64% of students with mental health issues drop out

Mental health may be a larger factor in college student success than previously thought. A majority of former students with mental illnesses dropped out for a mental-health related reason, according to a survey by the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

"For some, the stigma associated with mental illnesses keeps them from seeking the help on campus that may allow them to suitably deal with their issues and stay in college", said Christopher Scott, associate clinical director of the UH Counseling and Psychological Services.

“There is evidence that some students are reluctant to seek help for mental health concerns. This often varies depending on the students cultural background or gender,” Scott said. “Anecdotal evidence suggests that students are increasingly willing to seek assistance with mental health needs.”

To read the full version of this story via The Daily Cougar click here.

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1 in 3 employees face excessive pressures at work

A survey by Towers Watson has suggested that one in three employees faces excessive pressure at work due to long hours and pressure brought on by the economic downturn. The firm’s Global Workforce Study, which surveyed 32,000 employees worldwide, found 34% are often affected by excessive work pressures.

The HR Review said that the research "raises huge concerns over our country’s health and well being at work. Several years of economic uncertainty have led to increased anxiety around job security with workers putting in longer hours than ever, raising concerns of ‘burn-out’ among British workers. Businesses should act now to avoid a ‘work until you drop’ culture turning into the norm with workers becoming increasingly unproductive, something our economy can ill-afford at the moment."

To read more on the story, click here.

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NHS shakeup tackles disparity between mental and physical health services

NHS patients should wait no longer for mental health therapies than they do for treatments for their physical conditions, the government will announce.With more than 6 million people suffering from depression or crippling anxiety but only 75% receiving any medical help, the government is to propose that NHS mental health patients have a "parity of esteem" in doctors' surgeries.

The policy will be formally announced on Tuesday as part of the mandate for the NHS commissioning board, the means by which the health service will be held accountable to parliament under its reforms. The contract with the NHS will specify that mental healthcare should be on a par with physical care –  that it "values mental and physical health equally".

Read more via The Guardian here.

Depression in pregnancy 'risk to future mental health'

More than a third of women who become depressed during their pregnancy have suicidal thoughts, suggests a snapshot survey carried out by the Royal College of Midwives and Netmums. The poll of 260 mothers with antenatal depression found they were at greater risk of worsening mental health problems then women with postnatal depression.Only 22% sought help from their GP. Experts say women with the condition need more support.

The Department of Health has announced that £25m will be made available to improve maternity facilities for mothers and babies, and an NHS information service for parents is to include videos on how to spot signs of postnatal depression. Antenatal depression, which occurs during pregnancy, is less known and talked about than postnatal depression, which happens after the birth of a baby.

Read the full article via BBC News here.

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8 in 10 people with depression suffer discrimination

Discrimination is a common occurrence in both the private and working lives of those suffering from depression, a new study claims.The international study, published in The Lancet, involved more than 1,000 sufferers of depression in 35 countries across the world. It found that almost eight out of ten (79 per cent) reported experiencing discrimination in at least one life domain. The findings suggested that in many cases this experience of discrimination is preventing those with depression from enjoying full educational, social and workplace inclusion.

More than a third (37 per cent) of participants said they had stopped themselves from initiating a close personal relationship because of their fear of discrimination, a quarter said it had prevented them from applying for work, and 20 per cent said discrimination had stopped them from applying for education or training.The study also found that those who were less willing to disclose their depression to others were more likely to experience discrimination.

Read more via the HR Review here.

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Men bearing brunt of worsening mental health in England since start of 2008 recession

Men have borne the brunt of worsening mental health across the population of England since the start of the economic downturn in 2008, reveals research published in the online journal BMJ Open. But unemployment and a falling household income don’t seem to be the culprits, prompting the authors to suggest that it is the threat of losing their jobs that has affected men’s mental health.

“The finding that mental health across the general population has deteriorated following the recession’s onset, and that this association does not appear to be limited to those out of employment nor those whose household income has declined, has important implications,” say the authors.

They suggest that the reason for the gender differences in the impact of recession could be that men’s mental health is more vulnerable to the fear of job loss. “One potential explanation for our results would be that job insecurity during the current recession is responsible for the deterioration in mental health, with men’s psychological health remaining more affected by economic fluctuations despite greater female labour market participation,” they conclude.

Read more here via Rochdale News.

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Threefold risk of dementia with anxiety

Patients diagnosed with anxiety have an almost three times greater risk of developing dementia and it is a stronger risk factor than both depression and cerebrovascular disease, according to a UK primary care study.

The study’s authors suggest older patients could be presenting with anxiety which is caused by their first experiences of cognitive impairment.

Primary care researchers at Keele University in Staffordshire used the Consultations in Primary Care Archive to identify 400 cases of dementia and matched them to 1,353 controls without dementia.

Read the full article via Pulse here.

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Stalking your ex on Facebook is bad for your mental health

New research shows that obsessing over your ex on Facebook might seem like it helps ease the pain of breaking up, but it's potentially harmful for your mental health.

Facebook Surveillance of Former Romantic Partners: Associations with PostBreakup Recovery and Personal Growth by Dr. Tara C. Marshall, Ph.D., tells us that online post-breakup fixation on your ex is really not a good idea if you want to get over it, heal your heart, or get back into personal growth patterns.

And even though "all the kids are doing it" - it's not going to be helping out anyone's mental health anytime soon. 

The paper explains, "Not only do people use Facebook to monitor the activities of current romantic partners, but as many as one-third use Facebook to keep tabs on former romantic partners.While Facebook surveillance of ex-partners has been linked to negative outcomes such as online and offline relational intrusion, the potential for Facebook contact and surveillance to disrupt emotional recovery and growth following a breakup has received little research attention."

Read more via ZDNet here.

Depression in the workplace increasing in the UK

A new survey from the European Depression Association has revealed that one in ten working people surveyed in Europe have taken time off work due to depression.

The IDEA survey questioned over 7,000 people across Europe and discovered that 20% of the respondents had received a diagnosis of depression at some point. Great Britain had the highest percentage recorded (26%), and of those experiencing depression, it suggested that 58% were likely to take time off work because of it.

Read more via the HR Review here.

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Cricketers urged to complete online depression tutorials

All county cricketers are being encouraged to complete a series of online tutorials in a move aimed at raising awareness of depression.

Created by the Professional Cricketers' Association, the tutorials aim to help players identify key warning signs.

High-profile England internationals who have experienced depression, including Marcus Trescothick, present segments of the video.

The PCA says it will help affected players gain any support they need.

The initiative's launch has been deliberately timed to coincide with the end of the domestic season.

This time of the year is considered a ''risk period'' as players adapt to life outside the daily routine and environment of their county clubs.

Read more here.

18th September 2012