October 2010 Archives

Psych Central lists five psychology myths which might make you think twice about paying good money for a self-help book that appears a little too good to be true. My favourite from the list is the idea that taking out your anger on a physical object will help you calm down, as you still occasionally see that trotted out in magazines.

Meanwhile, new mental health regulator the Care Quality Commission has warned that services risk breaching patients' human rights by placing too many restrictions on their care.

And on a non mental health related note, if you, like me, are enjoying The Apprentice at the moment you might like this sketch by Mitchell and Webb.

The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust has developed a rather lovely site called Cam's Den for children in its local area, Camden (London), where they can learn about emotional wellbeing and building resilience.

And it features a sock puppet, called Cam, which has to be a good thing.  

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has produced a new leaflet advising what its staff can and can't do when British travellers experience mental health problems abroad.

Apparently FCO staff have been dealing with a growing number of mental health-related cases over the past few years.

I'm not quite sure why mental health problems might be increasing, although it may be because of greater awareness. Consular spokesperson Philip Lord said: "Travelling or moving abroad can be stressful, which can cause people's mental health to decline. Excessive alcohol and drug taking can also be a major factor in cases reported by our staff in places like Thailand. Not knowing what support is offered can make matters worse, so it's important for people to know the type of assistance that we can provide."

The FCO is hoping that professionals working within the mental health sector will help to ensure that the information in this leaflet is passed on to those who need it.

The leaflet, and order details, can be found at http://www.fco.gov.uk/publications

It appears that research has found some benefit in a number of herbal supplements when it comes to treating anxiety. (The picture of herbs on the left doesn't relate to the research at all, it's just a rather nice picture by Photofarmer on flickr.)

Meanwhile, Wikio has put together its list of the top health blogs in the UK and there are loads of good mental health ones in there, so it's well worth a look.

And while on the subject of blogs, Psych Central has launched a new blog on managing depression, which I'm sure will be full of useful information.

Users of mental health services will be performing at a cabaret night, Warning:May Contain Nuts, at the Brighton Comedy Festival this weekend.

It sounds really good - you can read more about it in The Guardian.

One of the performers writes the Secret Life of a Manic Depressive blog, which is well worth a look.

Some interesting research is reported in New Scientist which challenges the notion that happiness is largely genetic and generally returns to certain set-point for each person. The new study found that various lifestyle choices, such as choice of partner, family relationships or levels of altruism can affect long-term happiness.

Meanwhile, the government has announced new measures to help soldiers returning from Iraq or Afghanistan suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, which has to be good news.

Deep brain stimulation, in which electrodes are used to stimulate parts of the brain, could be beneficial in the treatment of OCD, a very small study (16 people) suggests. More research needed, I'm sure.

There has also been a 3.5% increase in the number of people being detained under the Mental Health Act, which one can only imagine is a result of the personal fallout of tough economic times.