Issue: APRIL 2013
Mental Illness Fellowship NQ Incc
Positive Stories:: Tiana Spence’s Story By living-proof on March 5, 2013
There are 2000 Australians who take their own life per year. I believe this can be reduced. My name is Tiana Spence; I am 18 years old and live in Rockhampton, Queensland. I was a normal 15 year old girl, in Year 11. Loved my life and had the most amazing best friend who I did everything with, we were inseparable. We had plans to grow up together, have formal together, plan each other’s weddings dings and never lose each other. Little did I know that 3 weeks before my 16th birthday I would lose her and have to try what I thought was impossible and try to live my life without the closest person to me. The days following her suicide were horrible. I felt numb and felt like I was watching my body instead of living inside of it. There were moments when I seriously thought it was all a nightmare that I would wake up from. But never did I wake up from that nightmare. I faced it every day. I thought the best way for me to get through was to keep busy and try and keep my mind off it. I felt alone, depressed and felt that I would never get out of it. I moved to distance education in the middle of Year 11 as I could not handle being at school. “What If” were the two words that haunted me and that was all I thought about for the many weeks following her suicide. Always thinking of ways that could have changed the outcome, but knowing that it was too late, that I would never have the chance to go back. Always thinking hinking of things I had done wrong. Wishing she would have just told me that something was wrong. Wishing I could have helped her before it got to this point. After a few months I realised that thinking this way was not helping me through my life, it was making m things worse. Thinking this way would not bring her back it just made me feel horrible. I tried to stop thinking this way knowing that I could not change the outcome, she was gone. A year passed and I was doing okay, still had many nights where I would ld cry myself to sleep. Everyone told me that it would get better, at this point I didn’t believe that, I believed that it would never get better, I just learnt to live with the pain. I had shut out all of my friends except my boyfriend and felt incredibly lonely at times but knew that it was my own fault. At this point I felt that losing her was the worst thing that happened to me and that I didn’t want anyone else to lose their loved ones and go through the pain I did. Continues next page
159 Kings Road Pimlico QLD 4812 PO Box 979 Hyde Park QLD 4812 Tel: (07) 4725 3664 Fax: (07) 4725 3819 Email: townsville@mifnq.org.au
www.mifnq.org.au
Editor: Deborah Wilson, Corporate Development Manager Compilation: Margaret Sleeman Tel: (07) 4725 3664 Fax: (07) 4725 3819 Email: townsville@mifnq.org.au © Mental Illness Fellowship of NQ Inc PO Box 979 Hyde Park QL QLD 4812 All rights reserved. Printing & Design: Mental Illness Fellowship NQ Inc. MIFNQ reserves the right to edit articles for publication. The views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of MIFNQ.
Page 2 of 32 continued from previous page So at that point I decided to make a change in our community for suicide. We started to plan an event for suicide prevention called CQ Alive, at this event we would promote the 7 Warning Signs of Suicide, of which we found and had a psychologist check. Unfortunately this event did not go through as we didn’t have enough youth to organise it. This is where we became CQ Leos (Youth Lions Club) and our main project is to raise awareness for suicide prevention. We have had our 7 Warning Signs of Suicide Cards printed and have been distributing them throughout Rockhampton and have called this project “Alive”. We then took it to the next level and sent it through to the Leos Australia Committee. Alive has recently become the MD201 Leos Project which means the cards will be distributed throughout Australia. Our warning sign cards now say on the back “A Project of Leos Australia, initiated by CQ Leos”. I know she is watching me from above and is so proud of what I have done. I want to see a change not only in my community but all of Australia, I want to stop suicide!!!!
For more information on CQ Leos you can visit their Facebook Page or email: cqleos@hotmail.com If anyone has been affected by reading this story and needs to talk to someone, please call: Lifeline 13 11 14 Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467 Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 Or visit: headspace www.headspace.org.au Reach Out! www.reachout.com Youthbeyondblue (for depression and anxiety and how to help a friend) www.youthbeyondblue.com or 1300 22 4636
Need Help Now? Kids Helpline Free, private and confidential telephone and online counselling service specifically for young people aged between 5 and 25. Telephone Available 24/7 - 1800 55 1800 Chat Online
eheadspace Provides online and telephone support and counselling to young people aged between 12-25. Available 9AM-1AM AEST - 1800 650 890 Chat Online
Lifeline 24 hour crisis support 13 11 14 Online counselling available 8AMmidnight Chat Online
Contact Us
Email: livingproof@mifnq.org.au Facebook: Living Proof – Positive Stories of Mental Illness Twitter: LivingProofQLD Phone: 1800 455 455
Townsville Philippa Harris, Queensland Education & Training Manager
P: 07 4725 3664 Street Address: 159 Kings Road, PIMLICO Q 4812 Postal Address: PO Box 979, HYDE PARK Q 4812
Mackay
Tiana Spence
Sheree Hollywood, Living Proof Project Officer P: 07 4951 2955 Street Address: 14-16 Wood St, MACKAY Q 4740 Postal Address: PO Box 729, MACKAY Q 4740
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Homeless Mental Health at Risk By Sam Davis, ABC, FNQ
In This Edition
5 March, 2013 Medication and psychiatric assessments for far north Queensland's homeless may not be as accessible under the latest health restructure says the Cairns Alliance of Social Services. Last month the Homeless Health Outreach Team was dumped as part of a major restructure to the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital Health Service. The specialist team treated homeless and rough sleepers for disorders like schizophrenia and depression, in some cases finding supported accommodation for at-risk clients. The Alliance's chairperson Helga Biro says the community sector is worried they will not be able to replace the Outreach team's services. "They provide things we can't," she says. "Things like ensuring that services have adequate anti-psychotic medications at hand for highrisk transient clients.”They provide monitoring and primary health interventions. We're talking about clients who have very complex health and wellbeing issues. The whole community sector sees that this will have considerable implications for our clients who are very vulnerable." Efforts to work more cohesively across the sector in recent years means the Outreach team's loss leaves a gap in services Ms Biro says. "Government and social service providers have spent a lot of time money and effort in collaborative and integrated services," she says. "When one part of the service system is lost it kind of throws it into chaos." Ms Biro says she expects to see increased durations of hospitalisation for former clients of the Outreach team as a result of the cuts. "The team was well known for its outreach," she says. "There'll be increased contact between these clients and the hospital's emergency department.”If they're not here to fill the gap then they'll certainly present there." Cairns Hinterland Hospital and Health Service Board announced they would cut more than 200 staff in February, identifying the Homeless Health Outreach Team as a "duplication" of services. Three of the team's staff has been made redundant with the remaining 10 to work with the Acute Care and Community Care teams. Mental health services for the homeless won't be the same without the Homeless Health Outreach Team says CASS chairperson Helga Biro. (Sam Davis - ABC)
Positive Stories: Tiana Spence’s Story ........................................................ 1 Homeless Mental Health at Risk .. 3 Alison Fairleigh – 2013 Qld Rural Women’s Award ................................. 4 Adrianne Hicks – Cairns Region Woman of the Year ............................ 5 Navigating Mental Health at Work ................................................................... 6 Cannabis, cigarette and alcohol use in young mentally ill ................. 7 Mental illness? Insurance companies don't want to know you............................................................ 8 Survey Finds Mental Health Ignorance............................................... 9 $5 Million for Mental Health Research...............................................10 The dark mood and worry of a health crisis ........................................11 Mayo Clinic Update..........................12 Revolutionary scan of unborn baby brains .........................................12 Unseen wounds.................................13 2013 Sunflower Awards................15 Study Reveals Molecular Networks of Mental Health Disorders ..........18 Australian schools 'facing psychological health crisis' ..........19 Australia’s Mental Illness Victims Treated Dismally, says Allan Fels .................................................................20 Can folate and vitamin B12reduce disabling schizophrenia symptoms?..........................................21 US President Obama endorses MHFA.....................................................23 NHS 'ignoring smoking in mental health patients'..................................25 Study shows close relationship between deafness and dementia26 NDIS Passes Parliament ................27 Support Campaign to keep Cairns Hub Open.............................................28 Keep MIFNQ’s Cairns Hub Open Campaign.............................................28 CEO’s Update......................................29 Committee Chatter ..........................30
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Alison Fairleigh – 2013 Qld Rural Women’s Award 19 Mar, 2013 Queensland Country Life
ALISON Fairleigh, a long-time advocate for rural mental health, has won the 2013 Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) Queensland Rural Women’s Award. Agriculture Minister John McVeigh congratulated Ms Fairleigh who was awarded a $10,000 bursary to develop a pilot training program conducted with the Townsville-Mackay Medicare Local. “The pilot project will aim to improve access to frontline health and mental health services for the benefit of farmers and fishers within the region,” Mr McVeigh said in a statement issued early this afternoon. “Alison co-founded RuralMH in 2010 to raise awareness of mental health issues in rural communities and her mission is to ensure that mental health is seen to be just as important as physical health.” Mr McVeigh said the Rural Women’s Award promoted leadership and growth for women across primary industries by identifying and supporting the talents of emerging female leaders through financial and professional support. “This year’s four nominees showcased impressive and diverse project interests ranging from natural resource management and animal welfare to rural mental health and building the skills of women in regional communities,” he said. Mr McVeigh said individually and collectively, the nominees were great examples of how women are improving and supporting Queensland communities and primary industries. “Nominees were judged on how they would use the Queensland bursary prize to develop their proposals for the benefit primary industries,” Mr McVeigh said The award runner up was Terressa Ford. The other Queensland finalists were Robyn Adams and Ursula Keating. Ms Fairleigh will now compete for the national RIRDC Award, to be announced in Canberra on September 10. The Queensland Government coordinates the Award every year, in conjunction with RIRDC, as part of recognising and supporting the innovative contributions rural women make to primary industries. The Award is sponsored by Fairfax Agricultural Media (the publisher of Queensland Country Life), Westpac, ABC Radio and RM Williams Outback Magazine.
