming along to the Marston Vale Forest Centre on Sunday 10 October 2010
· Spread the word. If you can’t attend then why not show this article to friends and family and encourage them to enjoy a great day out.
The group are also organising an arts night at the Luton Hat Factory on 12 November 2010 at 6-10pm. The ‘Let’s Get Mental’ arts night is about bringing together the Luton community to share the message that mental well-being is everyone’s business. The group will be doing this through music, creative arts, dance, drama, poetry and other activities.
The Well-being Festival is coordinated by a group of local service users, carers, faith leaders, academics, third sector and public sector partners. It’s not too late to get involved so contact the team on their hotline 07899 076770, email wellbeing@sept.nhs.uk or visit the website www.wellbeingfestival.org.uk

Living with psychosis: 'I'm mad, but not bad'

After seven years, Erica Crompton has learned to live with psychosis. But the fear her illness inspires in other people is much harder to get used to. Read the article:

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/living-with-psychosis-im-mad-but-not-bad-2025012.html

Reducing Mental Health Stigma and Discrimination

The latest findings from the Institute of Psychiatry show that the Time to Change anti-stigma camping is having a positve effect on reducing stigma towards people with mental health problems. There has been a2.2% improvement in public attitudes from 2008-2010.

Have a look at the Time to Change website to see have you can help challenge stigma.

http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/home/


Also look out for the Making a Difference Roadshow in October on Bedford and Luton Campus. More details will be be available at the start of the new term.

A New Era?

The old Student Centre has finally been knocked down. Appointments with students have been interrupted when we both stopped to stare at the demolition process. We watched in fascination as roofing collapsed and stairs crumbled in a cloud of dust (inhalers out for those of us with asthma). So things change and we move on. Another academic year is over and students and staff catch a breath before the next rush. I have been using some extra time to attend a couple of conferences and read. Okay, I should have been filing but their is only so much filing I can cope with in one week.

The conference I attended yesterday was about psychological treatment in psychosis. There is a body of research that suggests that psychosis and schizophrenia are predominately the result of stressors in out life that we don't have the resilience or support to manage . If there is a shift from biological causes in these diagnosis, what does this mean for the future of psychiatry which has been based on a medical model and treatment through drugs? There are also concerns that the medical profession is swayed by the influence of drug companies. The companies fund research which benefits them and promotes drug treatment. I can see that medication is of benefit to some but until we all take a more holistic approach to mental distress then we will not be able to empower recovery.

What is loneliness

Check out the article on loneliness from the One in Four magazine and find out how this can affect your mental health.

http://www.oneinfourmag.org/loneliness.html

5 Minutes a Day

Apparently latest research is saying that 5 minutes a day exercise in a green space is good for your mental health. The weather is forecast to be good this weekend so why not get out and go for a walk. You don't have to get out to the countryside if transport is a problem. Find a nearby park, have a walk and a picnic. I'm off camping in Folkestone this weekend so plenty of fresh air and green space for me. Must remember the exercise! Back on campus in June.

Chill Out

This past month has been stressful for me, hence no blogs. I came back from holiday to a work move to a new office. For those of you who may be wondering where I have gone, I am now on the first floor of the Salvation Army building in Vicarage Street. This is a temporary move until the new student centre is completed. The room I have now overlooks the student centre and is large and airy. I could get used to this! Now I have settled in my stress levels have reduced. We all need to consider how we manage our stress as is does affect our mental well being and can lead to mental distress. Check out the chill out on the cheap link I have added to manage your stress.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/mar/29/chill-out-on-the-cheap/print

The Student Mental Wealth Project

In mid-February four meetings were held around the UK to look at promoting well being on campuses through student lead initiatives and staff and students from 30 universities attended. One initiative that came out of these meetings was the Mental Wealth Network which aims to connect mental wealth groups, students, staff and wider stakeholders (such as local organisations and national charities that promote well being). The network aspires to foster communication, collaboration & a shared vision for positive well being on campuses around the country. Feedback from the meetings identified that there is often a 'closed, reactive culture around mental health and well being at universities' and that the subject is not considered relevant to student life. When we consider that one in four students will experience some difficulties with their mental health while at university this is clearly not the situation. Have a look at the website:

http://www.mentalwealthuk.com

I am hoping to get students here interested in the issue of mental well being. Check out my blog for updates.

