It’s time for proper training for GPs and teachers, a new funding model and nationwide awareness of the issue
BY: NICK CLEGG Royal touch: the Duchess of Cambridge meets headteachers in Scotland to discuss mental health in schools Andrew Milligan – WPA Pool/Getty Images Eight years ago, when I became leader of the Liberal Democrats, I used one of my first opportunities at Prime Minister’s Questions to ask Gordon Brown about mental health services. The […]
The following letter, addressed to Stephen Fry, is written by Richard Bentall, professor of clinical psychology at the University of Liverpool.
Mind BY: Professor Richard Bentall Stephen Fry (Pic) Dear Stephen, You and I attended the same public school (Uppingham, in Rutland) at the same time, in the early 1970s, and our unhappy experiences there have undoubtedly helped to shape our different trajectories, which have led us to a shared interest in mental health. In your […]
The stigma surrounding mental health is another hurdle. Many people are reluctant to attend mental health centres for fear of being seen as "mad". This is one reason why integrating such services into general health provision is important.
By REUTERS By Dana Halawi BEIRUT, March 1 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Syrian refugee Fatmeh fled to safety in Lebanon in 2011 after militants raided the family home, beat her up and tried to rape her. But her problems were far from over. Two months after the attack Fatmeh – then aged about 12 – […]
The psychologist, below, said the case of 15-year-old Matthew Garnett was a “breach of human rights”.
BY: SOPHIE GOODCHILD Protest: Matthew Garnett, 15, on the psychiatric ward in an image online calling for him to be moved to a specialist unit. TV presenter Tanya Byron is among thousands of people supporting a family’s fight to secure the right care for their autistic teenage son. The psychologist, below, said the case of […]
How has society managed to produce a generation of teenagers in which mental-health problems are so prevalent?
Geraldine Bedell @geraldinebedell Rates of depression and anxiety among teenagers have increased by 70 per cent in the past 25 years Illustration by Matt Murphy On most counts, young people’s lives are improving. Drinking, smoking and drug-taking are down in the UK; teen pregnancies are at their lowest level for nearly half a century. Yet there […]
A very high proportion of rough sleepers who died in the capital last year had mental health problems
BY: Jon Stone @joncstone Charities are calling for improved mental health support for rough sleepers Getty The number of people with mental health problems sleeping on the street is rising, extensive new research by a homelessness charity suggests. St Mungo’s surveyed professionals working with homeless people across the country and found that 62 had seen […]
One in five British workers admit to being skeptical about colleagues who take time off work for mental health issues, such as depression, stress or anxiety, new research has revealed.
Willis PMI Group, part of Willis Towers Watson, commissioned a study 1,388 finding that 14% still do not believe that stress is a genuine mental health condition. However, 29% of those questioned claim to have suffered from mental health problems themselves. Mike Blake, Director at Willis PMI Group, said: “These results highlight the extent of […]
Tom McAlpine, who set-up the MoodSwings charity in Manchester in 1999 with a belief that it is possible for those suffering even severe mental health issues to make a good recovery.
All this week BBC News has been looking at Britain’s growing problem with mental illness, hearing from sufferers, politicians and the professionals who are in the front line of care. But, up and down the country, there are also charities and voluntary organisations dedicated to helping those who have developed mental health problems. One […]
Charlie Walduck from Manchester weighed a whopping 50 stone but slimmed down
By: Nicola Fifield Obese: Charlie Walduck at his heaviest Charlie Walduck weighed 50 stone at his heaviest – before losing more than 35 stone in two years. The 47-year-old from Manchester, who has since put back on a few stone, said: “Regardless of whether someone is obese, an alcoholic or a drug user – if they […]
Dr Alan Smith, the bishop of St Albans, says proposed cuts will hit those the prime minister wants to help
Daniel Boffey Observer policy editor Saturday 20 February 2016 The Bishop of St Albans Dr Alan Smith has questioned the prime minister’s stance on welfare reforms affecting those with mental health issues. Photograph: Alamy David Cameron’s claim to be backing a revolution in the treatment of the mentally ill has come under attack from […]
