Mental Illness Fellowship NQ Inc
Making a real difference for young Queenslanders
By Alison Fairleigh, Rural MH
Since the introduction of “Living Proof – Positive Stories of Mental Illness” in our High Schools, (previously Mental Illness Education Qld) some interesting data has emerged highlighting the questions young people have about mental illness and how they benefit from accessing the new program in the classroom. ‘What are the signs and symptoms’ ‘What causes mental illness’; ‘How can you help someone with a mental illness’; and ‘What treatments are available’; top the list of questions. The Living Proof program answers these questions simply; using the best evidenced-based research currently available. When asked what they learn during the Living Proof program, students acknowledge they got answers to their questions but some also reveal they are dealing with mental health issues, either personally or in their family. Statements such as ‘I now know I’m not alone’ are common. ‘I need to talk to someone’ and ‘I know where I can get help’, shows the program is reaching its goal of encouraging early help seeking behaviour and raising awareness. The key message that ‘early recognition and treatment of mental health problems, gives the best chance of recovery’, seems to resonate with the students, and is reinforced by our Volunteer Presenters who have themselves experienced mental illness first hand. Being a Volunteer Presenter with the Living Proof program, provides many young people with an opportunity to turn their experiences of mental illness – even the difficult ones – into a story that can positively change the lives of others, by promoting mental health awareness and early intervention for those who may be developing a mental illness and encouraging positive self care. To keep up with the increasing demand for the program from High Schools and Tertiary Institutions across Queensland, we are recruiting and training new Volunteer Presenters who have a lived experience of mental illness and recovery. These young presenters are ideally of a similar age to the students and join a growing band of ‘celebrities’ who are ‘coming out’ about their mental health experiences.
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Issue: JAN/FEB 2013
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 Tel: (07) 4725 3664 Fax: (07) 4725 3819 Email: cdm@mifnq.org.au
© Mental Illness Fellowship of NQ Inc PO Box 979 Hyde Park 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.
continued from previous page Philippa Harris is the Qld Manager Education and Training and Living Proof Program Manager, Mental Illness Fellowship NQ Inc.
Many of our Volunteer Presenters are recruited from Universities and TAFE, so are themselves still students, moving on with their relationships, study, work and social lives whilst positively managing their mental illness. Coming face to face with our Volunteer Presenters, changes student perceptions of what it is like to have a mental illness and about recovery. The feedback from students and teachers shows the positive impact these encounters have. If anyone is interested in becoming a Volunteer Presenter, please contact us via our website. We are particularly looking for young people between 18 and 25 years who would enjoy talking to young people about their experiences of mental illness and recovery. We provide training, a structured program, mentoring and coordination and help with the necessary ‘Bluecard’ Suitability application. After each presentation, we sit down and ‘debrief’ over a ‘cuppa’ and read through the feedback from students. That’s when we know we have made a real difference. It’s quite a buzz!
