Depression Alliance Scotland Email Announcement November/December 2005
News from Depression Alliance Scotland
Apologies for the fact there was no November email announcement. We had our office refurbished. Although it is still not be palatial, we finally have central heating, so for the first winter in DAS’s history we will be warm in our office.
We have done everything we can to maintain continuity of service, although there have been a couple of technological hiccups as we have had to move out of the office. If you have not been able to contact us for any reason, we apologise and please try again. Our information line is open as usual on 0131 467 3050 (every day except Weds 10am – 2pm) and our email address is info@dascot.org or you can use the contact form at www.dascot.org/contact.htm
New from DAS
We have a new leaflet and poster! These are the first produced by DAS as a separate organisation from Depression Alliance in London. They carry a strong message that depression can affect anyone at any time, your mother, father, son, daughter, brother, sister, lover, friend… even you. The leaflet gives the symptoms of depression and information about what we do. The poster is A3 size and carries the same message. If you would like some of these please contact us.
Sign Proposal - Guideline on Non-Pharmacological Interventions for Adults with Mild to Moderate Depression
A proposal by DAS for a guideline on this subject has been accepted by The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN). SIGN have agreed this topic is very important at a time when a great deal of research is coming forward. The Guideline will be of help to clinicians, other healthcare workers and, of course people affected by depression.
Care and treatment for depression may or may not include antidepressant medications. However individuals affected by depression often need a combination of different interventions to help recover from a condition which can have complex causes. The guideline will take approximately two years to complete.
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Information
Christmas is fast approaching. For many people with depression this thought can be dreadful rather than joyful. This time of year can highlight lonliness, loss and family divisions and the impact of the illness on our lives. It can be hard not feeling like celebrating when everyone else is, particularly if there are family obligations or if you are alone. It is survivable though, our factsheet called “Surviving Depression At Christmas” may help. It is available from the DAS office. Our newsletter, out this week has an article on Christmas as well. If you are not currently a supporter and would like a copy please contact us.
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Events
Future of Mental Health services in Scotland
Glasgow 25 January 2005. The conference will provide an opportunity to share ideas on service approaches which support the principles of the the new Mental Health (Care and Treatment)(Scotland) Act 2003 and which take an inclusive approach to ensuring that all individuals who are recovering from mental health problems have sufficient support to actively engage in society. For more information contact Pavilion Publishing Richmond House Richmond Road, Brighton BN2 3RL tel 0870 890 1080, email: info@pavpub.com, www.pavpub.com
Websites
Breathing Space
have launched a new website www.breathingspacescotland.co.uk which provides a unique resource for people experiencing low mood or depression as well as for family members, carers, students, practitioners and anyone interested in improving the mental health and well-being of people in Scotland. The site has been designed to allow users to explore issues under the headings of ‘Your Mood’ and ‘Your Problems’ and offers practical advice and guidance on how to seek help.
Tony McLaren, Service Coordinator for Breathing Space said “We are delighted to be launching our new website which we see as an extension of the confidential, free phone line service that Breathing Space provides across Scotland every day of the year from 6pm – 2am. (0800 83 85 87)
“We hope that the Breathing Space website will reach out to people and provide them with the help and information that they need, when they need it.”
Elament
www.lanarkshirementalhealth.org.uk is a new website for Lanarkshire. It gives details of all the mental health resources in the area including statutory services and voluntary organisations..
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News
Medical Breakthrough -- Relieving Bipolar Depression
An anti psychotic drug called Seroquel has been found in an American study to be nearly twice as effective at reducing suicidal thoughts as a placebo in bipolar disorder. Up to half of the eight million Americans who live with bipolar disorder will attempt suicide during the course of their illness.