Awards Ceremony: Premier’s Hal, Parliament House Brisbane. (left to right: State General Manager Agribusiness, Westpac, Mr Rodney Kelly; Finalist Ursula Keating, Chinchilla; Winner Alison Fairleigh, Ayr; Runner up Terressa Ford, Hughenden; Finalist Robyn Adams, Blackall; and the Hon. John McVeigh MP, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry)
Government Warns of NDIS Scam Pro Bono News Australia Monday, February 11, 2013
The Federal Government has warned people to beware of contact from anyone claiming to work for the Government who tries to make them pay an administration fee to access the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The Minister for Disability Reform, Jenny Macklin, and Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers, Jan McLucas, issued a joint statement in which they warned people against falling for the scam. “These claims are false,” the statement said. “There is no need for people to pay a fee to join the National Disability Insurance Scheme.” The Federal Government is investing $1 billion to launch the first stage of the NDIS in five sites across the country from July this year. The NDIS Launch Transition Agency will deliver the first stage of the NDIS and in the lead up to launch will communicate with many people with disability in the launch sites. However, the government has confirmed that the Agency will not be seeking fees from anyone to participate in the scheme. “People should be very wary of anyone asking for payments for Government schemes, including the NDIS,” the statement said. “If people are concerned that their privacy has been breached or they have provided personal details as a result of one of these calls, they should report it to the police.” A Government spokesperson says the scam appears to have originated in Queanbeyan in the ACT and anyone who has been approached should contact their local police. Suspected scams can be reported to the Government’s Scamwatch website or by calling 1300 795 995. Further queries about the NDIS scam can be sent to helpdesk.fraud@fahcsia.gov.au
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Adrianne Hicks – Cairns Region Woman of the Year Exert Cairns Regional Council, 2 Mar 2013
A long-time advocate for mental health services has been recognised for her contribution to the wellbeing of local people at the 2013 Cairns Region Woman of the Year AwardsAdrianne Hicks, who was involved with many Queensland Health programs for mental health and who lobbied for improved services Naomi Wilson and Adrianne Hicks together at the was nominated for this special morning tea. award by Naomi Wilson. Adrianne has been a tireless worker for the health and wellbeing of people with mental illness and their families and carers for more than 20 years. Having experienced firsthand the challenges associated with caring for a loved one with a mental illness, it was Adrianne’s demonstrated willingness to use that experience to help others that has earned her the title of Woman of the Year. The award was announced at this year’s International Women’s Day Breakfast at the Pullman Cairns International by Mayoress Claire Manning, who chaired the judging panel. Mayor Bob Manning said he did not envy his wife’s task in choosing the Cairns region’s most outstanding woman. "Adrianne is certainly a deserving recipient of the 2013 Cairns Region Woman of the Year Award," Cr Manning said. "She has taken it upon herself to become an ambassador for a cause that affects so many people and is personally supporting individuals and families at the most fragile of times." Ms Hicks was out of town and unavailable to accept her award but was later presented with it by Mayor Bob Manning at a special morning tea held at the Cairns Council Chambers. On receiving the Award, Adrianne says “I really appreciated receiving the Cairns Regional Council’s Award of the Cairns Woman of the Year for my contribution to the improvement of Mental Health Service in the Cairns and Hinterland District – this includes Innisfail, Tully & Mossman”.
Cairns Mayor Bob Manning presenting the Award to Adrianne Hicks.
News in Brief Mental Health Study Identifies Dementia Carers’ Suffering Josh Bavas, ABC News 5 March 2013
A Queensland study has found people who care for dementia sufferers are more likely to contemplate suicide than the general population. About 300,000 Australians suffer from dementia and more than 65 per cent of those are cared for in their own home or by their family. Dr Siobhan O'Dwyer from Griffith University says a survey of 120 carers in Australia and the US found that one in four had contemplated suicide more than once in the past year. "Our results are more than eight times what the general population say, and so if people are thinking about it we need to be really concerned," she said. Carers Queensland spokeswoman Debra Cottrell says the finding highlights the need for more support for those who help dementia sufferers. "They overlook their own health and wellbeing to make sure the person they're caring for gets the very best," she said. Researchers are now looking at the disparity in support for carers in rural and regional areas.
Photo: Researchers are now looking at the disparity in support for carers in rural and regional areas. (Reuters: Michaela Rehle file photo)
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Navigating Mental Health at Work SANE Media Release – 6 Feb 2013
With almost half of Australians likely to experience a mental illness in their lifetime, it is highly likely that we all know someone affected by mental illness or will ourselves experience a mental illness at some point in our career. Research by the national mental health charity, SANE Australia, found that a staggering 95 percent of respondents said employers and managers needed education on mental illness, and training on how to manage its effects in the workplace. ‘How do managers tackle the issue of mental illness at work? It's a major problem throughout Australia, affecting many people and costing the economy over $6.5 billion every year,’ explained SANE Australia’s CEO, Jack Heath. ‘As the recent Report Card of the National Mental Health Commission highlighted, more is required to assist people once they are working,’ Mr Heath added. According to the Commission’s Chair, Professor Allan Fels, employers have a role in raising awareness of mental health and treating it with the same understanding and openness as physical health. A recent survey by SANE Australia found that a majority of the 520 people surveyed said that no support had been provided to them at work when mentally unwell, and less than half of managers (43 percent) had an understanding of mental illness. 'It’s important to promote awareness about mental illness and the factors that contribute to it, such as bullying and work stress. Managers need to take the initiative and raise the topic of mental health in a routine team meeting, to ensure a neutral, open and non-stigmatising forum. ‘We need to understand it’s not a supervisor’s role to diagnose a mental illness nor should a supervisor be expected to be a counselor. They should however have the skills to respond to any early signs of mental health problems in the workplace,’ explains Mr Heath. If a manager or supervisor notices concerning changes in an employee’s work or interactions with other staff, it is appropriate to discuss such changes with them. Consider these four steps, taken from SANE Australia's Mindful Employer program:
Plan a meeting with the staff member – think about what you want to say and stay focused on work-related issues; Set-up the meeting at an appropriate time and place, ensuring the employee feels comfortable and well-supported; Express your concerns in a non-confronting and clear manner – it can be helpful to give examples of what you feel are concerning changes;
Offer support if required, including an employee assistance program (EAP) and how can it assist, suggest your employee visit their GP or discuss possible workplace adjustments. ‘People may have numerous reasons why their work performance is being affected at a particular time, including physical illness or relationship concerns – not necessarily mental illness. We also need respect people’s privacy if they do not want to discuss personal issues.
For more information about the Mindful Employer program, contact Naomi Lehrer at info@mindfulemployer.org This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it visit www.mindfulemployer.org or call SANE on (03) 9682 5933.
Mental Health First Aid Training The Mental Health First Aid Program is run by Mental Health First AidTM (MHFA) Australia, a national non-profit health promotion charity focused on training and research. For further information about MHFA Australia go to: www.mhfa.com.au
Standard Mental Health First Aid covers the most common disorders such as depression, anxiety, psychotic disorders and alcohol and drug problems. 2013 Dates: 9th & 10th Apr 2013 4th & 5th Jun 2013 6th & 7th Aug 2013 8th & 9th Oct 2013 3rd & 4th Dec 2013 Youth Mental Health First Aid is for adults who live or work with young people. This course also addresses self-harm and eating disorders. 2013 dates: 9th & 10th Jul 2013 5th & 6th Nov 2013 Both courses cover the development of a 5-step action plan for mental health first aid, managing suicide, panic attacks, psychotic behaviour and general communication skills. Training Location: Arcadian Surf Lifesaving Club The Strand Rockpool North Ward Qld 4810 Duration: 2 days Cost: $100 per person To register, download Registration Forms from our website at: http://www.mifa.org.au/mentalhealth-first-aid
To find out more contact our Qld Manager Education and Training, Philippa Harris on 4725 3664, or email training@mifnq.org.au.
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Cannabis, cigarette and alcohol use in young mentally ill (Source: The University of Sydney: BMJ Open)
Around one in 10 young teens with mental health issues also drinks alcohol, smokes cigarettes, and uses cannabis on a weekly basis, said Dr Daniel Hermens from the University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Research Institute. This pattern of substance use becomes more common as teenagers grow into young adults, and is likely to contribute to increased risk of poor physical and mental health outcomes. Dr Hermens points out that people with mental health issues are significantly more likely to develop serious health problems and to die early. "Traditionally there have been mental health services, and substance abuse services, but both have been quite separate. Our study shows that we need to integrate mental health interventions with substance use interventions in order to help at-risk young people," said Dr Hermens. "There is a lot of evidence for the co-morbidity of mental health problems and substance misuse. More people have both mental health and substance use problems than either alone - in other words, it's the rule rather than the exception." In a study published in BMJ Open, Dr Hermens and a team of researchers collected information from more than 2000 young people aged 12 to 30, who attended Universityled headspace youth mental health clinics in Camperdown and Campbelltown. Young people seeking help for a wide range of mental health problems provided information on their weekly consumption of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis, with 500 giving more detailed information on their pattern of alcohol consumption. One in eight (12 percent) of young teens aged 12 to 17 drank alcohol at least once a week, rising to almost four out of 10 (39 percent) of 18-19 year olds, and increasing further to close to half of those aged 20 to 30. Those in the youngest age group were twice as likely to say they drank alcohol every week as their peers in the general population. And a significant proportion of those who provided more detailed information on their alcohol consumption were "risky" drinkers, with almost half of those with bipolar disorder falling into this category. Some 7 percent of young teens said they used cannabis at least once a week. The equivalent figures for the other two age groups were 14 percent and 18 percent, respectively. And those in the two younger age groups were more likely to smoke cannabis every day than they were to drink alcohol (3.6 percent versus 1.5 percent and 8.8 percent versus 6.0 percent respectively). Almost one in four (23 percent) of young teens admitted to smoking cigarettes daily, as did one in three (36 percent) of older teens and four out of 10 (41 percent) of those aged 20 to 30. The average age at which these patterns started was 15. And those who used any or all of the three substances were more likely to be male, older, and to have psychotic or bipolar disorder
Mental Health Support Goes Mobile By Gloria Kalache, ABC News Posted Wed Mar 6, 2013
A new mobile phone app is aiming to give young people experiencing mental health issues some hope. The app is the creation of Headspace, a national youth mental health foundation, which specifically targets young people with mental health issues. Titled "The Fifth Army" the app is about engaging young people between the ages of 18 and 25. It focuses on three main issues of concern for that age group, bullying, homophobia and depression. Headspace chief operating officer Chris Tanti says the mobile app is the ideal way to get young people engaged with the issues and to help them recognise the symptoms and signs. "The campaign is unique in directly addressing three massive issues and delivering it to young people in the mediums they feel most comfortable with," he said. The app is broken up into those three categories and once downloaded participants chose which category they want to follow. They are then led through a series of missions, which revolve around answering questions or completing exercises on that subject. Mr Tanti says with suicide being the leading cause of death among Australians under the age of 25, getting the message out about mental health is vital. "We do know that young people are struggling in silence and they're completely isolated, " he said. "The longer these things go on or occur without assistance, other problems emerge so people can then use alcohol as well as a way of medicating against symptoms." Anyone experiencing mental health issues or knows someone who is should contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
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Mental illness? Insurance companies don't want to know you (Source: Mental Health Council of Australia (MHCA) Article Date: 7/2/2013
People with a history of mental illness are regularly discriminated against when they apply for insurance, according to the Mental Health Council of Australia (MHCA). The MHCA has heard many shocking stories of unfair treatment by insurers, who often reject people with mental illness when they try to purchase life insurance, income protection insurance, total and permanent disability insurance and travel insurance. Claims associated with mental illness are usually explicitly excluded in many insurance policies. ‘With 3.2 million people experiencing mental illness in any given year, it is likely that the population of people with a history of mental illness is seriously under-insured’, said MHCA CEO Frank Quinlan. ‘People are often too scared to disclose mental illness because they don’t want to be “branded” as uninsurable.’ The MHCA will give evidence alongside beyondblue at a hearing of the Senate Inquiry into the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012 in Melbourne. In its joint submission to the Inquiry, the MHCA and beyondblue draw attention to the negative treatment of people with mental illness by insurance companies. Stories from consumers were also captured in the 2011 MHCA report on Mental Health, Discrimination and Insurance. ‘Insurers don’t seem to possess even a basic knowledge of mental health issues,’ Mr Quinlan said. ‘Just seeing a counsellor is apparently regarded by insurance companies as a major risk – even if someone has never been diagnosed with a mental illness.’ Insurance companies sometimes allow people with a mental illness to purchase cover if they have been without symptoms or have not sought treatment for a given period. ‘Unfortunately, this can mean that people avoid seeking help at the very time that they most need it, just so they can qualify for insurance. Insurers are actually promoting poorer mental health by discouraging people to seek help and get treatment. We can’t stand by and let this continue’, said Mr Quinlan. ‘The Mental Health Council of Australia supports beyondblue’s call for people who have experienced discrimination by insurers to take their complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission, and, if they don’t get satisfaction, onto the Federal Court,’ Mr Quinlan concluded.