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In This Edition
Making a real difference for young Queenslanders..................................... 1 Mentally ill teens not taking medication ............................................ 3 Bipolar disorder risk in adolescents ........................................... 4 Price of eating disorders too high, far too many ......................................... 5 Parents struggle with decision to medicate................................................. 6 Rural doctors to be quizzed about MH ............................................................ 8 Mia’s Story............................................. 9 Insuring mentally ill........................10 Help at hand for children dealing with trauma........................................11 New data on homelessness show 230,000 ................................................11 Australian first for depression treatment.............................................12 Alcohol abuse is crushing future generations .........................................13
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
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
Sunshine Coast
Judy Kiellerup, South QLD Regional Coordinator
P: 07 5442 1651 Postal Address: PO Box 5080 SUNSHINE COAST MC Q 4560
PND costs Australia $433m .........14 Public lives, private pain ...............15 Make Aboriginal MH a national priority .................................................17 No support for mental health: patient...................................................20 Aust. Vets with mental health issues.....................................................21 Alexza's ADASUVE® .......................22 CEO’s Update......................................25 President’s Reflections...................26
Mentally ill teens not taking medication
by Stephanie Dalzell, ABC News, 19 Dec 2012
A new study has found an overwhelming number of teenagers with mental disorders are not taking the medication they are supposed to. Psychologists say the US study, which was based on more than 10,000 interviews of teens aged between 13 to 18, reflects a similar situation in Australia. The report found more than 85 per cent of young people with a mental illness aren't taking the drugs they've been prescribed. It's a phenomenal figure psychologists find hard to swallow and it raises questions about why so few young people suffering from mental illness are following medical advice. Clinical psychologist Andrew Fuller says it's not just a problem in the United States, with many Australian teens deliberately refusing to take prescribed medication. "We find very much the same pattern in Australia of teenagers being unwilling to take medication which is why treatment, particularly for anxiety and depression, on teenagers is sporadic in its success," he said. The WA Youth Affairs Council's Craig Comrie says it's a big problem. "There have been Doctors say teens will not take pills if too many doses are prescribed. Photo: AFP inquiries into this issue in other states which indicate, that in Australia, there are young people who aren't taking their medication or following the medical advice of their doctors, and that's very worrying," he said. The US study, which was published in the 'Archives of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine' also found medication use typically declined with age. Mr Comrie says many teens aren't always aware of the consequences of ignoring medical advice. "We need to make sure young people know that can impact on their health, and it can also impact on their mental health, and that's the way that will make a difference to the behaviour," he said. "It's very concerning because we know that young people aren't necessarily following the medical advice they get from their doctors." Psychologists say there are a number of reasons why teens opt not to take their medication.
Chaotic lives Dr Fuller says, on a broad scale, social factors heavily influence teenagers in avoiding prescriptions. Of these, the complexity of the drug regimen they need to follow is a major issue, with systematic reviews often finding the prescribed number of doses per day inversely related to adherence. "One of the reasons is some are reluctant on being dependent on a medication," he said. "But, the main reason is these young people live chaotic lives so the routine of taking a couple of tablets every day is difficult for them to achieve. Doctors also struggle to motivate their patients to follow their treatment recommendations. Dr Fuller says a significant factor behind this is denial where teenagers struggle to come to terms with their diagnosis, and subsequently refuse to take their medication. "A number of young people I've worked with over the years have outright refused to take medication," he said. The study also explored broader issues relating to mental illness in teenagers, finding just 25 per cent of teens with any disorder got treatment from mental health specialists. continues next page
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Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA)
Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) is the peak organisation for women with all types of disabilities in Australia. WWDA is run by women with disabilities, for women with disabilities. It is the only organisation of its kind in Australia and one of only a very small number internationally. It represents more than 2 million disabled women in Australia and operates as a national disability organisation; a national women’s organisation; and a national human rights organisation. WWDA is inclusive and does not discriminate against any disability. The aim of WWDA is to be a national voice for the needs and rights of women with disabilities and a national force to improve the lives and life chances of women with disabilities. WWDA is committed to promoting and advancing the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women with disabilities. More information about WWDA can be found at the organisation’s extensive website: www.wwda.org.au. Previous Newsletters and Update Reports are available at: www.wwda.org.au/bulletin.htm.
PO Box 605, Rosny Park Tasmania, 7018, AUSTRALIA Phone: + 61 3 62448288 Fax: + 61 3 62448255 Email: wwda@wwda.org.au Office Hours: Mon – Fri 8.30am - 4:30pm
continued from previous page Craig Comrie says it's an unacceptable figure that's indicative of a failing mental health system. "There are studies in Australia that show exactly the same statistic, that only one in four young people with a mental health issue are actually accessing appropriate services for their needs," he said. "That's very concerning and shows a range of things. "Firstly, young people don't know about the services they can access, and secondly that the services aren't youth friendly and accessible for young people." Mr Comrie says it's imperative both government and community groups turn their attention towards making sure mental health services are available for WA's youth. "We really need to be focusing on ensuring that young people can access the mental health services they need as soon as they can, to ensure they don't have long term impacts," he said.
