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Mental Health Articles
New suicide prevention strategy for Warwickshire (19 December 2016)
Warwickshire County Council has launched a new suicide prevention strategy to combat the number of deaths from suicide across the county. Read more...
Duncan Lewis’ Aqsa Sattar provides an overview on the legal powers of a nearest relative has under the Mental Health Act 1983 (12 December 2016)
The Mental Health Act 1983 provides the authority in England and Wales to detain and treat people suffering from, or believed to be suffering from a mental disorder on a psychiatric unit without their agreement. A detained person is protected under the Act, and provided with certain rights, such as a right to challenge their detention in hospital. This can be done through exercising a right of appeal to the Mental Health Tribunal. Read more...
PHE report finds more than 110,000 London children “suffering with significant mental ill health” (8 December 2016)
A new report by Public Health England (PHE) into the mental health of children in London has found that more than 110,000 children in the capital are suffering with significant mental ill health. Read more...
London Assembly debates whether capital should have pan-London suicide prevention plan (29 November 2016)
The London Assembly Health Committee is holding a meeting on Tuesday 29 November, to discuss suicide in London – including how suicide prevention work is co-ordinated and whether or not London should aspire to be a “zero suicide city”, like Detroit in the US. Read more...
NSPCC calls for government to do more to improve children’s access to mental health services (28 November 2016)
The NSPCC has responded to the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, saying that the government “has again missed the opportunity” to show it is making progress on a country that works for vulnerable children and the mental health crisis they face. Read more...
Mind calls on government for urgent action to prevent police holding mental health patients in cells (22 November 2016)
Mental health charity Mind is calling on parliament to end the use of police cells as “places of safety” for people in mental health crisis, after new data from the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Lead for Mental Health revealed that some forces are still putting people who have a mental health condition in cells on a daily basis. Read more...
Sefton Council establishes working group looking into CAHMS (21 November 2016)
Sefton Council on Merseyside has set up a Working Group looking into Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAHMS) in the area – and is calling on service users to share their views. Read more...
Mind calls for removal of sanctions threat for mental health patients at Jobcentre Plus (17 November 2016)
Mental health charity Mind has responded to a report about Jobcentre Plus, saying it is concerning that soon Work Coaches in Jobcentres will become the only source of support for thousands of people with mental health problems who are currently out of work. Read more...
Mind responds to Inquiry by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (14 November 2016)
Mental health charity Mind has responded to the publication of an Inquiry by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (UNCRPD). Read more...
Record numbers of children are contacting the NSPCC about suicidal thoughts (10 November 2016)
According to the NSPCC’s Childline, children as young as 8 years old have contacted the Charity seeking help with anxiety. In fact the number of young people reaching out for help has increased sharply. Read more...
Selby hosts second mental health conference in November (1 November 2016)
Selby District Council in North Yorkshire has announced a second mental health conference, following the success of the first ever mental health conference in Selby. Read more...
London Health Committee event considers mental health among the LGBT community. (31 October 2016)
A City Hall event in London has highlighted mental health among the LGBT community. Read more...
Three times as many patients under mental health crisis teams take their own lives, says new report (21 October 2016)
University of Manchester’s 20th National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness (NCISH) report has found that more than 200 suicide deaths per year now occur in patients under mental health crisis teams – three times as many as among inpatients. Read more...
Welsh government draft budget secures an extra £20m for mental health services (20 October 2016)
Welsh mental health charity Mind Cymru has responded to the Welsh government’s proposal of an extra £20 million in funding for mental health services in Wales, published in a draft budget on Tuesday (18/10/16). Read more...
New mental health strategy for Wales (17 October 2016)
Welsh Assembly Health Secretary Vaughan Gething has launched the Welsh Government^s new delivery plan to improve mental health and wellbeing in Wales. Read more...
Leeds City Council uses new audit findings to tackle suicide rates (10 October 2016)
Leeds City Council has welcomed the publication of a suicide audit completed by public health professionals in Leeds. Read more...
Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council marks World Mental Health Day with free event (10 October 2016)
Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council in Leicestershire is holding a free event to mark World Mental Health Day today (10/10/16). Read more...
Hartlepool Council supports World Mental Health Day with free event (7 October 2016)
Hartlepool Council has announced it will be holding a free event to mark World Mental Health Day on Monday (10/10/16). Read more...
Mind calls for urgent action to ensure mental health has parity with physical health (5 October 2016)
Mental health charity Mind has responded to new figures published by NHS Digital (formerly the Health and Social Care Information Centre) estimating the prevalence of mental health problems across the country. Read more...