"That's remarkable because the medications that we have currently, to my knowledge, have never been shown to have an acute effect on suicide," says Dr. Calabrese, a psychiatrist at University Hospitals of Cleveland in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Calabrese says seroquel improved quality of life and sleep in the patients who took it. The most common side effect was fatigue
News Channel 8 USA
A fresh strategy of hope
There has been a 38% drop in the suicide rates among young men aged 15-24 in the years from 2000 – 2004. Among men aged 25 -34 there has been a 22% decrease in sucides. Soctland has the highest rate of suicide in the UK and men, in particular young men, account for 75% of them. There has been an 8% drop in suicide among the population as a whole. However, Gregor Henderson, the director of the national programme for improving mental health and wellbeing pointed out that improving the mental wellbeing of Scots is a long-term process. In other countries it has been hard to sustain a decrease in suicide rates.
There are also improvements in how mental health problems are pecieved. One in four Scots will have a mental health problem significant enough to affect their day-to-day lives. In areas where there is economic, social and environmental deprivation, the risk is 10 times greater. Compared to 2002, fewer people in 2004 said they would keep a mental health problem secret and there was a 5% drop in the number of people who thought that people with mental health problems were difficult to talk about. "But the biggest prize has been a 17% drop in the attitudes of those who think that people with mental health problems are often dangerous – that's fantastic," says Henderson.
In terms of future work, he identifies children and young people and the workplace, particularly helping people with mental illnesses back to work, as areas where there is more to be done.
Rebecca McQuillan The Herald 14 October 2005
Chromium supplements may aid some with depression
Supplements containing the mineral chromium may be useful in treating some cases of depression -- particularly when carbohydrate craving is a prominent symptom, a new study suggests. The study of 113 people with a disorder known as atypical depression, found that chromium picolinate supplements did appear to aid certain, mainly appetite-related, symptoms and a subgroup of patients -- those who said they had "irrepressible cravings" for sweets and starches -- did show a general improvement in depression symptoms after taking the supplement.
"While these findings require replication in a prospective trial, they suggest that chromium picolinate may be beneficial for patients with atypical depression who are also high carbohydrate cravers," Dr. John P. Docherty and his colleagues report in the Journal of Psychiatric Practice.
Chromium, a mineral that the body needs in trace amounts, is found naturally in meat, whole grains and certain vegetables and fruits like broccoli, potatoes and apples. The mineral enhances the action of insulin and helps break down carbohydrates, fat and protein.
Paktribune 14th October http://paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=122455
First Scots Text Addict
A teenager has become Scotland's first official text and email addict. The 19-year-old spent £60 a week on texts and racked up an annual phone bill of £4500. He lost his job after sending 8000 emails in a month from his office computer. The teenager was referred to an addiction service and is now receiving counselling. The head of the project said: "This patient has all the hallmarks of any classic addict where mental health problems such as depression, low self-esteem and relationship difficulties occur as a result of the addiction." The teenager lost his job after sending between 300 and 500 emails a day from work.
Craig McDonald Daily Record 15 October 2005
Makeovers to get sick Scots back to work
A private recruitment company, Reed in Partnership, has been hired by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in the Hutchestown ward in the Gorbals area of Glasgow to try to help claimants of Incapacity Benefit. The firm offers such basic help as assistance with buying a suit and advice on how to visit the dentist. Hutchestown is one of the country’s most deprived areas and more than 70% of working-age people are receiving state benefits for ill health. In Scotland as a whole 281,500 receive incapacity benefit, amounting to 8.9% of Scotland's working population. Reed in Partnershop say that many claimants feel unable to consider work because they suffer from rock-bottom self-esteem after years of unemployment.
Mike Weir, the SNP's work and pensions spokesman, said: " The answer (to the problem of a lot of people claiming incapacity benefit) is to have a compassionate system which gets people into appropriate jobs without the risk that people going into work will lose out."
The DWP introduced a pilot programme known as 'Pathways to Work' across Glasgow from the end of October. The scheme will offer all claimants of IB additional financial and health advice, with the aim of breaking the cycle of dependency. People on IB are also offered pay supplements on top of offered wages, so that it pays to work.