Bipolar disorder risk in adolescents
Black Dog Institute 17 December 2012
Researchers from the Black Dog Institute and University of NSW have used brain imaging technology to show that young people with a known genetic risk of bipolar but no clinical signs of the condition have clear and quantifiable differences in brain activity when compared to controls. “We found that the young people who had a parent or sibling with bipolar disorder had reduced brain responses to emotive faces, particularly a fearful face. This is an extremely promising breakthrough,” says study leader Professor Philip Mitchell. Affecting around 1 in 75 Australians, bipolar disorder involves extreme and often unpredictable fluctuations in mood. The mood swings and associated behaviours such as disinhibited behaviour, aggression and severe depression, have a significant impact on day to-day life, careers and relationships. Bipolar has the highest suicide rate of all psychiatric disorders. “We know that bipolar is primarily a biological illness with a strong genetic influence but triggers are yet to be understood. Being able to identify young people at risk will enable implementation of early intervention programs, giving them the best chance for a long and happy life,” says Prof Mitchell. Researchers used functional MRI to visualise brain activity when participants were shown pictures of happy, fearful or calm (neutral) human faces. Results showed that those with a genetic risk of bipolar displayed significantly reduced brain activity in a specific part of the brain known to regulate emotional responses. “Our results show that bipolar disorder may be linked to a dysfunction in emotional regulation and this is something we will continue to explore,” Professor Mitchell said. “And we now have an extremely promising method of identifying children and young people at risk of bipolar disorder.” “We expect that early identification will significantly improve outcomes for people that go on to develop bipolar disorder, and possibly even prevent onset in some people.” continues next page
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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. More information about MHFA Australia here: 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: 5th & 6th Feb 2013 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:
5th & 6th Mar 2013 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
Registration Forms available online 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.
continued from previous page Results are published this week in Biological Psychiatry and come from the NHMRC-funded ‘Kids and Sibs study’, the biggest research study in the world focusing on genetic and environmental aspects of bipolar disorder. Based at the Black Dog Institute, the trial is still recruiting. Professor Mitchell is available for interview. Brain imaging and emotive face images are available. Contact Gayle McNaught on mobile 0401 625 905 or email her at g.mcnaught@blackdog.org.au. Find bipolar disorder fact sheets and “Kids and Sibs” trial information at www.blackdoginstitute.org.au.
Price of eating disorders too high, far too many
Sane Australia 11 Dec 2012
SANE Australia welcomes the release of a ground-breaking report which, for the first time in Australia, identifies the prevalence, financial costs and impact of eating disorders on the lives of almost one million Australians. ‘The Paying the Price report is a significant document which shines a light on an area of mental illness that for too long has been lacking in understanding and resourcing,’ says Jack Heath, CEO of SANE Australia. The report, commissioned by the Butterfly Foundation, estimates that the mortality rates are almost twice as high for people with eating disorders as in the general population. Deloitte Access Economics, who produced the report for the Butterfly Foundation, estimates that up to 1,828 deaths will occur in Australia this year alone, from eating disorders. ‘The Butterfly Foundation has worked tirelessly to provide support for those who suffer from eating disorders and negative body image issues. It urgently needs additional government funding and greater community support to tackle these serious mental illnesses,’ Mr Heath adds. According to SANE Australia’s CEO, there is an enormous lack of knowledge surrounding negative body image and eating disorders. ‘The media can play an important role in raising awareness and destigmatising mental illness, including eating disorders', he says. 'This can be a challenging area, but thankfully the Mindframe National Media Initiative has developed a compact resource (MindframeGuidelines) to support journalists to accurately and sensitively portray eating disorders.' Copies of the Report can be accessed at the Butterfly Foundation website see: http://thebutterflyfoundation.org.au/?p=1025
The Butterfly Foundation Support Line: Call: 1800 ED HOPE / 1800 33 4673 Monday–Friday 9am to 5pm or email support@thebutterflyfoundation.org.au
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Helping people with mental illness to be
A supportive program for tobacco smokers with a mental illness Would you like to quit or cut down tobacco?
