News from: media

April 11, 2008

Headline News Highlights (4th- 11th April 2008)

Mental Health

Access all areas
Irish Independent (Thu, 10 Apr 2008)
Gaining employment is a challenging and often frustrating process, even for confident, highly qualified candidates. For those with a disability, it is tougher again. Barbara Harding reports on initiatives to make the process less fraught.
 
20 mins exercise boosts mental health
Irish Health (Thu, 10 Apr 2008)
Taking part in just 20 minutes of any physical activity, including housework, each week can boost mental health, the results of a new study indicate. According to researchers from University College London (UCL), while regular exercise is known to be good for mental health, it is unclear how much or what type of activity is best.

Cannabis leads to anti-social activity
Irish Health (Sun, 6 Apr 2008)
Children who smoke cannabis are more likely to behave anti-socially and to have mental health problems, according to new Irish research. Boys who use cannabis tend to turn to vandalism and theft and get into fights, while girls who use the drug are likely to misbehave at school, a four-year study of over 4,000 pupils aged between 11 and 15 carried out at Queen's University Belfast has found.

 Suicide Prevention

Progress made in suicide prevention
Irish Times Subscription (Wed, 9 Apr 2008)
Progress has been made in the area of suicide prevention in the last year, it was stated at a conference yesterday. The head of the HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP) Geoff Day said he was pleased with aspects of the national strategy to reduce suicide which are currently being implemented and have been rolled out in the last 12 months. It included a high-profile national mental health awareness campaign which began in October and the training of almost 100 ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) personnel who have in turn trained over 5,000 professionals and community leaders.

Ireland and Spain team up on suicide and self-harm project
Medicine Weekly (Tue, 8 Apr 2008)
A pioneering research collaboration between scientists in Northern Ireland and Spain could lead to an important breakthrough in helping to identify people at risk from suicide and self-harm.

Mental Health Service

Psychiatric admissions delayed due to lack of specialist services
Irish Medical Times (Tue, 8 Apr 2008)                                                                        
People who have had depression are more likely to go on to develop Alzheimer’s disease, the results of a new study indicate. Researchers followed the progress of almost 500 people aged 60 to 90, who had no dementia at the beginning of the study.  Of these, 134 had experienced at least one episode of depression, which had prompted them to seek medical advice.

Legislative error denies release to mental patients
Sunday Business Post (Sun, 6 Apr 2008)
Some psychiatric patients who are eligible for discharge from the Central Mental Hospital have been denied release, due to a flaw in legislation.The Mental Health Review Board (MHRB), which oversees the release of serious offenders, has been unable to release patients because of the omission of powers under Section 13 of the 2006 Criminal Law (Insanity) Act to monitor whether patients take their medication after their release and remain drug-free.

Eating Disorders

'Incitement to thinness' may carry jail term under draft law
Irish Independent (Thu, 10 Apr 2008)
Anyone encouraging dangerous thinness and excessive dieting could be jailed under a draft law aiming at tackling the growing problem of anorexia in France. The proposal to punish "incitement to excessive thinness" in magazines and in other media comes amid the rising prevalence of the rising prevalence of eating disorders.

Depression                

Depression ups Alzheimer risk
Irish Health (Tue, 8 Apr 2008)
People who have had depression are more likely to go on to develop Alzheimer’s disease, the results of a new study indicate. Researchers followed the progress of almost 500 people aged 60 to 90, who had no dementia at the beginning of the study. Of these, 134 had experienced at least one episode of depression, which had prompted them to seek medical advice.

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