News in Brief Breaking the Cycle of Depression and Anxiety 15 January 2013 The Honourable Mark Butler MP
A new DVD for parents with mental illness, launched on 15 January, will help them to be open and talk about their mental health issues with their children. Mr Butler said over a million Australian children live in a household where at least one parent has a mental illness and this was a significant indicator that a child may grow up with their own mental health challenges. “It is estimated that up to 23 per cent of children live in a household where mental illness is experienced and these children obviously face some unique challenges,” Mr Butler said. “We know that these children are at greater risk of developing a mental health or substance abuse issue.” “We’re encouraging parents to be open and talk about their mental health issue with their children and the DVD is designed to help start the conversation. Many parents find it tough to talk about their experience of depression and anxiety with their children, yet talking about the problem helps the whole family to manage together.” Funded by the Australian Government, the DVD, called Family Focus, is based on an approach developed by US-based Dr William Beardslee, an internationally acclaimed specialist in mental illness prevention. It was developed in collaboration with Australian psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health nurses, occupational therapists, social workers, researchers and Australian parents and children with lived experience of parental depression/anxiety. The DVD is available for free from the Family Focus website
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Survey Finds Mental Health Ignorance Clifford Fram, AAP National Medical Writer From: AAP February 26, 2013
AUSTRALIANS are quick to use psychiatric terms to describe everyday feelings but many lack basic knowledge about mental illness. Research by the National Mental Health Commission has found many Australians, in fact, "don't know a single sign to look out for". A report on the research, titled Can we talk ... about mental health and suicide? is based on informal group discussions in several cities. Australians have stories to tell but "are struggling to make sense of mental health and suicide", says National Mental Health Commissioner Janet Meagher. She says about one third of Australians will experience a mental health difficulty at some stage, with the figure rising close to half when disorders related to drugs or alcohol are included. However, fewer than half of these seek help from a health service. "This study highlights the stigma ... is still one of the biggest barriers to treatment," she said at the release of the report in Sydney on Tuesday. Another commissioner, Jackie Crowe, said: "We need to talk more about mental illness and suicide, and treat it as we would any other illness. "We need to make it easier for people to talk to friends, family and colleagues about how they are feeling." Ms Meagher, who has lived with schizophrenia since the 1970s, expressed concern about people who trivialised serious issues like anxiety and depression through careless use of language. "People know the terms but they don't truly know what they mean." She said it was important for people to respond in a helpful way if someone tried to open up. "Ask how you can help." In her own experience of being suicidal "nobody asked what I needed. They all told me." She said it was not helpful to try and rationalise with a suicidal person and tell them about all the "happy things" in their life. "Tell them you don't have the answers but you will be at their side and you will find out together." Resources to start with include a helpline, a GP or a religious leader. * Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467
Helping people with mental illness to be
Group Support Program A supportive program for tobacco smokers with a mental illness Would you like to quit or cut down tobacco? Join the Tobacco & Mental Illness teams peer supported 10 week tobacco program and get information about what options there are for people who want to make changes. The group provides a positive and supportive place to work on smoking and is for people who are: Just thinking about quitting. Wanting to cut back. Really keen to stop smoking.
For more information please phone 0434 742 322 to register your interest, or email tobaccocessation@mifnq.org.au
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$5 Million for Mental Health Research 31 January 2013
Joint Release by: The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP Minister for Health The Hon Mark Butler MP Minister for Mental Health and Ageing Minister for Social Inclusion Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Mental Health Reform Suicide prevention, substance abuse and better mental health planning will be the focus of research efforts at two new Centres of Research Excellence based at the University of NSW. Minister for Health Tanya Plibersek and Minister for Mental Health Mark Butler today opened the two new Centres of Research Excellence in Sydney which will focus their work on mental health. Ms Plibersek said the centres formed part of the Government’s 2011 Budget commitment of $26.2 million over five years to strategic investment in mental health research. “Minister Butler and I are delighted to open these centres as part of the Government’s strategic investment in mental health research priorities through the National Health and Medical Research Council,” Ms Plibersek said. “Centres of Research Excellence work to achieve real health gains for Australians. They support the transfer of research outcomes into improved knowledge, better health systems and improved treatment for individuals and their families.” Mr Butler said the two centres would play an important role in advancing our understanding of correlations between substance use and mental health, as well as improve suicide prevention efforts. “Mental health and substance use disorders account for more years of life lost due to disability than any other disorders, and often occur together, affecting more than 300,000 Australians every year.” “These two research centres will identify strategies which encourage people to seek help, and give us better evidence about the appropriate mix of services and support, and help us better understand the impact of substance use on mental health.” “I look forward to the seeing the outcomes produced by both the Centre for Research Excellence in Suicide Prevention and Centre for Research Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use Translating Innovative Prevention and Treatment,” Mr Butler said. Details of the Centres: Professor Helen Christensen, UNSW Black Dog Institute, received $2.5 million to improve suicide prevention in Australia through better implementation of effective interventions, improved risk identification and evidence informed policy. Professor Maree Teesson, UNSW National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre received $2.5 million to address mental health and substance use and to examine innovative prevention and treatment. For more information, contact Mr Butler’s office on 02 6277 7280
Peptides could help treat Parkinson's by: Patrick Caruana, AAP March 19, 2013
THE hormones at the centre of the Australian sports doping scandal are being investigated for their potential to treat Parkinson's disease. Australian scientists are exploring the use of peptides, which help human cells to repair and regenerate, to combat the degenerative nerve illness. Parkinson's disease occurs when the cells that produce the chemical dopamine die or become damaged. It is characterised by involuntary shaking and muscle stiffness. Deakin University researcher Dr Richard Williams, who is working with scientists from the Australian National University and the Florey Neuroscience Institute, said peptides could be used to effectively build a new brain. He said the team had already created the tissue structure needed for cells to grow. The project aims to combine this tissue with a patient's own stem cells to regenerate dopamine cells. "We expect that when implanted the material and stem cells would be accepted by the brain as normal tissue and grow to replace the damaged or dead cells," Dr Williams said. Dr Williams said the creation of the tissue structure also had the potential to treat parts of the body which struggle to repair themselves, such as cartilage, muscle and heart cells, bones and teeth. "Ultimately, it will be like taking your car to the garage to have new parts fitted to replace the worn-out ones," he said. An Australian Crime Commission report last month identified widespread misuse of prohibited peptides in professional sport.
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The dark mood and worry of a health crisis ABC Radio, Published 07/03/2013 Posted by Cathy Johnson, Health & Human Interest
Having a heart attack, a major injury, or being diagnosed with a serious illness is something few of us see coming. So it’s hardly surprising such events can leave people with feelings of sadness, fear and disbelief, as well as grief over the loss of their health and life as they knew it. It's common to ask questions such as “why me?”, “am I going to die?” or “what will happen to my family?” Often this emotional distress is exacerbated by the effects of treatment such as tiredness, pain, and social isolation. But the impact of all this mental turmoil is under-recognised. Serious health incidents can increase a person’s risk of developing depression or anxiety, according to the mental health organisation beyondblue, which has recently released a new pamphlet to raise awareness of this issue and to help people take action when it happens. Beyondblue ambassador David Corduff joined Dr Norman Swan on ABC Radio National's Health Report last week to share how he coped after he was told he had to have surgery for a faulty heart valve. Depression or anxiety is not only unpleasant, it can reduce a person’s ability to cope with their physical health issues, and may even predispose them to further physical health problems. It can make it harder to find the energy to eat healthily, exercise or take medication regularly. And in the case of heart attacks, the depression that develops afterwards in up to 40 per cent of cases is linked to longer recovery times along with a higher risk of another heart attack or dying. This might be in part because the depression causes “stickier” blood that clots more easily, as well as changes in the nervous system. Rates of depression in people recovering from heart attacks are around twice that in the general population, says Melbourne cardiac researcher Professor David Hare. Since depression is already common in communities, affecting one in eight men and one in five women in their lifetime, this is significant. Of course some emotional response to a major health event is expected. “For some people though, feeling intensely worried or upset may continue and can affect everyday life," beyondblue says. If your distress is ongoing, or you’re not sure if its intensity is normal, the organisation urges you to talk to a health professional. “You are not ‘going crazy’ and you are not ‘weak’,” it says. It points out there is a range of effective treatments for depression and anxiety and that most people who get the right treatment recover. Some words from an expert who’s spoken to us in the past on the impact of stress on our physical health might also be worth pondering: “Life events happen, we can't modify that, but what we can modify is the manner in which we cope with it,” says Professor Craig Anderson from the George Institute for Global Health. “Your personality is what it is and you can't really change that, but to a certain extent you can change your behaviour and how you cope with stress.” Since there seems to be evidence stress can be harmful to physical health, why wait for a health crisis to learn how to deal better with it? These resources may help Don't stress and Build your stress fitness.
Family Focus: A new mental health resource January 18, 2013 By Harrison Tippet , www.givenow.com.au
A new DVD has been released to help parents talk to children about their own depression or anxiety. The DVD, Family Focus, has been produced by Children of Parents with a Mental Illness (COPMI), a national initiative that promotes better mental health outcomes for children of parents with a mental illness. Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said more than a million Australian children currently lived in families where a parent had anxiety or depression. “Up to 23 per cent of children live in a household where mental illness is experienced and these children face some unique challenges,” Mr Butler said. “We know that these children are at greater risk of developing a mental health or substance abuse issues.” Board Director of the national depression initiative beyondblue Michael Baigent said many parents faced a dilemma when considering whether to discuss their mental health issues with their children, and what they should say. “This DVD is the first Australian resource of its kind that helps parents communicate with their children about their mental illness,” Mr Baigent said. Family Focus was developed in collaboration with Australian psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health nurses, occupational therapists, social workers and parents and children with experience of parental depression and anxiety. Family Focus shows the impact of depression and anxiety through two short films. The first film is designed for parents to watch alone, and the second film is for parents to watch with their children. Family Focus was developed by the COPMI initiative, funded by the Australian Government and is supported by beyondblue
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Mayo Clinic Update
Poems
Mayo Clinic Researchers Identify Possible Treatment Window for Memory Problems Researchers have identified a possible treatment window of several years for plaques in the brain that are thought to cause memory loss in diseases such as Alzheimer's. The Mayo Clinic study is published in the Feb. 27 online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. "Our study suggests that plaques in the brain that are linked to a decline in memory and thinking abilities, called beta amyloid, take about 15 years to build up and then plateau," says lead author Clifford Jack, Jr., M.D., a Mayo Clinic radiologist, and the Alexander Family Professor of Alzheimer's Disease Research at Mayo Clinic. For the study, 260 people ages 70 to 92 had two or more brain scans over an average of 1.3 years to measure plaque buildup in their brains. Of the participants, 22 percent had impaired thinking abilities or memory at the start of the study. The study found that the rate of buildup accelerates initially, then slows before plateauing at high levels. The rate of plaque accumulation was highest in those with midrange levels at the start of the study. Those with low levels or high levels of the plaques as the study began had lower rates of plaque buildup. The study also found that the rate of buildup of plaques was more closely tied to the total amount of amyloid plaques in the brain than other risk factors, such as the level of cognitive impairment, age and the presence of the APOE gene, a gene linked to Alzheimer's disease. "Our results suggest that there is a long treatment window where medications may be able to help slow buildup of the amyloid plaques that are linked to cognitive decline," Dr. Jack says. "On the other hand, trying to treat the plaque buildup after the amyloid plaque load has plateaued may not do much good."