Group Support Program Date: 5th February 2013 Time: 10am – 12pm Location: Uniting Care Community Training Room 276-280 Ross River Rd Aitkenvale 4814
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 contact Rebecca on 4725 3664 to register, or send Rebecca an email at tobaccocessation@mifnq.org.au or just turn up on the day.
Parents struggle with decision to medicate
Korina Lopez, Detroit Free Press, 8 Dec 2012
Parents struggle with decision to medicate bipolar kids
Sarah McQuilkin says she knew something was wrong with her adopted daughter when she was 2. Now, at 7, Sarita says, "Mommy, the world will be better off without me." A suicidal child sounds impossible, but for kids with bipolar disorder, it's a grim reality. "One out of five bipolars will commit suicide," says Karen Swartz, a psychiatrist and director of Johns Hopkins Mood Disorders Centre in Baltimore. "Without treatment, I see my daughter as killing herself," says a weeping McQuilkin, 60. Parents slather sun block on their kids, hold them tight when they get flu shots, give them medicine when they're sick. Should mental illness be treated with drugs, too? As more kids are diagnosed with bipolar disorder at earlier ages, parents wonder whether psychiatric drugs such as Depakote and lithium are really the answer — and how they might affect their child's growth and development. Treating a child with heavy medication has far-reaching implications, and it's not always clear at young ages whether a child's outbursts are early signs of bipolar disease. "Doctors have to be able to make as accurate a diagnosis as possible," says Gabrielle Carlson, professor of psychiatry and paediatrics at Stony Brook (N.Y.) University School of Medicine. "Bipolar is a lifelong disease and you do not want to diagnose it too early and be wrong, or miss something and be too late." One early sign of bipolar disorder in children is lashing out, but not every child who lashes out is bipolar. Last week after 10 years of debate, psychiatrists approved updates to their diagnostic manual of mental illnesses, including the addition of Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder, describing children who have outbursts three or more times a week. The new term aims to address concerns about over diagnosis and overmedication of bipolar disorder in children, and gives psychiatrists a way to differentiate between bipolar and other explosive outbursts. "I understand the reason why a parent would be afraid to medicate their child. There are often serious and unknown side-effects to consider," says Janet Wozniak, psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School. "But parents also need to consider that there may be a downside to not medicating and missing an opportunity to interrupt the course of a serious illness. ... Not medicating may also carry with it risks." Bipolar disease is a severe mood disorder bookended by both mania and depression, known to emerge in adolescence and early adulthood. About 2% of children and teens have been diagnosed. But a study published Dec. 3 in Archives of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine found just 14% of teens with any mental disorder are on medication. "If someone has epilepsy or asthma, then there's no question as to whether to treat with medication, no matter how young," says Robert M. Post, professor of psychiatry at George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C. " continues next page
Poems
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Consider the Hammer Poet: Unknown
Consider the hammer It keeps its head.
It doesn't fly off the handle. It keeps pounding away. It finds the point, then drives it home.
It looks at the other side, too, and thus often clinches the matter. It makes mistakes, but when it does, it starts all over.
It is the only knocker in the world That does any good.