Number of people dying with dementia diagnosis “more than doubles” (3 October 2016)
New figures from Public Health England (PHE) show that the proportion of people dying with a recorded dementia diagnosis has more than doubled since 2001. Read more...
Mental health services in England now accessed by one-third of adults with anxiety or depression in 2014 (30 September 2016)
New research by NHS Digital shows that one in three adults (37%) aged 16-74 with conditions such as anxiety or depression who were surveyed in England were accessing mental health treatment in 2014. Read more...
Mind calls for more integrated approach to mental health care (27 September 2016)
Mental health charity Mind has responded to a report by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) about the need for a whole-government approach to mental health services. Read more...
Mind supports call for reduction in use of restraint in mental health patients (26 September 2016)
Chief executive of the mental health charity Mind, Paul Farmer, has responded to data obtained by MP Norman Lamb and shared with the BBC, which highlight that the use of physical restraint has increased in many mental health trusts in England. Read more...
CCGs “spending less on mental health services” (26 September 2016)
Mental health charity Mind has said that many Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) are reducing the amount they are spending on mental health services. Read more...
Welsh government launches £7.2m programme to help mental health patients and substance abusers back into work (21 September 2016)
The Welsh Assembly (WA) has announced an EU-backed programme to help 6,000 people recovering from substance misuse and mental health conditions into work. Read more...
Bradford Council encourages more men to talk about mental health to lower suicide rates (19 September 2016)
Bradford Council is encouraging more people to talk about their anxieties and worries – and to seek help if they need to – as a key part of efforts to cut suicide rates in Bradford. Read more...
Papyrus offers suicide prevention training in Wolverhampton in run up to World Suicide Prevention Day (6 September 2016)
Wolverhampton Council is offering training to organisations and individuals who may come into contact with someone at risk of suicide, as part of a range of activities taking place in Wolverhampton to mark World Suicide Prevention Day on Saturday (10/09/16). Read more...
Wolverhampton Council to encourage residents to reach out to others to mark World Suicide Prevention Day (5 September 2016)
The City of Wolverhampton Council has announced a series of activities to mark Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September. Read more...
Thames Reach calls for improved mental health care for rough sleepers (2 September 2016)
The charity Thames Reach is calling for more to be done to highlight and address the needs of rough sleepers with mental health conditions in London.
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Study suggests possible link between TBI in youth and increased risk of psychiatric illness (30 August 2016)
UK, US and Swedish researchers have found that sustaining a traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a child or as a young adult might increase the risk of health problems in adult life, including a higher risk for mental health conditions. Read more...
£6.1m funding given to NHS trusts to keep mental health patients out of police cells (24 August 2016)
The government has announced that 41 projects have been awarded funding for places of safety for people in mental health crisis. Read more...
Poor mental health may contribute to homelessness, says new report (22 August 2016)
A report by the Communities and Local Government Committee on factors contributing to homelessness says that many homeless people are affected by one or more contributing factors, such as poor mental health, substance addiction or experience of abuse. Read more...
Wigan Council launches SHARE mental health project for children and teenagers (15 August 2016)
Wigan Council has launched a project offering mental health support for children and young people. Read more...
Young adults with psychosis “not receiving EIP therapy within two-week target” (11 August 2016)
New figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats show that, out of 170 of 209 Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) which responded to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, a total of 23% said they had applied a two-week target for mental health patients aged 14 to 35 years to receive treatment for psychosis symptoms. Read more...
NHS Trust fined after mental health patient drowns during water sports activity (4 August 2016)
The Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust has been fined for safety failings, after a patient drowned during a canoeing activity event. Read more...
York Council and CCG launch second phase of pilot to improve mental health of schoolchildren (1 August 2016)
A partnership between the City of York Council, the Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and York schools has agreed funding to roll out a pilot project to further improve the mental health and emotional wellbeing of children and young people across the whole city. Read more...
Reading Council consultation into how mental health services are delivered (25 July 2016)
Reading Council has launched a consultation to help inform how Reading^s Mental Health Day Services are delivered. Read more...
Centre for Mental Health says awareness of children’s mental health needs is “poor” (19 July 2016)
An evidence review published by the Centre for Mental Health – Missed Opportunities by Lorraine Khan – finds that mental health problems are very common among young people, but awareness is poor and most attempts by parents to get help for their children are unsuccessful. Read more...