Revolutionary scan of unborn baby brains by: Jonathan Leake The Sunday Times (UK) February 11, 2013
SCIENTISTS are to scan the brains of 500 unborn babies using a revolutionary imaging technology in an attempt to trace the origins of mental disabilities such as autism, attention deficit disorders and schizophrenia. The team, led by researchers from King's College London, will use a powerful magnetic resonance imaging system to map how brain cells grow and connect. The system, linked to supercomputers, can "see" into the wombs of pregnant women, taking pictures of their babies' brains even while the foetuses are wriggling around. The aim is to create a diagram of the neural wiring inside the foetal and infant brain. It will show how brain structures such as the cerebral cortex, where thinking occurs, or the hippocampus, which is central to memory, form and are connected. Scientists increasingly believe that tracing such connections holds the key to understanding how the brain works -- and why it goes wrong.
Magician’s Magic By Imogen Rogers Today is fresh Overcast like a magician’s magic Roaming in the dark To catch a wandering beast Moonlight is half curbed It falls under my bed To keep me safe Waxing, waning still in the misty air A tinker’s parade last night As I embarked on the glittering street. So many wares, so many tears. I have a sore head this morning, I tried to disappear last night, But it only lasted for a second. I like this reality stuff, It chills me to the bone But I woke up at home Comfortable I was alone.
Inspirational Quotes
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Unseen wounds By David Sutherland & Paula Caplan, Philly.com February 10, 2013
Leaving the war is half the battle. Leaving the war behind is the other. How everyday efforts can help veterans be civilians again. There’s no mystery, but people talk as though there is. Some leaders in the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as some psychotherapists and other citizens, express puzzlement about why, in the last 11 years, the rates of suicides, family breakdown, substance abuse, and homelessness among war veterans have steadily risen.VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki spoke recently about suicide without offering explanations beyond “some increased level of stress,” scant improvement over a Defense Department press release titled “Uncertainty About Military Suicides Frustrates Services.” Is there really a mystery? Do we really not know why 22 veterans take their own lives every day – 70 percent among vets over age 50? Or why veterans are 50 percent more likely to end up without a home than other Americans? Why the divorce rate among military couples has increased 42 percent during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq? How it is that nearly two million veterans from all wars are substance abusers? Based on our years of on-the-ground and clinical experiences, respectively, working with veterans, we believe there is no mystery. Four primary factors cause the emotional devastation and moral anguish that plague so many who have been to war. First, war is vile. Imagine holding in your arms a 5-year-old girl shot in the face by an insurgent because her father served in the Iraqi police force. Or driving in a convoy, with children running playfully beside you, when a terrorist drives his pickup into the children, killing them all. The horror and barbarism are chilling: comrades die, innocents are maimed, local “friendly” forces betray you. Contributing to veterans’ suffering is the soul-crushing isolation most experience when they return home. Friends and family rarely know what these men and women have experienced, and many veterans hesitate to talk openly for fear of upsetting loved ones, facing harsh judgment, or simply not being understood. For many, the silence and isolation continue for decades. Increasing the isolation is the fact that people traumatized by war are often mislabeled as mentally ill. The “disorder” labels most often used – post-traumatic stress, major depressive, generalized anxiety, bipolar – further distance veterans from their communities. Civilians assume that they are unqualified to help, believing that only therapists have the needed tools. Nothing we propose precludes veterans from seeking help from a therapist. Anyone who is suffering deserves attention and care, and for some, that might include traditional approaches used by therapists. However, not all suffering constitutes a mental disorder, and our nation’s knee-jerk reaction to call all war trauma “mental illness” ends up hurting veterans. Even something as simple as listening can make a difference. Veterans taking part in the Welcome Johnny and Jane Home project reported continues next page
Why IQs Fall if Schizophrenia is in the Family 25 February 2013 www.elseviermentalhealth.com
PEOPLE with schizophrenia in the family have a higher chance of their IQ falling as they age even if they do not develop the mental illness. Scientists say a study shows genes associated with schizophrenia influence the brain in different ways. In 1947 researchers tested the IQs of more than 1,000 people in the Edinburgh area at the age of 11. The tests were repeated when they were in their 70s. None of the subjects developed schizophrenia but DNA examinations found those with a higher predisposition to the condition had lower IQs in later life. Ian Deary, of Edinburgh University's centre for cognitive ageing and cognitive epidemiology, said: 'Retaining our thinking skills as we grow older is important for living well and independently. If nature has loaded a person's genes towards schizophrenia, then there is a slight but detectable worsening in cognitive functions between childhood and old age.' Andrew McIntosh, of the university's centre for clinical brain sciences, said: 'With further research into how these genes affect the brain, it could become possible to understand how genes linked to schizophrenia affect people's cognitive functions as they age.' The study, funded by Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Age UK and the Chief Scientist Office, is published in Biological Psychiatry.
Page 14 of 32 continued from previous page thatt having the chance to tell their stories was helpful and healing, according to a study conducted at the Harvard Kennedy School. And citizens can speak up. Our military and political leadership need to hear that Americans care about our veterans and are willing w to do their part to help. As our military men and women continue to return, scarred and battered, American communities must not isolate veterans. Avoid the misplaced labels of mental illness. Listen. Help veterans heal on their own terms and at their eir own speed. With the right community support, with deep connections, our veterans will truly come home. Finally, psychotropic drugs often intensify the veterans’ suffering and isolation. Once labeled with a mental illness, veterans are routinely prescribed cribed cocktails of psychiatric drugs that alter in troubling ways their emotions and cognition. Tragically, the kinds of harm the drugs can cause include precisely those that are increasing among service members and veterans: suicide, family breakdown, substance s abuse, and homelessness. Many senior Defense officials have voiced their concern about the dangerous effects of these drugs. There are many effective and nonpathologizing solutions to the epidemic problems destroying our war veterans. All of us – including the military, the VA, and mental-health professionals – must stop automatically labeling war veterans “mentally ill.” Being shaken to the core by war is a deeply human reaction. Calling it mental disorder alienates veterans from themselves and their communities and causes moral anguish. It blinds civilians to veterans’ pain and cuts civilians off from their common humanity with those who have gone to war. There are low-risk risk ways that community leaders or any citizen can help veterans heal, primarily arily helping them create or connect, which in turn will help their communities. Unlike drugs, these do not have dangerous side effects, and they could not differ more from the isolation intensified by labeling and drugging. These options include involving ng veterans in mentoring, volunteering, meditation, promoting the arts, sports and recreation, nonprofit leadership, and political action, and providing them service animals for connection and comfort. The recent “A Better Welcome Home” conference at Harvard Harva Kennedy School’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation featured several examples. David Sutherland is a retired U.S. Army colonel and director of the Center for Military and Veterans Community Services (Dixon Center)
Paula J. Caplan is a Harvard University psychologist and author of “When Johnny and Jane Come Marching Home: How All of Us Can Help Veterans”
Words of Wisdom
2013 Sunflower Awards Nomination Form Category (see overleaf for category details)
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2013 Sunflower Awards
If nominating for more than one category, please use a separate Nomination Form for each category Employer Achievement Award Employee Achievement Award Mental Health & Wellbeing Community Award Mayor’s Recovery Award Outstanding Reform/Service Coordination Award Media Award Cairns Mackay Townsville Region: Name of Nominee: Phone Number:
Mobile:
Email: Employment/Volunteering Details (if applicable) Company: Contact Person: Phone Number:
Mobile:
Email: Why do you feel your Nominee deserves to be recognized? (Please provide as much detail as possible eg., what services or support they provide? How have they worked to improve services or achieve recovery? How long they have been providing their services or support? How have they made a difference to you or your family?) Attach additional pages if necessary.
Nominations Close: Friday 26th April 2013 Name of Nominator: Phone Number: Email:
Mobile:
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Category Information Sheet Employer Achievement Award
For an employer who has shown outstanding commitment to support the recovery of an individual, or group of people, in the workplace. Employment is a key component in the recovery process to many people and a core part of social inclusion.
Employee Achievement Award
For an employee who has made an outstanding contribution to the workplace as part of their recovery journey. This award outlines that effective social inclusion not only benefits the individual, but employers and the community as a whole.
Outstanding Reform/Service Coordination Award
For a service initiative that has demonstrated the ability to effectively integrate/co-ordinate services, in order to provide better outcomes for consumers and their families. This award is open to government and nongovernment providers. COAG mental health reforms have recognized the importance of integrated service initiatives. Recovery requires a range of opportunities and only through co-operation can this best be provided.
Mayor’s Recovery Award
A special award to recognize an individual who has made great strides in their recovery and, who is an example of what is possible. This award recognizes that recovery is a personal journey and stories of success bring hope and encouragement to others.
Media Award
An individual or media organization that has provided high quality coverage of issues relating to emotional health and wellbeing. This award recognizes the role media has to play if we are to promote social inclusion in our community.
Mental Health & Wellbeing Community Award An individual or organization that has given exceptional support to the promotion of mental health and wellbeing awareness throughout the community.
Nominations and Judging
While it is appreciated that you may wish to nominate members of MIFNQ’s Management Committee or staff, to preserve the integrity of these Awards, they are not eligible for nomination.
A person/organization can be nominated in more than one category with a separate Nomination Form to be completed for each category with the “Reason for Award” addressing that specific category.
Members of the Judging Panel include a MIFNQ Committee representative (or a senior member of staff), a representative from Daybreak Rotary and at least two other representatives from mental health community organizations. Where there may be a perceived conflict of interest between a judge and a nominee, that judge shall step aside in that category. The decision of the independent judging panel is final.
Finalists in all categories are invited to attend the Award ceremony as our guest. Each finalist can also bring along one guest for free (this does not include travel and accommodation).
