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.

Mental health is as important as physical health

Professor Barbara Sahakian, best known for her expertise on cognitive enhancers, has asked people to prioritise mental health in the same way as physical health. "As a society, we take our mental health for granted. But just like our bodies, it is important to keep our brains fit".

In any given year, one in every four adults suffers from a mental disorder. As a result, in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada, mental disorders are the leading cause of disability, with depression and anxiety accounting for a significant percentage of the disorders. "Just as joggers check their pulse rate, we should encourage individuals to regularly keep an eye on the state of their mental health. We need to educate the public about what to look for." added Sahakian.

Read more via The Times of India here.

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Does loneliness make you depressed?

Being lonely is bad for the mind and often leads to mental health problems like depression, stress, anxiety, and a lack of confidence. The number of people who are likely to be lonely is rising all over the world. Many of these are elderly, left by themselves after their partners have died or their families have moved away. Half of over 75 year olds in the UK live alone, and one in 10 suffer intense loneliness.

Dr Jaremka said: "Being lonely means not feeling connected or cared for, it's not about being physically alone. "We need to find ways to help lonely people. Unfortunately we can't tell anyone to go out and find someone to love you. We need to create support networks."

Read more of the story via BBC News here.

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Mental health: Don’t suffer in silence

University: it is depicted in the media as one long, unending party and the chance to complete the ‘essential life experience’ of activities before graduation. Everyone expects young people to be euphoric on the university experience and for many, this is not far wrong. However, what many are not aware of is that university can provide an environment which might trigger harmful mental health issues.

With overwhelming academic, social and financial pressures, many students feel significant emotional strain. Layla Haidrani writes that it is "a question of how to get students to discuss their overwhelming feelings of anxiety and depression. The main concern is that students do not admit to having these problems or if they are aware, find it embarrassing or humiliating to admit them or even do something about them.

The important thing is that students need to know they can get support for a mental health issue. They certainly won’t be the only student having difficulty, and it’s neither a sign of weakness or something to be ashamed of. And the sooner you get help, the better your chances of a quick and effective recovery. It’s time to break down the barriers of society. Students: don’t sit there in silence."

Read the full story via The Independent here.

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Ex-athletes 'face mental issues'

Veterans' mental health charity Combat Stress will host an event later this month to discuss the difficulties faced by servicemen and sport players when they leave their professions. Research shows that one-in-four professional cricketers who leave the sport are likely to suffer depression and one-in-five army veterans will experience mental health problems.

The former commander of the British Forces in Afghanistan, Ed Butler, will be joined by sports champions at the event called Hanging Up Your Boots, to be held at the Royal Geographical Society on 21 February .

Jake Wood, a former Territorial Army Lance Sergeant who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, said about the condition: "Some people might say it's all in the mind, but of course it is. It's just something I've learned to live with now," he explained.

Josh Lewsey explained that the prevalence of psychological issues was becoming "very common", with issues often becoming deeply embedded after years without help and support.

To view the video and the story via BBC News, click here.

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Mental health treatment funding approved for MPs

MPs will be entitled to receive mental health treatment in Westminster, a parliamentary committee has announced. The Commons Members Estimate Committee has approved an annual budget of £25,000 to help MPs with mental health problems access treatment.

The Committee said that is hard for MPs to access mental health services in their constituencies because of "their profile in the community" where they engage in frequent contact with local healthcare commissioners.

In a Commons debate in June 2012 on mental health, Mr Jones told MPs he had suffered from "quite a deep depression related to work issues" in 1996. He said he had "thought very long and hard" about whether to speak publicly about the matter, because: "like a lot of men, you try and deal with it yourself. You don't talk to people..".

Read the full story via BBC News here.

PsychologyOnline offers professional support for those struggling with mental health issues. Our service is professional and confidential. For more details, see our website.

Internet CBT is effective and cost-efficient

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a common therapeutic approach used to address a variety of mental health issues. However, not everyone has access to CBT services. The financial burden of receiving treatment can also prohibit many individuals from reaping the rewards of this type of therapy. Untreated mental health conditions extract a big cost from individuals, families, and society. For people with health anxiety, the overuse of medical services can put a financial burden on communities and families. Therefore, it is imperative that people with health anxiety be provided every opportunity to get the help they need, including access to CBT, which has been shown to be highly effective in the treatment of anxiety.

Erik Hedman of the Division of Psychology and the Department of Clinical Neuroscience at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden recently conducted a study to validate the effectiveness of Internet CBT (ICBT). He found that patients treated by ICBT improved considerably more than their counterparts undergoing different methods.

View the article via GoodTherapy here.

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