Physical and Mental Health

It seems a long time since I last posted. I have had a bad cold which resulted in a chest infection. There seems to be a lot of colds and flu like symptoms around the university at the moment. It started me thinking about the affect our physical health has on our mental health. Statistics say that we are more likely to experience depression if we have a long term medical condition. For me, having a cold had an effect on my motivation. The healthy campus initiative looks at healthy living to improve our physical health. It can also impact on our mental health. Changes in exercise and diet are being used by people with depression to improve their mental well being.

Stigma and Mental illness

In recent years there has been an increase in celebrities and politicians who are willing to disclose that they have experienced mental illness. Many support campaigns such as Time to Change or Shift, organisations that are promoting an end to stigma for people with mental health problems . I am wondering if there is a change in how the general public perceives mental illness. Often opinions are swayed by the media which does seem to be changing its attitude as a result of these campaigns. Sometime it seems that those who already have a vested interested in reducing stigma are now more vocal but is there any change in general attitudes? Last October I organised a debate entitled Mental Health Questions. Those who attended all had an interest in mental health issues. I have been wondering how to reach people who have not even thought about mental illness perhaps because they have never encountered it or are scared of the unknown. I was delivering some mental health awareness training recently when a delegate explained that it is difficult to understand mental illness and know how to support someone when you do not know how it affects individuals. We are more likely to have some idea of how to help someone with a physical condition such as diabetes becuse the condition is widely publised. So to end my ramblings I think that attitudes are changing but that those of us that do have a passion to end stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness should continue to shout out about it. Let me know what you think.

Amendment to Equality Bill

The Government made changes to this Bill which will prevent employers asking an applicant about a disability or medical condition prior to interview. In the past people with mental health problems have struggled with being honest about a history of mental illness on application forms because of concerns about discrimination. A Rethinks survey of over 3,000 mental health service users found that 41% were put off even applying for jobs because of fear of discrimination. Past research has suggested that you are less likely to get work with a history of mental illness than with any other disability. Hopefully this will allow people with mental health problems the chance of demonstrating their capabilities at interview.

The healing power of books

I am currently reading a book about the history of mental illness in women. In the 1800's it was considered harmful to women's mental health to read and study. Attitudes towards women have changes a great deal since then.

Check out this link to find out about a reading project that can improve mental health.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/jan/06/mental-health-its-my-life

Treating Depression

There has been a lot of discussion over the past few years about the use of antidepressants to treat depression. I have met many people who have or are taking these drugs. Some say they could not manage without them or that they have helped them through a difficult patch. Others say that they have noticed no difference in their mood. Still others balance the medication against the side effects , such as constipation, stomach cramps or a feeling that they cannot think straight.In 2004 NICE (National Intitute of Clinical Exellence) guidelines recommended therapy other than antidepressants to treat depression. This was followed on by research in 2008 which suggested that antidepressants were no better than a placebo in all but some severe instances of depression. It seems that although there is guidance that health professionals should be considering talking therapies and other options like exercise to relieve depression there is no national commitment to this end. A recent article in the news stated that 'three quarters of GPs have prescribed anti-depressants even though they think another treatment would have been more effective'. Considering that one in six of us are likely to experience depression at some time in our life you would think that there would be more help. I am not saying there is none, but it seems to be in pockets and down to the commitment of individuals. Let me know what you think about this subject.

You can read the BBC article at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8436111.stm

NHS Stressline

The NHS launched a new national helpline on 30th December for people experiencing financial difficulties as the result of the credit crunch. The number is 0300 123 2000 and is open from 8am to 10pm daily.

Health advisors will listen, offer practical advice, guide people to useful online resources and put them in touch with other people who can help such as debt, housing, employment advisors, and counselling and talking therapy services.