How to Lodge Nomination Form:
Online: www.mifa.org.au/schizophrenia-awareness-week-1 Or by faxing, mailing or delivering in person to MIFNQ’s Townsville Office.
Further Information:
Contact the Chief Executive Officer or Corporate Development Manager, MIFNQ (details below). Mental Illness Fellowship NQ Inc
A Member of the Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia PO Box 979, HYDE PARK QLD 4812 P: 07 4725 3664 | F: 07 4725 3819 | E: awards@mifnq.org.au
www.mifnq.org.au
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An opportunity for us to recognise individuals who have made great strides in their recovery, and who are an example of what is possible. They also acknowledge the efforts and achievements of many wonderful derful individuals and organisations who work, volunteer or support our mission, vision and values. WHEN:
Thursday 16th May 2013 7:00am (registration registration from 6:30am)
WHERE:
The Ballroom, Mercure Townsville Woolcock Street Hyde Park
TICKET PRICES: (Hot Buffet et Breakfast inclusive of GST) MIFNQ Participants \ Pensioners: $5 Full Time Students: $15 MIFNQ & Daybreak Rotary Members: $20 General Public: $40
BOOKING FORM Guest 1: .................................................................................. ................................ Organisation: .......................................................................... ................................ Telephone: ..........................
Mobile: .....................................
Email: ................................................................ ..................................................... Guest 2: .................................................................................. ................................ Guest 3: .................................................................................. ................................ Guest 4: .................................................................................. ................................ Guest 5: .................................................................................. ................................ Guest 6: .................................................................................. ................................ Guest 7: .................................................................................. ................................ Guest 8: .................................................................................. ................................ Guest 9: .................................................................................. ................................ Guest 10: ................................................................................ ................................ PAYMENT DETAILS: No. of guests: ..........Total Due: $.................. Cash or Cheque (Cheques payable to Mental Illness Fellowship NQ Inc.) Please ensure full contact details are provided for invoicing. RSVP DETAILS: Tuesday 7th May 2013 P: 4725 3664 | E: awards@mifnq.org.au Please advise special dietary requirements
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Study Reveals Molecular Networks of Mental Health Disorders www.virtualmedicalcentre.com 18 March 2013
Early diagnosis and intervention for ADHD, autism and schizophrenia could be made possible after Australian scientists discovered the molecular networks in the brain showing psychiatric and developmental disorders. Scientists at The University of Queensland's (UQ) Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) said their discovery of the molecular networks of the disorders was a step up from existing behavioural testing used to diagnose ADHD, autism, schizophrenia and X-linked intellectual disability - a mental retardation affecting men who have a single X chromosome. QBI's Associate Professor Charles Claudianos said the discovery would allow for a hypothetical ‘gene network model' that could be used to analyse the many candidate genes and predict the association of genetic screening data with autism, ADHD and schizophrenia. “For example, early diagnosis and clinical intervention will hopefully lead to better cognitive and psychosocial outcomes for an individual with autism, and associated benefits for family members and public health spending,” Associate Professor Claudianos said. He said many studies had identified candidate gene associations for these mental health disorders, but previous studies had been conducted in a piecemeal fashion with little regard to the molecular complexity or genetic links between disorders. “We undertook a global and systematic approach to build and integrate all the available genetic data linked to autism, X-linked intellectual disability, ADHD and schizophrenia," he said. “The discovery of a large gene network comprised of 4000 genes represents a significant advance in understanding the basis of mental health disorders. "This gene network was successfully validated using cohort data from six recent disorder studies. “Although our analysis show that the many genetic variations with the four disorders can affect the same molecular pathways and biological functions, including how nerve cells connect (synapses), there are patterns of variation that define significant differences between disorders.” Associate Professor Claudianos said this demonstrated that no two disorders were likely to be the same. “Pinpointing the biological structure of an individual disorder will potentially allow for accurate application of therapeutic agents,” he said.
Upcoming Events MOVIE MORNING – ANZAC TRIBUTE - 20th April 2013 “Beneath Hill 60” Thuringowa Central Library, 86 Thuringowa Drive 10:00 am – 1:00pm FREE
Anzac Day - 25 April
2013
SERVICES
Townsville
City Dawn Service: 5:30am - Anzac Park Cenotaph (The Strand) Parade: 9:30am – along the Strand Thuringowa Dawn Service: 5:45am Thuringowa Cenotaph (next to Dan Gleeson Park) Parade: 10:30am
Cairns
Dawn parade and wreath laying - 5:30am at the Cenotaph in front of Cairns RSL Commemoration Parade 9:15am from Fogarty Park along Esplanade to Munro Martin Park Observance Ceremony - 9:30am Munro Martin Park
Mackay Dawn Service: 5:00am - at Jubilee Park, Corner Alfred and Wellington streets Main Service: 9:30am: at Jubilee Park, Corner Alfred and Wellington streets. Mackay & District Australian South Sea Islander Assoc. Inc ANZAC Day Service: 3:00pm -. Meet at Ram Chandra Place, City Gates, West Mackay
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Australian schools 'facing psychological health crisis' www.abc.net.au/news 26 March 2013
Australian schools need more psychologists to combat a crisis of cyber-bullying, self-harm and suicide attempt among students, experts say. With one school psychologist for every 3,000 students in some states and territories, psychologists say students are not getting the mental health support they need. Australian and overseas experts in school psychology are meeting in Melbourne today to discuss the issue. Dr Monika Thielking, a researcher at Swinburne University and convenor of the Psychologists In Schools Interest Group, is speaking at the event. Dr Thielking says Australian schools need more psychologists. "We have ratios of anything between one to 500, right up to one psychologist to 3,000 students," she told ABC News Breakfast. "It is really low. Mental health is real and it's an issue we should be taking seriously, and early intervention for children is important." She says student issues range from cyber bulling to anxiety and depression. "Cyber-bullying is huge," she said. "We also have in some areas a real crisis around young people who are self-harming and suicide attempt as well.�Particularly in remote areas of Australia there are children that aren't being given the types of mental health support that they need." Dr Thielking is calling for action from the state and federal governments. "We see a big need for psychologists in schools in Australia," she said. "We know that students that are mentally healthy do better at school, and psychologists are there not only to diagnose problems, but to also assist parents and teachers themselves in creating a positive school environment. Call for reform Professor Mark Terjeson from St John's University in New York is also attending the conference. He will be speaking about the highlyregarded American school counselling services. "In the US there are both state and national standards for school psychology training, and there are also international standards," he said. "That is one of the things we have been looking at, to see what standards could best meet the needs of the students in schools in Australia. "We do need to be careful in taking a model that exists in other countries and assuming the same model will work in Australia. "There are very unique aspects of the school setting and family setting and the problems children may have, so we need to be careful to collaborate a working relationship to build the profession to best meet the needs of students." Professor Terjeson says historically, school psychology focuses on assessing and identifying students with learning disabilities. "However, we have seen a shift in the last five to 10 years of more mental health services dealing with anxiety, dealing with depression, and the prevalence of autism internationally has continued to increase as well," he said. "So we have made shifts in terms of our training to focus on some of those areas and those are things that we are working on developing here also."
News in Brief Mental Health Spending Increasing Sky News, 27 March 2013
Spending on mental health services has ballooned by almost half a billion dollars, to $309 per Australian. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) says figures for 2010/11 show a rise in spending of $450 million from the previous financial year, to $6.9 billion. Of that more than $4.2 billion was spent on state and territory services, with $1.8 billion focused on public hospitals. 'This (total spending) equates to about $309 spent per Australian on mental health-related services in 2010/11, an increase from $248 per Australian in 2006/07,' AIHW spokeswoman Pamela Kinnear said. The AIHW said the federal government's spending on mental health services was also on the rise, with $852 million paid in Medicare benefits. 'Almost nine per cent of all prescription subsidies in 2010/11 were mental health-related, totalling $834 million, or $38 per Australian,' Dr Kinnear said.
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Australia’s Mental Illness Victims Treated Dismally, says Allan Fels Natasha Brita, National Social Editor News Limited Network, 21 March 2013
Living Proof News Annie Boulton Local Co-Ordinator (WB), 30 January 2013
Burnett State College Teacher's Professional Development
THE federal government's top mental health adviser has criticised Australia's "dismal'' treatment of mental illness. National Mental Health Commission chairman Allan Fels said a "blind eye'' was often turned to mental illnesses afflicting one in five Australians. "It's never been given the priority it should,'' he said. "Australian mental health policy has been quite good - but the implementation has been dismal.'' Professor Fels said up to four per cent of the population - including his daughter Isabella, who has schizophrenia - suffers from severe mental illness, while 15 per cent have "severe evere mental health problems''. "We're turning a blind eye to the serious and often hidden mental health problems in the community,'' he said. "And this is certainly not a 'lucky country' for our indigenous population.'' Professor Fels called on the federal,l, state and territory governments to do more to improve Aboriginal mental health by funding it through their official "Closing the Gap'' program. "The suicide rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is over twice that of other Australians,'' he said. "Persons with mental health problems are more prone to having alcohol and drug problems, in any part of the world." Professor Fels said higher rates of mental illness among Aboriginal people could be a legacy of the "stolen generation'', when Aboriginal original children were taken from their families. The commission predicts that nearly half Australia's adult population will experience mental illness - including depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder or alcohol or drug abuse - at some point in their lives. It estimates that 7.3 million Australians aged 16 to 85 have already suffered mental illness, and 3.2 million will experience it in any year. Official statistics show nearly a million Australians are using MedicareMedicare subsidised counselling with a psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker each year. The number of patients in therapy is growing by 20 per cent annually 10 times faster than the number on anti-depressant anti and anti-anxiety drugs. Need help? Phone Lifeline 13 11 14
On the 24th January, Trev, Annie & our latest recruit, Dan Boulton went to Gayndah and presented Professional rofessional Development to a group oup of 30+ teac teachers. The focus was on resilience, prevention, revention, the symptoms of Mental Illness and where to get help. Using the toxic thinking app as our framework, we started with the basics of food, water & sleep. We asked the teachers to give us the symptoms for a lack of each of these and then how that affected thinking, nking, feelings and behaviour. We then hen asked them to see the similarities to the symptoms of mental illness, thus demonstrating the importance of self care in maintaining mental health health. We all shared our personal stories throughout the delivery. Dan had just finished his Living Proof training and was keen to share his personal story of anxiety in early high school and the strategies he employed. The teachers were very eager to chat to Dan about issues facing yo young people especially around technology. Dan is 16 and this year completes Yr12. It was a great opportunity for the teachers to relate their concerns to a student. Dan did a great job answering questions and helped them see the positives in technology as w well. It was encouraging to hear teachers relating their stories and experiences throughout the 90 minute ute session, ie getting through college on 2 minute noodles and family members with mental illness. We left them equipped with a wristband for the Toxic Thinking inking App and the Living Proof class notes for each teacher. Great tools for awareness, early intervention and to pass on to their students.
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Can folate and vitamin B12 reduce disabling schizophrenia symptoms?