Eddie Barnes The Scotsman http://news.scotsman.com/glasgow.cfm?id=2132852005
The key to solving our crisis of confidence? St Andrew
Celebrating our national culture – including making St Andrew’s Day a public holiday – may be key to resolving the seemingly intractable problem of Scots’ crisis of confidence, according to new research from the University of Dundee. It could also help promote wellbeing, reduce anxiety and depression, academics believe. Researchers have conducted a series of studies across Europe and in China that show a strong link between group identity and the wellbeing of group members, and between group identity and group self-esteem. The findings could fuel arguments in favour of establishing a St Andrew’s Day national public holiday, as proposed in a private member’s bill by independent MSP Dennis Canavan.
Sunday Herald 23 October 2005 http://www.sundayherald.com/52410
Shortage of mental health staff hampering children's treatment
10% of children in Scotland experience mental health problems but a shortage of psychiatrists and other frontline mental- health workers is holding back improvement of services for vulnerable children in Scotland, according to an Executive report.
Lewis Macdonald, the deputy health minister, launched a national framework to improve young people's mental well- being in Edinburgh. He said that good mental health in youth was essential to Scottish society and economics. Through multi-agency working, ending stigma and increasing awareness, he said the framework would help prevent suicide and other problems. But the report said a "key barrier" to achieving change was shortages in the workforce.
Last year the Royal College of Psychiatrists suggested an extra 30 staff consultant psychiatrists were needed in Scotland. Graham Bryce, chairman of Heads Up, the national agency to promote young people's mental health, said there were long waiting lists for services because of staff shortages.
Mr Macdonald said the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Workforce group will shortly publish a report on staff planning and the Executive will commit £1 million over two years to develop staff.
Louise Gray The Scotsman 25th October 2005
Online therapy does help beat depression
Depression can be treated on the internet as effectively as through face-to-face sessions with a therapist, a recent Swedish study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry. Researchers said people with depression undergoing do-it-yourself self-help sessions reported similar improvement to those seen in previous studies of patients in clinical environments. The findings could prove valuable for people with depression in rural and remote areas of Scotland who have difficulty accessing therapists, the researchers said.
Depression Alliance Scotland were asked for a quote for this article. We said “Some people, especially men, find it easier to talk openly anonymously online…”
Scotsman 1st November 2005
We also thought it important to highlight negative side of internet communication such as: There is no guarantee as to the quality of the advice and support given. Some forums are moderated and some are open access; low income groups can be excluded; and some people need face to face contact. These points were not quoted in the article
Scottish workers keep quiet about absences due to mental health
A third (34%) of Scottish employees who have taken time off work because of a mental health problem say they feel forced to hide their reason for absence, according to research. The survey, carried out for the 'See Me' campaign which combats discrimination against mental health problems, found employees feared the negative reaction they might face from managers or colleagues.
Almost two-thirds (62%) of respondents who took time off because of mental health problems said when they returned to work they were treated differently from when they were off with a physical illness. Nearly half (43%) of people who had experienced mental ill-health problems while at work said they felt encouraged to leave and not return by the business.
Linda Dunion, director of the campaign, said misconceptions of mental health problems often mean that those who experience mental ill-health do not enjoy equal rights in the workplace. "Having a job helps to give people confidence and self-esteem, which are key to our emotional well-being and good mental health," she said. "It's important to give people with mental ill-heath the same respect and support as we would if someone had a physical illness."
Personnel Today 7 Nov 2005
See also the ‘see me’ website www.seemescotland.org.uk
Are we at a mental health turning point?
When Liam Fox ran for Tory leader, one high profile subject of his campaign was mental health. He launched it from a centre for treating people with mental illness. During the campaign he said the failure to address the needs of those with mental ill-health was a "national shame" and partly responsible for the UK's "broken society".
Many campaigners hope that Dr Fox's campaign marks the start of a period when the issue of mental health may well enter the mainstream. Andy Bell of the Sainsbury Centre said: "We are beginning to see a debate about mental health, about extending the availability of services and talking therapies…”
But of course campaigners and professionals still face a battle to get the condition the recognition it deserves - one in four people will suffer some mental health problem in the course of their life. When Dr Fox announced he was running for the leadership, one of his colleagues came up to him to tell him he would not support him if he kept talking about mental health.
