May 2007 Archives

Yo.

I love Finland and am pleased to start this missive with news of a Finnish study which has found that persistent smokers seem to be at a higher risk of depression than those who have never smoked. There is also an increased risk in the short term for those who have given up smoking but this declines over the long-term to the same level as those who have never smoked.
The study says more research is needed to determine conclusively whether smoking causes depression but Mad World reckons it's probably safe to say smoking isn't that good for you.

If you insist on continuing to smoke, then perhaps yoga is the answer. Scientists in Boston used a big whirring machine to work out that yoga may boost particular brain chemicals that are often deficient in people with depression.

Hello there

Is the mental health system in the UK racist? It's a big question and the big brains of Newsnight decided to give it a good going over earlier this week. A nice discursive piece looking at some of the main issues can also be found on this blog. It seems higher rates of mental illness are often to be found among immigrant populations but that does not explain worse experiences of treatment.

Social workers in South Korea are attempting to tackle a disturbing trend in online suicide pacts. The suicide rate in the country is increasing with experts blaming rapid modernisation and internet access.

Better news from the States, where the army has apparently agreed to do more to educate officers about post-traumatic stress disorder.

Still in the US, researchers in North Carolina have found that while an unstable childhood can increase the risk of later depression, good childcare can counteract this effect.

Welcome back to the non-stop news party that is Mad World.

Let's start with a big one. Australian scientists are setting up a DNA database of schizophrenia sufferers and say they could get very close to finding a cure for the condition within five years. Actor and general tough guy Russell Crowe is involved in the whole thing too, for some reason.

Meanwhile, in Huntsville, USA, they are using a labyrinth to help treat mental health problems. Apparently it's meant to "help users quiet their minds, soothe their souls and mend their hearts." Sounds interesting.

If you don't have a labyrinth close by, there's always dance therapy, which apparently boosts mood more than exercise alone. And that's saying something, because exercise is more effective for mild depression than medication, according to experts.

Welcome to our second sprint round the mental health globe.

We start off with something deep to ponder. Is a male god conducive to women's mental health? Check out this interesting blog.

Meawhile, a trainee mental health nurse discusses their experience of mental health act paperwork

Not altogether surprisingly, a US conference hears that the conflict in Iraq is having a big impact on Iraqis' mental health

Welcome to the first Mad World blog. I shall be scouring the globe for the latest in policy, research, opinion and incident relating to mental health and whatever else takes my fancy.

First up interpersonal therapy may help prevent future episodes of depression, says the American Journal of Psychiatry.

ECT may be coming back into fashion, if US mental health professionals are to be believed and researchers at Harvard have developed a new way to predict self harming behaviour.

The Virginia Tech shootings in America have lead to much discussion about the state of the mental health system there, with service gaps identified on college campuses and discussions around gun sales to people with mental health problems. The idea of more mental health screening in schools was also raised.
The US is also looking to update its mental health infrastructure.http://public.cq.com/docs/hb/hbnews110-000002507397.html