New Partnership in Mental Health
Source: www.virtualmedical centre.com
Can folate ate and vitamin B12 reduce disabling schizophrenia symptoms? Adding the dietary supplements folate and vitamin B12 to treatment with antipsychotic medication improved a core symptom component of schizophrenia in a study of more than 100 patients. The study focused on negative symptoms of schizophrenia – which include apathy, social withdrawal, and a lack of emotional expressiveness. While the level of improvement across all participants was modest, results were more significant in individuals carrying specific ific variants in genes involved with folate metabolism. The report from a team based at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) will appear in the journal JAMA Psychiatry (formerly Archives of General Psychiatry) and has been issued online. "The symptoms of schizophrenia chizophrenia are complex, and antipsychotic medications provide no relief for some of the most disabling parts of the illness. These include negative symptoms, which can be particularly devastating," says Joshua Roffman, MD, MMSc, of the MGH Department of Psychiatry, corresponding author of the JAMA Psychiatry paper. "Our finding that folate plus vitamin B12 supplementation can improve negative symptoms opens a new potential avenue for treatment of schizophrenia. Because treatment effects differed based on which genetic variants were present in each participant, the results also support a personalised medical approach to treating schizophrenia." An essential nutrient, folate (or folic acid) is required for the synthesis of DNA and neurotransmitters and plays a role in the control of gene expression. Adequate folate intake during pregnancy can reduce the risk of birth defects – in particular neural tube defects – and studies have suggested that folate deficiency during pregnancy significantly increases the risk k of schizophrenia among offspring. Earlier research by members of the MGH-based based team associated low blood folate levels with more severe negative symptoms among patients with schizophrenia. The current study was designed specifically to investigate whether whethe supplementation with folate and B12 – which can magnify the effects of folate – reduced negative symptoms of schizophrenia. A 2011 pilot study found symptom improvement only among patients carrying a variant in a folate-pathway pathway gene called MTHFR that reduced red the gene's activity. To get a clearer picture of folate's effect on negative symptoms, the current study enrolled 140 patients with schizophrenia at community mental health centres in Boston, Rochester, N.Y., and Grand Rapids, Mich. Participants were all taking antipsychotic medications – which have been shown to alleviate positive symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions, but not negative symptoms – and were randomised to receive daily doses of either folate and vitamin B12 or a placebo for 16 weeks. eeks. Every two weeks their medical and psychiatric status was evaluated, using standard symptom assessment tools along with continues next page
www.aftercare.com.au
The Mental Hea Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) and the National Mental Health Commission of Australia have yesterday signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to actively work together and share knowledge and successful practices on mental health research. Aftercare are welcomes this news and the opportunity that this partnership will bring across all aspects of mental health care and reducing stigma. The MOU outlines how the two organisations will collaborate on the following key areas mental health care:
mental heal health and the workplace international knowledge exchange and stigma cross cross-promotion of work informed by lived experience (including people living with mental illness, their families and support people, and the wider mental health sector) To read the full comp complete media release visit the Mental Health Commission of Canada website at http://www.mentalhealthcommis sion.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/ News/P News/Press_Release_IIMHL_Sydne y_ENG.pdf
Page 22 of 32 continued from previous page measurements of blood levels of folate and homocysteine, an amino acid that tends to rise when folate levels drop. Nutritional information was compiled to account for differences in dietary intake of the nutrients. Participants' blood samples were analysed to determine the variants they carried of MTHFR and three other folate-pathway genes previously associated with the severity of negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Among all 140 participants in the study protocol, those receiving folate and vitamin B12 showed improvement in negative symptoms, but the degree of improvement was not statistically significant compared with the placebo group. But when the analysis accounted for the variants in the genes of interest, intake of the two nutrients did provide significant improvement in negative symptoms, chiefly reflecting the effects of specific variants in MTHFR and in a gene called FOLH1. Variants in the other two genes studied did not appear to have an effect on treatment outcome. While a low-functioning variant in FOLH1 had been associated with more severe negative symptoms in previous research, in this study it was the high-functioning FOLH1 variant that predicted a better treatment outcome. Measurement of participants' blood folate levels throughout the study provided an explanation for this unexpected finding. Those with the low-functioning FOLH1 variant started the trial with substantially lower folate levels, suggesting a problem with folate absorption. Although supplementation enabled their blood folate levels to eventually catch up with those of participants with the highfunctioning variant, it was probably too late to produce symptom improvement during the 16-week trial period. "For participants who did show a benefit, it took the full 16 weeks of treatment for that benefit to appear," Roffman explains. "While we don't know why this is the case, changes in gene expression – which take time – are a likely explanation. Folate plays a critical role in DNA methylation, which regulates gene expression, so it's plausible that its effects on negative symptoms act through gene expression changes. Participants with the low-functioning FOLH1 variant might eventually show a benefit of folate supplementation if treated for a longer period of time, but that needs to be investigated in future studies." He adds that, while the benefits of supplementation for the overall group were modest, the lack of effective treatment for negative symptoms and the safety of folate and vitamin B12 supplementation support the need for larger-scale trials. In addition, the impact of genotype on this study's results suggests the need to investigate the role of folate pathway variants in conditions such as dementia and cardiovascular disease, in which low folate appears to increase risk but supplementation trials have had inconclusive results. "We are now conducting a clinical trial of 1-methylfolate, which bypasses some of these folate-pathway enzymes and might have greater efficiency among individuals with low-functioning variants," explains Roffman, an assistant professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. "Understanding more about the basic neural mechanisms of folate in patients with schizophrenia could help us generate more targeted and effective interventions to reduce and possibly even prevent symptoms." (Source: Massachusetts General Hospital: JAMA Psychiatry)
2013 Report Card themes 20 March 2013, www.mentalhealthcommission.gov.au
The Commission announced its focus topics for the 2013 Report Card following a recent meeting in Cairns. During the visit to Cairns the Commission discussed and agreed on the high level topics to be addressed within each chapter of the 2013 Report Card. It was agreed that the 2013 Report Card will report back on progress against the specific recommendations and findings of the 2012 Report Card; continue the focus and report against the five domains of a contributing life and suicide prevention; and that the emotional health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples will continue to be a focus throughout the report. The 2013 Report Card areas of focus are; Thriving, not just surviving: One person, diverse needs: living with a mental illness as well as the challenges from difficulties with alcohol and drug use Connections with family, friends, culture and community: Strengthening community understanding Ensuring effective support, care and treatment: Approaches that support recovery, including through peer support Something meaningful to do, something to look forward to: Transitioning from education to independence Feeling safe, stable and secure: The justice system and mental health Preventing suicide: What works in suicide prevention? The first Report Card relied heavily on existing data. The Commission will look to use new and unreported data in future Report Cards, which will include research and data we commission, to enable reporting on action and progress against our recommendations.
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US President Obama endorses MHFA
Book Review
Posted on January 23, 2013 by kathb@mhfa.com.au
On January 16th 2013, President Barack Obama announced his “Now Is the Time” plan, which put forward a new series of executive actions and legislative proposals to help curb gun violence. The plan includes several mental health proposals focused on recognising and treating mental health issues in children and youth. As part of the plan, Obama recommends Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training to help teachers, staff and other adults interacting with young people to recognise the signs and symptoms of mental illnesses and to assist them with finding appropriate professional profession treatment. Obama’s plan includes four key recommendations:
Closing background check loopholes to keep guns out of dangerous hands; Banning military-style style assault weapons and high-capacity high magazines, and taking other common-sense common steps to reduce gun violence; Making schools safer; and Increasing access to mental health services.
President Barack Obama signs a series of executive orders about the administration's new gun law proposals (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images, courtesy of Kaiser Health News).
Whilst acknowledging that the majority of people with a mental illness are not violent, point 4 – increasing access to mental health services – discusses the need for early identification tification of mental health issues, to help individuals get appropriate treatment before violent situations arise. Specifically, it is recommended that teachers and other adults who interact with young people be trained in MHFA: “Provide ‘Mental Health First st Aid’ training for teachers: Project AWARE includes $15 million for training for teachers and other adults who interact with youth to detect and respond to mental illness in children and young adults, including how to encourage adolescents and families experiencing xperiencing these problems to seek treatment.” continued next page
“Caplan ((The Myth of Women's Masochism Masochism) delivers a compelling argument that society has ‘psychiatrized’ these vets’ normal response to the horrors of war, with the result that many are not receiving effective care...she makes an important and welcome call for average citizens to take responsibility for our veterans.” —Publishers Weekly “This book goes a long way toward shaking us out of our “comforting illusions” about war and iits effects. Perhaps now the fields of psychiatry and psychology can join with religion, ethics, and aesthetics to create true hope and community for all of our veterans.” — Journal of Trauma and Dissociation The MIT Press ISBN : 9780262015547 Edition Edition: Hardcover Published: March 2011 Awards 2011 American Publishers Award for Professional and Scholarly Excellence ((PROSE Award) in Psychology, presented by the Professional and Scholarly Publishing Division of the Association of American Publishers
Page 24 of 32 continued from previous page Previously, in June 2012, the Mental Health First Aid Higher Education Act 2012,, was submitted to US Congress. According to the National Council for Behavioral Health (part of the coordinating body of Mental Health First Aid USA), several al US Representatives sent a letter to Vice President Biden on January 9, 2013, urging the US task force on gun violence to support this Act. This Act is part of the plan to improve access to and quality of mental health services provided across the United Unite States. If passed, MHFA training would be provided to teachers, students, and campus staff (e.g., counselling personnel, dormitory resident advisors, and coaches and other athletic department staff) in communities nationwide through a 5-year demonstration on program to fund MHFA training at 10 institutions of higher education. The ultimate aim is to improve student mental health. In a press release on January 16 2013, Linda Rosenberg, President and CEO of the National Council for Behavioral Health, stated that Representatives Ron Barber and Senator Mark Begich will shortly reintroduce this Mental Health First Aid legislation in Congress to implement the President’s recommendations. The Canadian Government is also championing MHFA across a broad range or sectors. tors. In fact, the coordinating body of MHFA Canada is the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC), a national non-profit non organisation created by the Canadian Government in 2007 to govern issues relating to mental health and mental illness. The first mental tal health strategy for Canada, “Changing Directions, Changing Lives: The Mental Health Strategy for Canada” was published in May 2012 to help address the gaps in Canada’s mental health system. This strategy called for an increase in the capacity of families, ies, schools and workplaces to promote good mental health, reduce stigma and prevent mental illness and suicide wherever possible. MHFA training is mentioned under this priority, and is indirectly recommended for “front line service providers in health care, re, education and justice systems as well as for those providing emergency long-term term care and social services”. services” Over in England, in a Department of Health press release published in July 2012 the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Care Services Minister Paul Burstow urged employers in England to take action by undertaking three steps needed to improve their staff members’ mental health, one being to provide them with MHFA training. Closer to home, MHFA has been mentioned in policy documents such as the Queensland eensland Plan for Mental Health 2007-2017. 2007 Part of this plan is to “support support activities which will build mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention capacity”, capacity” whereby one of the strategies is to “improve mental health literacy and access to Mental Health First Aid training for non-clinical clinical workers in key government and non-government government services”. services” In a four-year report on the progress of this initiative, published in October 2011, it was reported that Mental Health First Aid had so far been funded fu for 653 non-government and Department of Communities staff. More recently, in October 2012, the Victorian Parliament in Australia acknowledged the importance of youth mental health and MHFA training for teachers in the Family and Community Development Committees “Inquiry into workforce participation by people with mental illness”. This inquiry recommends that MHFA be incorporated as part of teacher training, and states: concludes next page
New Group at MIFNQ
HARD YARDERS PEER SUPPORT GROUP
Commencing Tuesday 16th April, 2013 from 10:00am to 12 midday.