Nick Triggle BBC News 7 November
Bupropion re-kindles interest in dopamine strategy for major depression
Dopamine is one of the brain's ‘feel good' chemicals. Alcohol boosts levels of dopamine, hence the popularity of social drinking. Interest is growing in dopamine as a therapeutic target for the treatment of depression - at least according to presentations at ‘Beyond Serotonin - The Science of Neurotransmitters' a workshop held at the recent European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) congress held in Amsterdam.
Very few agents with dopamine activity have been developed to date One of the few dopaminergic agents to be developed, the noradrenaline-dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI) bupropion hydrochloride has been available in United States (but not Europe) for major depressive disorder since 1989. GlaxoSmithKline is currently conducting clinical trials with the extended release formation (Bupropion XL) and is planning to file an application in Europe to market bupropion XL for major depressive disorder.
Medical News Today 12 Nov 2005
Vacations provide mental health benefits for women
Women who take holidays frequently are less likely to become tense, depressed or tired and are more satisfied with their marriages, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at Marshfield Clinic, Marshfield, Wisconsin, USA
The study, published in a recent issue of the Wisconsin Medical Journal, found that the odds of depression and tension were higher among women who took holidays only once in two years compared with women who took vacations twice or more per year. In addition, the odds of marital satisfaction decreased as the frequency of holidays decreased.
Medical News Today 13 Nov 2005
Gene linked to depression found
Scottish researchers have discovered a new gene linked to depression. Scientists at Glasgow and Edinburgh universities found that damage to the gene, known as PDE4B, can increase the risk of developing the illnesses. PDE4B plays an important role in how the brain thinks and builds memories. It has also been connected with another gene, DISC1, previously found to increase the chances of developing depression.
Professor David Porteous at the University of Edinburgh said: "This is another important breakthrough in our still limited understanding of major mental illness… it also suggests a new way of thinking about developing better and effective medicines."
Daily Mail 17th Nov 2005
NHS failing depressed mothers
Mothers with severe postnatal depression may be sent to England for treatment because health boards are failing to meet new standards for their care in Scotland. The Act states that most mothers who are so ill with post-natal depression that need to go into hospital should be able to keep their baby with them. However large parts of Scotland do not have suitable provision and two health boards, Borders and Highland, said they would consider referring patients to England. A new unit is being opened in St John’s Hospital Livingston in the Lothians in the Spring. It will treat around 40 mothers a year with puerperal psychosis – the most extreme and potentially damaging form of post-natal depression.
(Herald November 22nd 2005, Scotsman 23rd November 2005)
Mental health support from ex-sufferers
Experts met in Glasgow today to discuss how peer support can help mental health patients recover. Research has shown that people who have recovered from mental health problems can be trained to support others with similar problems. Simon Bradstreet, Director of the Scottish Recover Network, said: "For people trained and employed as peer support workers it offers a chance to contribute and give back something which is central to recovery.
"They also offer much-needed employment opportunities at a time when people with experience of long-term mental health problems are most likely of all major disability groups to be unemployed."
(Evening Times 1/12/05)
For more information visit the Scottish Recovery Network Website http://www.scottishrecovery.net/content/
Living Life to the Full
COLLEGES in Glasgow are launching a series of night classes to teach people how to cope with depression.
The eight-week course was tested at Anniesland College earlier this year and resulted in a waiting list of other people desperate to sign up. From early next year it will be a regular feature at the west end college, with new classes also expected to open at Glasgow Nautical College in the Gorbals. The Living Life To The Full course was written by Glasgow psychiatrist Chris Williams. It is based on cognitive behavoiural therapy. He has previously written self-help books and CD-based courses to help people with a range of mental health problems.
Dr Williams said: "The course addresses very practical things, such as how people can sleep better or relax more effectively. But it is also very relevant to people who are taking tablets for mental health problems, such as depression or anxiety."