Research shows link between TBI, poor mental health and risk of re-offending (18 July 2016)
Research published by Centre for Mental Health suggests that traumatic brain injury (TBI) costs the UK a total of £15 billion every year, including the costs of lost work, of health and social care and of premature mortality – and puts young people at higher risk of poor mental health and offending. Read more...
£12m funding to increase mental health services to those arrested (14 July 2016)
The Department of Health (DoH) has announced that an additional £12 million is to be spent over the next two years to expand services making mental health assessments available to individuals arrested. Read more...
Barnet Council’s children’s centres awarded special health status (4 July 2016)
Barnet Council in London has announced that all of Barnet’s ten children’s centres have now been awarded a Healthy Children’s Centre special health status, to recognise their work in helping to improve the health of children and families in Barnet. Read more...
Essex County Council seeks feedback on children’s and young people’s mental health services (4 July 2016)
Essex County Council is inviting residents to share their experiences of children and young people’s mental health services in the county. Read more...
Ineffectiveness of antidepressants for children leaves gap in treatments available, says SANE (29 June 2016)
Mental health charity SANE has said that new research suggesting that most antidepressant drugs are ineffective for children and teens leaves “a gap in any treatments that are available” to youngsters with mental health issues. Read more...
Stockton-on-Tees invites mental health patients to take part in Community Learning Mental Health pilot (27 June 2016)
Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council is inviting anyone in the borough who has a mental health condition to take part in its programme of workshops and activities for people with mental health issues, as part of a national research project. Read more...
Gloucestershire appoints ASIST trainer to support mental health patients at risk of suicide (24 June 2016)
Gloucestershire County Council’s (GCC) public health team has funded training for an officer to train frontline staff in how to support people who are feeling suicidal. Read more...
Cambridgeshire launches Keep Your Head mental health website for young people (21 June 2016)
Cambridgeshire County Council is to launch a new website to help children and young people across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough tackle mental health issues. Read more...
South Gloucestershire introduces suicide prevention training for frontline workers (17 June 2016)
South Gloucestershire Council is introducing a suicide prevention training programme, which aims to help reduce the number of suicides in South Gloucestershire. Read more...
Warwickshire County Council supports Mental Health Awareness Week this week (17 May 2016)
Warwickshire County Council is supporting Mental Health Awareness Week, which runs from 16th to 22nd May. Read more...
Rotherham Council supports Dementia Awareness Week from 15 May (16 May 2016)
Rotherham Council is encouraging the public to support Dementia Awareness Week by taking part in free Dementia Friends sessions run by the Alzheimer’s Society. Read more...
Camden Council invites mental health patients to share experience of services (16 May 2016)
Camden Council is inviting residents to share their experiences of the mental health services provided by Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust. Read more...
Change in reporting of mental health statistics for Armed Forces (12 May 2016)
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced that, following consultation on a proposed reduction in the frequency of reporting of Official Statistics on mental health in the UK Armed Forces, in the future mental health statistics for veterans will be published biannually, rather than quarterly. Read more...
£15m fund made available to fund places of safety for mental health patients (10 May 2016)
The government has opened bidding to fund health-based places of safety to prevent people with mental health conditions being held in police cells. Read more...
Croydon Shared Lives scheme given outstanding CQC rating for mental health and learning disabilities services (9 May 2016)
A Croydon Council-run service that helps adults with learning disabilities, mental health problems and other support needs has been rated outstanding by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Read more...
CAMHS single contact pilots offer “improved outcomes for children and their families” (9 May 2016)
Education and Childcare Minister Sam Gyimah has told a meeting at the Anna Freud Centre in London that single contact points in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) can maintain “an open channel of communication” and act as the bridge between a school and CAMHS. Read more...
Government announces funding for UK’s first ever Dementia Research Institute (5 May 2016)
The government has announced that a quarter of a billion pounds has been pledged towards the UK’s first ever Dementia Research Institute (DRI). Read more...
Essex Council welcomes report into looked after children’s mental health services (4 May 2016)
A report into mental health services for looked after children – for which Essex County Council provided written and oral evidence – has found that nearly half of children in care have a diagnosable mental health disorder, with looked after children four times more likely than their non-looked after peers to have a mental health condition. Read more...
Portsmouth library launches “Shelf Help” scheme offering mental health books free to young people (3 May 2016)
Portsmouth Library Service has launched a new scheme to support young people’s mental health, by offering expert endorsed books available to borrow for free. Read more...