FREE
for anyone that cares for others If you want some time with like like-minded people who understand where you are coming from. Meeting weekly at: MIFNQ Meeting Room, Ground Floor, 159 Kings Rd, Pimlico. Booking Essential: To book yyour spot or if you need further information, contact Louise Masters on 4725 3664 or email her at LMasters@mifnq.org.au LMasters@mifnq.org.au.
Page 25 of 32 conclusion “Staff within schools requiress Mental Health First Aid training to identify students at risk of disengaging from education because of mental illness.” Earlier in July 2010, during the election campaign, the Australian Prime Minister, the Hon Julia Gillard MP, committed the Australian Government to redouble its efforts to prevent the tragedy of suicide, making clear that mental health is an important part of a second term agenda and announcing a $274 million Taking Action to Tackle Suicide (TATS) package of which $6.1M was allocated for fo Mental Health First Aid training for front line community workers (i.e., financial and legal sectors, relationship counsellors, and healthcare workers). People working in these sectors interact with those who may be in financial, legal or relationship crisis c where the risk of suicide is increased. As part of the implementation of the Government’s 2010 TATS package, in 2012 the Australian Government ernment Funding invited 6 selected mental health training organisations to apply to provide MHFA training for front line community workers. MHFA Australia was one of 3 successful applicants. Read more about what we plan to do with this funding at http://www.mhfa.com.au/cms/grants-and-donations/. http://www.mhfa.com.au/cms/grants It is really eally encouraging to see MHFA being supported by Governments, mentioned in policy documents in Australia and overseas and associated lobbying efforts by partner organisations. It means we are one step closer to MHFA Australia’s ultimate goal – that MHFA training raining become mandatory for certain professions, just as is physical first aid.
NHS 'ignoring smoking in mental health patients' www.BBC.co.uk - 28 March 2013
The NHS in England is not doing enough to help people with mental health conditions quit smoking,, an influential group of doctors has warned. People with mental health disorders, such as depression, are twice as likely to smoke and tend to be more addicted. Yet the NHS is turning a blind eye and not doing enough to help them to stop, the Royal College ge of Physicians said. The Department of Health said it was committed to tackling the issue in the future. The report, which was also put together by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, points out that although rates of smoking in the general population have ve fallen substantially over the past 20 years, there has been little change in people with mental health conditions. A third of all cigarettes in England are smoked by someone with a mental health disorder, the report said. Yet they are just as likely to want to quit as anyone else but are likely to be more addicted and lack the right support to stop, the report found. Smoking has become engrained into the culture in many institutions caring for people with mental health problems and making them totally smoke-free free environments should be a priority, it concluded. continues next page
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MIFNQ will again be selling these books as a way to raise funds to aide in our efforts to assist those living with mental illness while supporting their carers and families. The he 2013|2014 Far North Queensland Book can be ordered either from your local MIFNQ office or on our online booking page at https://www.entertainmentbo ok.com.au/orderbooks/2700u7 9
Advanced Order Certificates Order and pay before 11th April 2013, and receive 6 Bonus Coupons.
Page 26 of 32 continued from previous page And although the usual smoking cessation treatments such as nicotine replacement therapy is effective, people with mental health conditions may need higher doses or more intensive support, it said.
High cost It is estimated that the NHS spends around £720m a year treating smoking-related illness in people with mental health disorders - mostly on people with depression or anxiety. The failure of smoking prevention and treatment in this group is largely down to an acceptance of smoking as a "normal behaviour" and is an indictment on public health and clinical services, it said. The report added that there "was no justification for healthcare staff to facilitate smoking". Prof John Britton, director of the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies at the University of Nottingham and report chairman, said people with mental health disorders might find it harder to quit smoking but that did not mean they did not want to stop. He added in some mental health services there was a culture in which smoking was acceptable. "The patients are seen as having a hard time and are ill so they need a cigarette and it is also a way for staff to build relationships and so they end up facilitating smoking breaks, finding time to supervise people who want to go outside to smoke, rather than spending resources on helping them to stop." He added that although people with depression and anxiety might start smoking because they find it helps, it soon starts to exacerbate their problems. "If they stop smoking, a year down the line, they will feel substantially better," he added. Paul Farmer, chief executive at the mental health charity Mind, said: "This report highlights once again that the needs of people with mental health problems are often overlooked or ignored." A Department of Health spokesman said: "This is an important issue, and frankly, a difficult one. We are aware that more work needs to be done to tackle it fully." He said in the future the government was looking to focus efforts on reducing smoking among vulnerable groups, such as mental health patients.
Study shows close relationship between deafness and dementia Miriam Stoppard, Mirror UK 14 March 2013
The worse the hearing loss, the greater the risk – and this link remained true irrespective of age, diabetes and high blood pressure. Does it drive you mad when you’re out for the evening and it’s so noisy you can’t hear a word anyone says? It does me. You spend the whole time trying to convert sounds into words, then words into sense, leaving you exhausted after a couple of hours. continues next page
Supporting MIFNQ There are many ways that you can support us and the work we do at MIFNQ. If you haven’t already, why not take out membership. It’s free but has many benefits for you if you use our services. Volunteering is another way you can make a valuable contribution. We always have lots of opportunities for volunteers to make a difference to our services and programs. You may like to volunteer with administration tasks, assist with our extensive library, are a handyman or assist with our program courses which can range from reading, music, cooking, arts and crafts and a whole lot more. Many of our volunteers find they can receive as much themselves as they generously give.
Partnerships/Sponsors You might also consider becoming a business partner or sponsor of the Fellowship. Our dedicated staff put in many hours of unpaid work to enable us to provide the best service we can in the community. Business partnerships allow us keep the corporate services department running effectively and efficiently while allowing us to plan for future growth and the ever increasing demand for services. And donating to MIFNQ online is easy.
Online Donations - You can make secure online donations through the Give Now website through the link below. http://www.givenow.com.au/ mifnq
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Upgrade to MIFNQ Website
New research shows that the effort expended by the brain in doing this leaves it tired, so it has no processing power left over. Just think what it would be like if you spent your whole life straining to catch what other people said – in other words, if you were hard of hearing. A study at The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, US has clarified the toll this straining takes. It’s illuminating, but saddening. The scientists found that there was a close relationship between hearing loss and dementia. After studying 639 people aged 36-90 for 18 years – none of whom had cognitive impairment at the start – they found those who had mild, moderate and severe hearing loss had two times, three times and five times increased risk of developing dementia compared to people with normal hearing. The worse the hearing loss, the greater the risk – and this link remained true irrespective of age, diabetes and high blood pressure. In looking for explanations, the researchers suggested the social isolation that often plagues deaf people was known to be important. Another possibility is cognitive overload – the brain working too hard trying to hear distorted sounds. In January, a study of 1,984 adults monitored since 1997, had the same results, but it went a little bit further. It found people with hearing loss had a 30-40% faster rate of thinking and memory loss than people with normal hearing. The other sad finding was that hearing aids don’t significantly lower the risk of dementia. A theory put forward by Cardiff University is that loss of low frequency sounds could be an early warning sign of vascular problems all over the body, leading to hearing loss, heart attacks, stroke and dementia. This theory is useful because it unites the deafness and dementia with a common cause.
NDIS Passes Parliament www.healthcareer.net.au 25 March 2013
The Federal Government has successfully passed the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Bill through Parliament, paving the way for the creation of a new national agency aimed at supporting people with a disability, their families and carers. The Bill establishes the National Disability Insurance Scheme and the NDIS Launch Transition Agency that will be delivering the launch of the scheme. The Agency now has an established presence in the launch sites. When the scheme launches in July this year, there will be more than 250 suitably trained people working in seven regional offices in the launch locations. The Bill, and the amendments agreed during the Bill’s progress through the Parliament, was heavily shaped by the feedback the Government received from people with disability, their families, carers and service providers, through consultations across the country. Agreed amendments included:
Elevating the importance of certain obligations that Australia has as a party to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and explicitly recognising the broader context for disability reform. This ensures that the rights of people with disability, their families and carers are at the heart of the NDIS. continues next page
They say “a change is as good as a holiday”, so a change is on its way to the MIFNQ’s website. Key features and improvements include: Easier to read format and improved layout and softer colours; Improved Online Forms; Scrolling Showcase on home page; Search Engine feature; Traditional Owners Acknowledgement; Twitter and Facebook link buttons; And still to come.....
Dedicated Members only secured access area; Revamped Events Calendar;
What isn’t changing is where you’ll find us.
www.mifnq.org.au Any comments and error reports can been sent to Deborah Wilson, MIFNQ’s Corporate Development Manager on email DWilson@mifnq.org.au.
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Clarification that people who need early intervention therapies and supports, including for degenerative conditions, and who are not better supported by another systems such as the health care system, can access the NDIS. Clarification that all people who are NDIS participants will be able to choose to remain in the scheme after they turn 65. Changes to the compensation provisions so that the NDIS Launch Transition Agency (the Agency) can conduct legal proceedings on behalf of a person with disability who does not choose to conduct those proceedings. Ensuring the NDIS Board receives and considers actuarial advice, helping to safeguard the financial sustainability of the NDIS. Recognising the important role of advocacy in the lives of people with disability. Bolstering the requirements for representation of people with disability on the NDIS Advisory Council.
