Give mental health same priority as physical, says Royal College of Psychiatrists

The organisations, which take charge of commissioning NHS services from next week, should ensure that patients get ''equivalent levels of access'' to treatments for mental health problems as for physical health problems. The ''long-standing and continuing'' lack of parity between mental and physical health is ''inequitable and socially unjust'', according to a new report by the College.

''Much has been done to improve mental health in the last 10 years but it still does not receive the same attention as physical health, and the consequences can be serious,'' said Professor Sue Bailey, president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists

Article via The Telegraph found here.

Mental health service users to get greater choice in care

The Government has announced that mental health service users will get more choice about where and how they get their condition treated by the NHS. Care Minister Norman Lamb said: “If any group of patients could benefit from being empowered by taking control of their own care, it is people with mental illness. Today’s announcement is a further step to make sure they have more choice, more control and more information about their care.

“We’ve made it clear in the past that there can be no health without mental health, and that we expect the NHS to place as much emphasis on people’s mental health as on their physical health needs. By giving patients more choice in their care, we are making sure they get the right type of high quality mental health care at the right time, which suits them and their needs.”

Article via mentalhealthtoday.co.uk found here.

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Children's mental health services to improve

Care and Support Minister, Norman Lamb, has announced funding of £2 million for new technology to improve children's mental health sessions. Children will be able to use tablet computers during their sessions with a therapist to see if they are achieving their treatment goals. Mr Lamb said: "Acting early to help children with mental health problems can prevent a lifetime of suffering as half of those with lifelong mental health problems first experience symptoms before the age of 14."

Article via Department of Health found here.

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More young veterans treated for PTSD than ever before

Leading military charities say they're treating more veterans under-30 for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than ever before.

The mental health problem is triggered by injury or severe psychological shock and anything from military combat to a traffic accident can cause it. Symptoms include flashbacks, severe anxiety, isolation and depression.

Read more of the story via BBC Newsbeat here.

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England to host international initiative for mental health leadership in 2014

Norman Lamb, Minister of State for Care Services has accepted an invitation for England to host the 2014 exchange.The exchange will help the NHS, local government and partners to speed up improvements to services, and support and improve mental health, by learning from experts from across the world.

The exchange will take place in June 2014 and will aim to build long term collaboration between leaders in mental health in the NHS, local government, charities and user organisations, allowing the continued sharing of information and learning for the benefit of people living with mental health problems.

Read more via Department of Health here.

Five psychiatric disorders 'linked'

Findings from a major study reported in the Lancet medical journal have found that autism, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder and schizophrenia all share several genetic risk factors.

Versions of four genes increased the odds of all five disorders. Researchers hope to move the psychiatry away from describing symptoms towards fundamentally understanding what is going wrong in the brain. One of the researchers Nick Craddock, a professor of psychiatry at Cardiff University, said: "It signals the opening of a potential new era for psychiatry and mental illness."

Read more of the story via BBC News here.