December 2013 - The Australian & New Zealand Mental Health Association

Brittany George December 20, 2013 Mental Health

Women suffer more from mental illness but it suits us to ignore it

By Daniel Freeman, University of Oxford Martin Baggaley pulled no punches last week in his assessment of the dire state of mental health. The Medical Director of the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust said the system was in crisis,…

Brittany George December 17, 2013 Mental Health

Suicide prevention takes more than ‘treating depression’

By Samara McPhedran, Griffith University Suicide prevention in Australia is often represented as, first and foremost, about recognising and getting help and treatment for depression. Everywhere, we are given the message that depression leads to suicide. A search of suicide…

Brittany George December 13, 2013 depression

Long hours at work harm kids as much as parental depression

HARD working parents are putting their kids under as much stress as those with a mental illness, and experts say dads are worst hit by too many hours on the job. A six-year study involving 10,000 Australian families has found…

Brittany George December 10, 2013 Post-natal depression

Childbirth education crucial to overcoming postnatal depression

We have known for a long time that up to one in 10 Australian women will experience depression during pregnancy and that increases to one in seven in the year following birth. Research is now telling us that anxiety during…

Brittany George December 6, 2013 Eating Disorders

Eating Disorders Must Be Recognized As Serious Mental Illnesses

In the U.S. and abroad, the failure of insurers and other gatekeepers to treatment to consistently recognize eating disorders as serious mental illnesses has resulted in an ongoing heath care crisis for sufferers and their families. In response to growing…

Brittany George December 6, 2013 depression, Mental Health, Pharmaceuticals

Big pharmaceutical cuts investment in depression meds

RESEARCH into medications to treat mental health disorders has slowed as major pharmaceutical companies cut back on investment, psychiatrists say. “The companies seem to have concluded that developing new psychiatric drugs is too risky and too expensive,” said Richard Friedman,…

Brittany George December 2, 2013 depression, depressive orders, Mental Health, mental health awareness

Seclusion, restraint of mental health patients can fuel fears, ACT forum told

Locking a distressed person in a padded cell when they are hearing voices could be the worst possible treatment, a conference in Canberra has been told. But the ACT is leading the nation in changing the culture of isolating mental…

Brittany George December 2, 2013 genetics

Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression share genetic roots: study

By Sunanda Creagh, The Conversation Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression share common genetic variations, a new study has found, with researchers saying they can now calculate how much of the risk for developing such disorders can be traced to genes.…