Support Campaign to keep Cairns Hub Open Adrianne Hicks on ABC RADIO – WITH FIONA SEWELL APRIL 2nd 2013 I would like to express my deep concern about the recent drastic cuts to the Mental Health Service in our mental health system - it is hard to make much sense of what has happened. It was devastating to hear of the dismissal of most of the Team Leaders for our Mental Teams (except for the Mental Health Ward, Innisfail and Atherton). Approximately 50 clinicians have been lost to the Mental Health Service which includes Alcohol, Tobacco & Other Drugs (ATODS). This loss of expertise of these coal face workers is unbelievable – the mental health system was struggling before and now this disaster. For the past 15 years Mental Health Carers have worked towards getting some reform for those we love living with a mental illness. With these budget cuts and loss of key clinical positions I believe that we have regressed to where we were at least 10 years ago. It appears that the importance of Mental Health in Cairns and Hinterland has been regulated to the back burner. Over the past few years there was recognition at all levels of Government of the importance of raising awareness and seeking to improved care for the increasing number of people coping with severe and enduring mental illness – we even had a Minister for Mental Health Curtis Pitt MP living in Gordonvale – this position has gone and it appears that we no longer have a mental health representative on the Executive of the Cairns Public Hospital. We are deeply concerned that the Mental Health Service appears to have been weakened - for now who will listen to us when we plead for adequate services? Most of the Recovery & Rehabilitation work is done in the Community – the hospital has a major problem with the number of people presenting to the Emergency Department and you have to be extremely unwell to get a bed in the Mental Health Unit and that is usually just for stabilisation of severe symptoms. But most importantly how will all those people living with mental illness and their families cope with cuts to an already struggling mental health system. As a person who has lived with someone living with a mental illness most of my life I say on behalf of myself and all those families who will we affected
WE ARE VERY WORRIED AND DEEPLY CONCERNED
Keep MIFNQ’s Cairns Hub Open Campaign MIFNQ;s Cairns Mental Health Carers’ Support Hub will have to close in July 2013 if we don’t secure further funding. After the ABC Radio broadcast on 2nd April, we received calls from concerned people including Curtis Pitt MP exMinister for Mental Health rang to see how could he assist? Jeremy Audas (CEO, MIFNQ), Bernie Triggs, (Anglicare’s Far North Queensland Mental Health Respite Program , and Bruce Rampton (Carer) and Adrianne Hicks met with Warren Entsch to plead for funding for the continuation of the Hub - He was very sympathetic and supportive. We compiled a Presentation Binder of over 60 Letters of Support which we presented to Warren Entsch. These letters were from most of the Community Mental Health Team Leader - the Nurse Unit Manager in the Mental Health Ward, Psychiatrists etc.
To join the Campaign, contact any of the following people: Jeremy Audas: JAudas@mifnq.org.au Adrianne Hicks: AHicks@mifnq.org.au Bernie Triggs: bernie.triggs@anglicare.net
You can also contact your local Politician to show your support.
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CEO’s Update Welcome to another edition of our newsletter. In this edition we celebrate the significant achievements of two MIFNQ staff members. Alison Fairleigh, local area coordinator for the Living Proof program, has been awarded Queensland Rural Woman of the year, and Adrianne Hicks, Manager of the Cairns Carers Hub, who was recently awarded the Cairns Regional Woman of the Year. These awards are both well deserved and are testament to the passion and drive that both Alison and Adrianne Jeremy Audas, CEO possess. Alison’s work in rural areas and her strong advocacy for rural issues, in Jeremy Audas particular mental health issues, is something that she has been undertaking for many years before she commenced employment with MIFNQ. Her achievement in winning the award will allow her to continue to focus on rural matters. The bursary she received as a result of the award will enable her to pilot a project in partnership with the Townsville Mackay Medicare Locals, a project with a firm focus on improving the social and emotional wellbeing of people living and working in rural and remote areas. Adrianne’s award was for her untiring efforts in community mental health in the Cairns region. She has certainly made a difference in the lives of many people and her strong advocacy, both at a systems and individual level, has raised awareness of the issues around mental health. As Manager of the Carers Hub Adrianne is well aware of the importance of ensuring better mental health services and her commitment to this cause has brought about many positive outcomes for carers. Both awards highlight the importance of continuing to strive for a better deal for people with a mental illness, their carers and family members. It is important to reflect on how both women have raised awareness of mental health in their particular spheres of influence. We know how important this is when we think about the level of stigma still attached to mental illness and the difficulties many people face. So once more, hearty congratulations to Adrianne and Alison on their significant achievements and I encourage you to do what you can to support the work they do. On a much less positive note I have to advise that the Cairns Mental Health Carers Hub’s funding from Queensland Health will cease on June 30th. MIFNQ and its friends and supporters are working on resolving this and have commenced a strategy to lobby for ongoing funding to enable this valuable service to continue. Without it we know that people who use the Hub’s services will no longer have access to professional counselling, education, advice and referral. The closure of the Hub will do nothing to strengthen the community and build resilience. It will also result in a financial cost to government as the Hub, through the support it provides, helps keep people out of the public health system. Research shows that supporting carers and family members results in a reduction in hospitalisation for people with a mental illness, it also reduces family and community stress, thus reducing the risk of carer and family distress which can result in carers becoming unwell adding to health care costs. The Cairns community has shown immense support for the Carers Hub, in fact MIFNQ has received scores of letters of support from clinicians, carers, mental health workers, other non government organisations, politicians and community members all expressing their dismay at the possible closure of the Hub. This level of support is heartening and demonstrates the importance of the Hub and the necessity to ensure its ongoing viability. In the next edition of the newsletter I sincerely hope I will have some good news about the Hub funding...... Jeremy
MIFNQ Office Locations CAIRNS
MACKAY
Suite 7,129a Lake St, Cairns Q 4870 PO Box 816N Cairns Q 4870 P: (07) 4041 2543 F: (07) 4041 2872 E: cairns@mifnq.org.au
14-16 Wood St, Mackay Q 4740 PO Box 729 Mackay Q 4740 P: (07) 4951 2955 F: (07) 4953 0509 E: mackay@mifnq.org.au
TOWNSVILLE (Head Office)
SUNSHINE COAST - Living Proof
159 Kings Rd, Pimlico Q 4812 PO Box 979 Hyde Park Q 4812 P: (07) 4725 3664 F: (07) 4725 3819 E: townsville@mifnq.org.au FREE CALL: 1800 455 455
PO Box 5080 Nambour Q 4560 P: (07) 5442 1651 F: (07) 5442 1651 E: coolum@mifnq.org.au
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Committee Chatter Mental Health issues had always been ignored until they became something that society could no longer tolerate, such as when crimes were committed. Institutions were built to keep sufferers away, protected from society and society protected from them - ‘out of sight, out of mind’. Not so long ago, many of these institutions were terrible places where people were kept but often not helped - remember Ward 10B in the old Townsville hospital. In recent decades, the rights to a life within society have been recognised for all sufferers of disabling illnesses and afflictions of all types. Most of the institutions have gone. And with hospitals now only concerned with ‘acute care’ [ie you go home sooner to recuperate and your family or the blue nurses look after you], a greater focus is being placed on Bob James, President Preventative Health measures designed to keep you out of hospital in the first place. Our Fellowship does a lot of Preventative Health. We keep people out of hospital. We intervene to stop them going to hospital. We help them to not have to go back to hospital. We support our people in the community and their carers, in accordance with current approaches in Preventative and Community Health. We also help a lot of people who may never be likely to go to hospital as well. But to do this, we need professional staff running good effective programs that can be proved to really benefit the people who need them. We need government funding to provide these services to the community, for the benefit of the whole community. In recent years, governments, particularly the Commonwealth Government, have made Mental Health a much higher priority than in the past. New programs and increased funding have been announced, with flow-on impacts to be felt in the near future. We have strengthened our Fellowship to cope with the extra responsibility we expect to be given. However, some governments [particularly our State Government] have veered away from Preventative Health programs as they tighten budgets. These are uncertain times for your Fellowship. Though most of our core programs are safely funded for a couple more years at least, some are in danger. The Cairns Hub, a wonderful innovative program which has won the support of all the Cairns medical and Mental Health establishment and the envy of the nation, is caught between State and Commonwealth governments and loses its funding in June. Without bridging funding from the State, followed by more permanent funding next year from the Commonwealth, the hub will close and Cairns will lose this most valuable service. Our CEO Jeremy continues to lead the fight to save the Cairns Hub – a fight we MUST win. On a brighter note, congratulations are in order to Adrianne Hicks and to Allison Fairleigh for their recognition at the highest levels for their work in the community – Adrianne as ‘Cairns Regional Woman of the Year’ and Allison as ‘Queensland Rural Woman of the Year’. These two dynamos exemplify the spirit and tenacity of the staff of our Fellowship. While we are fortunate to have so many people of such calibre and passion working for the Fellowship, our future in supporting our people is assured. Bob
MIFNQ Management Committee President Vice-President Secretary Treasurer Committee Members
Bob James (vacant) Jenny Chapman Sandra Hubert Alf Musumeci Tanya Park Donella Pickles Sandi Winner
Promoting Recovery Through Services in the Community
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Mi Networks AUSTRALIA Mi Networks is our promise that we can help connect you to information and services you need. From the moment you walk in the door or pick up the phone, we will welcome you. We will listen and discuss your needs. Many of our staff and volunteers have some understanding of what you are experiencing, in part because they’ve experienced mental illness or have cared for someone living with mental illness. Our Promise A place you are welcome -- We promise to treat you like a person, not a number. We will always have time to listen, question and discuss. We want to know how you are, what you need and how we can help. Peer Support -- Many of our staff and volunteers have lived experience: either living with mental illness or as the carers of someone with mental illness. We are people with similar experiences and we will have some understanding of what you are going through. Relevant Information -- We offer tailored and up-to-date information to assist you, your family members, friends and carers. If we don’t have the information you require, we will help you find it. Community Networks--We are linked into our local networks and have established strong and supportive working relationships with other services. We are connected to a broad range of programs, supports and information. A National Network --We offer a range of one-on-one and group support programs for you, your family members, friends and carers across Australia. If we can’t assist you on-site at one of our locations, we will connect you with someone who can. Personalised Referral -- We will refer you to the services and supports that best meet your needs. This may be a program we offer or it may be provided by someone else. We will support you to find the best fit for you. For further information go to the MiNetworks website http://www.minetworks.org.au/ or call 1800 985 944
Living Proof – Positive Stories of Mental Illness Mental Illness Fellowship NQ Inc MIFNQ-Cairns Mental Health Carers’ Support Hub MIFNQ-Day To Day Living MIFNQInc @MIFNQ @MIEA_Q @LivingProof @Roads2Recovery MIFNQInc
www.mifnq.org.au
Townsville has an extensive collection of books, DVD’s, CDs, VHS and cassettes for members to borrow. Feel free to come in and browse around. Library Hours: Monday – Friday 9:00am to 4:00pm
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MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM
OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Received: ________________ Membership No: ________ Entered: _________________ Initials: __________________
I would like to become a member of Mental Illness Fellowship NQ Inc. Membership is free.
Individual
Family
Organization
Please select the category/categories which relate to you:
Family Member Health Professional
Friend Student
Someone who experiences mental illness Other _____________________________
What Program/s are you currently enrolled in (if any):
Day to Day Living Early Psychosis Mental Illness Education Respite
MH First Aid Well Ways
DONATIONS AND REQUESTS I wish to support the work of MIFNQ, I have enclosed a donation of:
$100 $50 $25 Other ____________________________________ Please contact me about a regular contribution I wish to donate in other ways…. __________________________________________________ Please contact me with information about helping the Fellowship through my Will YOUR DETAILS Name: ................................................................................................................................................................................. Address: .............................................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................................................. Phone Home: ............................................................
Work: .....................................................................................
Fax: ...........................................................................
Mobile: ...................................................................................
Email: .................................................................................................................................................................................. Email Consent (please sign) .................................................................................................................................................. (This consent allows MIFNQ to contact you via electronic media)
Image Consent (please sign) ................................................................................................................................................. (This consent allows MIFNQ to use your image on print and/or electronic media)
On completion return to: Email: townsville@mifnq.org.au
Fax: (07) 4725 3819
Post: Membership Administration Mental Illness Fellowship NQ Inc PO Box 979 HYDE PARK QLD 4812