Boffins battle a suicide crisis, Sunday Herald Sun, December 4 2011 - "Stressed, suicidal or bullied? Help could be a mouse click away for young people under revolutionary proposals being considered by a world-first research project." Read more
Redmond backs debate on mental health, AAP, October 7 2011 - "South Australian Opposition Leader Isobel Redmond has called for continued debate about issues surrounding mental health." Read more
Premier calls for national effort on mental health, The World Today with Eleanor Hall, reported by Matt Wordsworth, October 10th 2011, ABC - "The Queensland Premier is calling for a new campaign to reduce the stigma of mental illness." Read more
Exploring the experiences of those who care for someone with depression The Hunter Institute of Mental Health (HIMH), in partnership with beyondblue: the national depression initiative, are completing a series of papers exploring the experiences of those who care for someone with depression. Read more
Supporting people with disability into work...The Hon Jenny Macklin MP - A report released....on disability support pensioners highlights the need for the Australian Government's important refors to the Disability Support Pension (DSP) to get more people into the workforce..... Read more
Short link from mental health to homeless, Nicky Park, June 8 2011, AAP, Sydney Morning Herald - "Mental illness is not as big a pathway to homelessness as many believe, a study suggests." Read more
Study: Mental Health Is Top Concern for Youth...... Read more
High Risks: Cannabis and psychosis, Quentin Dempster - "There is now widely believed to be a link between the stronger cannabis distributed clandestinely throughout Australia and increasing cases of severe psychosis such as schizophrenia. Both the Mental Health Review Tribunal in NSW and the National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre have said publicly that if cannabis was removed from the chemistry of young brains, the incidence of schizophrenia in this country would be dramatically reduced. Adolescents who start to use cannabis at any time are considered particularly vulnerable because the human brain does not complete its development until the early to mid 20s..." Read more
Australian doctor says kids, teens shortchanged by lack of funding, Valerie Berenyi, Calgary Herald, May 24 2011 - "......In the general population, 14 per cent of kids and teens suffer from mental illness; that figures soars to 25 per cent in populations that are economically disadvantaged or stressed."That's a lot of kids and we don't really have enough trained psychologists and psychiatrists and allied health workers to cope with the numbers," says Dr. Barry Nurcombe, who will deliver a call to arms about the importance of child and adolescent mental health issues in a free public lecture today.At the same time, public education about children's mental health issues is vital, he says.
Between 60 and 80 per cent of adult psychiatric problems begin at some point in childhood.For example, anxiety and depression show up in schoolchildren ages five to 12, and the early signs of severe disorders like schizophrenia emerge around age 15 or 16.There is research being done to detect early signs of mental illness but the area is poorly funded, says Nurcombe. "It generally goes begging because it's often at the tail end of funds that are available for mental health care."And most of that money goes to the severe mental disorders of adulthood. The difficulty is most of those disorders have their beginnings in childhood or adolescence, when we should be working." Also, some families are predisposed to types of mental disturbances."They could be detected early and are potentially preventable. But that's not where we spend our money," says Nurcombe, a professor emeritus of psychiatry at the University of Queensland......."
New support for eastern youth - Eastern Courier 26th May 2011 - "A youth centre helping local teens tackle mental health and education-related issues has opened in Malvern. The Unley Rd hub is the only service dedicated to youth in the area and will assist about 120 young people aged 13-20." ......Read more
Drew's tragic death shows a mental health system under pressure, AdelaideNow - "A schizophrenic took his own life in front of his grandmother barely two hours after being refused help by a mental health team, his family says...." Read more
Do trans fats cause depression?, Body+Soul - "A new study has found eating trans fats may cause depression, so why are they still in so many foods? New research has found a link between trans fatty acid consumption and depression..." Read more
Young cannabis users double psychosis risk, AdelaideNow - "Young people who use cannabis are doubling their risk of developing psychotic symptoms, experts warn..." Read more