CQC seeks patients with experience of mental health care involving stress, anxiety or depression for summer campaign (25 April 2016)
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is asking for people who have received care for depression, anxiety or stress to report their experiences to the CQC in a public awareness campaign running this summer. Read more...
Combined symptoms of depression and metabolic disease may increase risk of Type 2 diabetes (19 April 2016)
Researchers at McGill University in Montreal, Canada and colleagues have found that depression may add to the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes in those with early symptoms of metabolic disease. Read more...
Higher rates of smoking among those with mental health conditions found to lower life expectancy (18 April 2016)
A new report from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) has found that smoking is the biggest contributing factor as to why people with mental health have a lower average lifespan, which is between 10 and 20 years less than the general population. Read more...
European study aims to discover biological markers linked to social withdrawal in mental health conditions (18 April 2016)
Researchers at the University of Exeter and colleagues from European institutions are studying the biological markers involved in social withdrawal, which can be a symptom of several mental health conditions, including schizophrenia, Major Depressive Disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Read more...
Surrey supports mental health with new Safe Haven drop in centre (18 April 2016)
Surrey County Council has opened a café-style drop in centre, which offers help to people with mental health issues. Read more...
President of mental health charity Mind issues apology over sexual abuse comments (18 April 2016)
Mental health charity Mind has responded to comments made by the charity’s honorary president about child abuse victims. Read more...
Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust facing more regulatory action over mental health patients’ deaths (7 April 2016)
NHS Improvement has advised Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust that further regulatory action will be taken, to ensure that the trust improves existing issues quickly – and to ensure that in the future staff can spot and quickly mitigate any future risks to patients and service users. Read more...
Westminster Council launches public consultation on new ways of delivering mental health services (5 April 2016)
Westminster Council and its NHS partners are consulting on a new delivery of mental health services – including a move away from day centres towards tailored support focusing on recovery, with help to enable more people to receive the support they need. Read more...
Kent launches mental health campaign to save the lives of men under pressure (4 April 2016)
Kent County Council has launched a new campaign, which aims to reduce the number of suicides among men. Read more...
Welsh Government announces mental health funding to improve patient support (4 April 2016)
The Welsh Government has announced that, as part of £30 million funding for mental health and older people in 2016-2017, the Welsh Government will invest £2.3m to create new teams to provide extra support – especially in the evening and at night – for people with mental health conditions, including dementia. Read more...
NHS England appeals for opinions on mental health services for Armed Forces veterans (29 March 2016)
NHS England has launched a consultation on mental health services run for veterans.< Read more...
Monitor moves in to improve mental health services at North Essex Partnership Trust (24 March 2016)
The government’s health regulator Monitor has announced that the quality of care provided to mental health patients at the North Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is set to improve, after Monitor stepped in to help the trust make changes to the way it is run. Read more...
Kingston Council appeals for more private landlords to house Syrian refugees (21 March 2016)
Kingston Council is appealing for more private sector landlords to come forward with properties suitable for families who have fled conflict in Syria. Read more...
Kingston secondary pupils tackle mental health issues at conference (21 March 2016)
Kingston and Richmond Councils’ social enterprise company Achieving for Children (AfC) has held a mental health conference for year nine and ten pupils across Kingston, in partnership with Kingston Public Health. Read more...
West Midlands holds listening events to garner opinions of mental health patients and practitioners (21 March 2016)
The West Midland Combined Authority’s (WMCA) Mental Health Commission is collecting evidence from people who have mental health experiences and the knowledge of professional mental health practitioners and organisations by holding a series of listening events across the region. Read more...
Welsh Assembly re-launches anti-domestic violence campaign (16 March 2016)
The Welsh Government is re-running its “Cross the line” campaign to tackle domestic violence, launching on 15 March and running until 5 April. Read more...
Forces veterans invited to give feedback on NHS England mental health services (16 March 2016)
Former serving members of the Armed Forces are being invited to tell NHS England what they think about mental health services, in a survey which will help to shape service provision for the next five years. Read more...
Central Bedfordshire Council promotes new mental health initiative (14 March 2016)
Central Bedfordshire Council and partner organisations are promoting Five Ways to Wellbeing – an initiative to encourage people to think differently about mental health. Read more...
Horsham youth conference addresses mental health issues in teenagers and young adults (14 March 2016)
A mental health convention in Horsham, Surrey has enabled teenagers and young adults to discuss their own assumptions about mental health – and discover that they have much in common with their peers when it comes to mental health issues. Read more...
Barnet council’s programme for helping mental health patients into work accredited as Centre of Excellence (7 March 2016)
A service funded by Barnet Council and delivered by London charity Twining Enterprise has been commended as a Centre of Excellence. Read more...