Evening Times 2nd December 2005
DAS is jointly leading the START initiative which is running these courses. For more information on the courses contact the START administrator on 0141 211 3889. The course is available online at www.livinglifetothefull.com
Disability discrimination law extends to cover more workers
Workers with progressive illnesses or mental health conditions will be protected from workplace discrimination from today after changes to the Disability Discrimination Act.
Previously, the legislation was designed to protect workers with clinically-recognised mental conditions or physical impairments that had a long-term effect on their ability to perform their day-to-day activities.
Naeema Choudry, employment partner at law firm Eversheds, said: "The same rights of protection will also be extended to workers with mental health conditions who will no longer have to show that their conditions are clinically recognised by bodies such as the World Health Organisation… For example, workplace stress or depression could be regarded as a disability under the new legislation”.
(Mike Berry Personnel Today 5th December 2005
North east 'suffers winter blues'
The north east of Scotland has a higher prevalence of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) than the rest of the UK, a study has suggested. Consultant psychiatrist Dr John Eagles calculated that 3.5% of the area's residents suffered from the condition, compared to 2.4% in the rest of the UK. He said scepticism about the condition among medics was slowly receding. SAD stems from a lack of bright light and sufferers experience low moods, sleep problems and lethargy in winter.
Dr Eagles, of NHS Grampian, calculated that 3.5% of adults in the north east were affected by the most serious form of SAD, which can have a debilitating effect on sufferers.
He said that as his calculation was the only Scottish study of prevalence, the rate for the country as a whole was not known.
Steve Hayes, managing director of Outside In, a Cambridge-based light therapy company, said that sales of the boxes were booming in the north east. He explained: "Aberdeen and the surrounding area is …. a long way north, compared to the rest of the UK, and can get a lot darker there. "Also, a …. proportion of the population seems to come from Texas and they can't believe what's hit them, after being used to blue skies."
Mr Hayes also said "In my experience, some SAD sufferers have actually lost their job over the winter; some have experienced relationship break-ups and children moving out of the family home … However, employers are increasingly sympathetic about the condition, mainly because doing something about it is pretty simple."
BBC News 5th December
Quiz on why NHS works differently for men and women
Research will be carried out in Glasgow into why the health service works differently for men and women. It will involve asking men and women about their experience. Sue Laughlin, NHS Greater Glasgow's women's health co-ordinator, said gender issues affect a number of conditions. She explained: "Men and women have different paths into ill health. "More women than men present for treatment for depression and anxiety while men are more likely to use alcohol or drugs. "But we don't know why that is." The health board has already established a women's health policy, a women's health team and a men's health team to improve services. They will be involved in three projects, covering mental health, tobacco and strokes.
Publication date 09/12/05
Glaxo facing UK Seroxat suit
GlaxoSmithKline faces a 1,500-strong UK class action suit early next year over its anti-depressant Seroxat, The Business newspaper said on Sunday. The 1,500 litigants will claim they were not warned that the drug, prescribed for depression, could lead to addiction, the newspaper said. It quoted Mark Harvey, a partner at Cardiff solicitor Hugh James, as saying he would launch the suit next spring.
Reuters 11/12/05
UK Health Minister Welcomes Landmark Census On Mental Health And Race
UK Health minister Rosie Winterton today welcomed the publication of 'Count Me In', the first ever census of the ethnicity of people using inpatient mental health services in England. Amongst its findings are figures showing that Black African and Caribbean people are three times more likely to be admitted to hospital and up to 44% more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act. It is hoped that the report will be used to eradicate discrimination and inequalities in mental health services.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com 11/12/05
Cannabis users with mental illness 'face schizophrenia risk'
New evidence of the possible damaging effects of cannabis on mental health were revealed by scientists yesterday. At the same time the findings were revealed, a Scots academic warned Scotland could be sitting on a mental health timebomb fuelled by heavy cannabis use.
Danish experts found that people in a study of 530 people who suffered a cannabis-induced psychosis that 44.5 per cent of them went on to suffer full-blown schizophrenia. Overall, more than 72 per cent went on to suffer from mental illness such as depression.
Scotsman 13th December 2005
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