Mental health charity says prevention is a key strategy in mental health care (29 February 2016)
The Mental Health Foundation has responded to the government’s Mental Health Taskforce Report, saying that the emphasis on preventing mental health conditions is a “pivotal moment”. Read more...
Farm prosecuted after worker suffocates in grain silo while clearing blockage (29 February 2016)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted a farm after a young worker was killed while trying to clear a blockage in a grain bin at Hawick in Scotland. Read more...
Mind mental health charity responds to government’s proposed cuts to ESA (25 February 2016)
The chief executive of mental health charity Mind has responded to MPs in the Commons overturning House of Lords amendments to the Welfare Reform and Work Bill, which would have protected the amount of money paid to those who receive disability benefits. Read more...
New book for mental health professionals deals with mental health at different life stages (22 February 2016)
Shropshire Council has announced that mental health academics from Australia, Wales and England will join with lecturers from the University Centre Shrewsbury (UCS) for the launch their new book, which provides an introduction to mental health at each stage of life. Read more...
New study finds horticultural activities can help mental health patients (18 February 2016)
A review into a nature-based mental health therapy has found that those with a mental health condition may benefit from carrying out horticultural past-times. Read more...
£1.5m funding to help young people set up peer support groups and mental health networks (18 February 2016)
Education Secretary Nicky Morgan has announced £1.5 million in funding to help young people spot signs of mental illness via new peer support networks. Read more...
Minister for Syrian Refugees thanks local authorities for resettlement efforts (17 February 2016)
The Minister for Syrian Refugees Richard Harrington has praised local authorities and encouraged more to come forward and support government plans to resettle Syrian refugees in the UK. Read more...
Extra £1bn annual funding to help mental health patients back into employment (16 February 2016)
The Prime Minister has announced that tens of thousands of people with mental health conditions will be supported to find or return to work. Read more...
Council refurbishes 4,000th home in £50m spending programme (16 February 2016)
Sandwell Council in the West Midlands has completed the refurbishment of a landmark 4,000th home, as part of a £50 million package of repairs and improvements to 6,000 council properties. Read more...
West Sussex Council signs up to Time to Change mental health campaign (15 February 2016)
West Sussex County Council has made a commitment to end the stigma and discrimination people with mental health problems can experience. Read more...
Policing and Crime Bill will take forward government pledge on limiting detention of mental health patients in police cells (10 February 2016)
The Home Office has announced that the government will take forward legislation to greatly restrict the circumstances when a police cell can be used to detain people with mental health conditions. Read more...
Wiltshire Council re-commissions mental health services (9 February 2016)
Mental health charity Rethink Mental Illness has been re-commissioned by Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group and Wiltshire Council to support vulnerable people through crises and help them live independently. Read more...
Council’s mental health campaign to support men reaches 160,000 people in four weeks (1 February 2016)
A campaign started by Buckinghamshire County Council to help improve the mental health of men has attracted nearly 3,000 people to the Heads Up website. Read more...
Council prepares for mental health national campaign day (1 February 2016)
St Helens Council is supporting the national campaign day for mental health on Thursday 4 February – and will encourage residents to join the nation in talking about mental health to help end the misconceptions around it. Read more...
Welsh Government consults on three-year plan to improve mental health services in Wales (25 January 2016)
Welsh Government Health and Social Services Minister Mark Drakeford has announced a new three-year plan to improve mental health services in Wales. Read more...
LGA responds to government announcement of additional funding for mental health (18 January 2016)
The Local Government Association (LGA) has responded to the government’s announcement on additional funding for mental health services. Read more...
Buckinghamshire campaign to support men with mental health anxieties (18 January 2016)
Buckinghamshire County Council has launched a local mental health campaign, which aims to prompt men to recognise if they are feeling low and to take action. Read more...
Government to regenerate sink estates and build safe and affordable homes (12 January 2016)
The Prime Minister has pledged to improve some of the country’s most needy sink housing estates and replace rundown homes with “attractive and safe” housing and affordable homes. Read more...
Government announced £1bn package for mental health services (12 January 2016)
The government has announced a revolution in mental health services, with nearly one £1 billion in investment in mental health. Read more...
£7.2m fund to help mental health patients back into work in Wales (12 January 2016)
The Welsh Government has said that a £7.2 million EU-backed funding programme will help up to 6,000 people recovering from substance misuse and mental health conditions into employment. Read more...