Choice By Neil Andrew Granger Throughout our journey To closing day
We are no different from each other Only in our choices made
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But for a child with bipolar disease, there's trepidation to treat with medicine. It's a potentially lethal disease, and the medicine that balances the risks is often overlooked." "Bipolar disease is treatable, that's the most important thing," says Kay Redfield Jamison, a professor of psychiatry at John Hopkins School of Medicine. "I always tell young people who are at the beginning of treatment that bipolar is bad, but now is a great time to get it." According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 5.7 million people struggle with bipolar disorder; studies have found 50% start showing signs before the age of 19. But many lead fully functional lives. Jamison is one — her memoir, An Unquiet Mind, describes her own battle with bipolar disease. Just as doctors routinely use a combination of therapies to treat AIDS or cancer, mental health professionals say a combination of medications and one-on-one therapy works best in bipolar disorder, but often isn't used, "either because those services aren't available or people don't know about them," says Post. Without treatment, kids can have a hard time focusing in school and are more prone to outbursts. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), half of students with mental illness ages 14 and older drop out of high school, the highest rate of other groups with disabilities. "The illness in a child can severely impair a child's ability to socialize and get through school," says Post. Karrey Tweten of North Mankato, Minn., saw that in her daughter. When Shelby was in fourth grade, she started lashing out. "By junior high, she started acting really inappropriately and aggressively," Tweten says. She was bullied in middle school, which "was horrible, especially from the girls," says Shelby Tweten, now 18. "When it got to be bad, I'd listen to music and sing." Tweten tried to translate her coping mechanism to a full-time gig by auditioning for "American Idol" Season 11. "Shelby doesn't always like the side effects of her meds, like grogginess, but I can tell when she's revving up. ... The medication calms her," says her mother. "Medication is important; you can prevent big events." As with any drugs, bipolar disorder meds have side-effects. They vary from grogginess, weight gain and polycystic ovary syndrome to tardive dyskinesia, in which the tongue thrusts out uncontrollably. "There's no free lunch with medication," says Carlson. "But if an eye tic is what a child gets vs. getting kicked out of school because his behaviour is unmanageable, then it's worth the risk." Nanci Schiman, program director of The Balanced Mind Foundation in Chicago, an organization that offers information and support for parents of bipolar children and teens, has two daughters with bipolar disorder, and recounts wildly different diagnoses. "There are just too few mental health professionals trained to spot bipolar in kids," she says.
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Words of Wisdom
“Continuous Flow� A Published Book by
Imogen Rogers Now available for purchase from MIFNQ, at 159 Kings Road, Pimlico, Townsville You can also purchase the book by contacting the author at imogenrogersartspace.com
$25
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continued from previous page
"The question (of whether) we're overmedicating our kids is a moot point if they're not getting the right medication. You keep throwing meds at them and then you don't know whether to back away, what kind of consequences that will have. I cringe when I remember what we went through." Finding the right drugs and dosage relies on the expertise of mental health professionals. "Before medicating a child, you have to make an accurate diagnosis," says Carlson. "Misdiagnosis is common. That's really the controversy." Bipolar disorder also may show up differently in children than it does in adults. Kids generally suffer from rapid cycling, swerving from mania to depression in a matter of hours. In adults and teens, it can be months, even years, between episodes. "The reason we have emotions is a way to organize our bodies to react to the environment appropriately," says Ellen Leibenluft, chief of Bipolar Spectrum Disorders at the National Institute of Mental Health. "Bipolar disorder happens when that circuitry goes awry." People with a family history of bipolar disorder are four to six more times likely to develop it. "If you have a genetic history, especially, become an expert," says Tweten. "Know your safe places, like I have a place where I'll take Shelby if I think she needs a break, and it helps shield my two younger sons from her mood swings." What if a diagnosis is wrong? The wrong medication can trigger bipolar disorder, too, according to Ken Duckworth, medical director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. ADHD and bipolar disorder in the manic state look very similar, but medication for ADHD can trigger mania in a bipolar person. So what can parents do to help spare their children from suffering? The best medicine for kids is a strong support system of family, teachers and doctors, say experts. McQuilkin, who knew Sarita had a family history of bipolar disorder when she adopted her, says she's kept a journal, "documenting all of my daughter's behaviour, the rages, the depression, everything." "We, as parents, have to be our kids' biggest advocates. We know them best."
Rural doctors to be quizzed about MH
By Rhianwen Whitney, ABC News, 14 Nov 2012
The Rural Doctors Association of Queensland (RDAQ) has welcomed a project to assess the mental wellbeing of doctors working in regional areas. Beyondblue says as part of a world-first initiative, all doctors in rural Australia will be asked to take part in a mental health survey. RDAQ president Dr Adam Coltzau says the survey is overdue. "I don't think that there is any previous well documented research on rural doctors in particular, or doctors in general, about their ongoing mental health," he said. "In any populations you'll find depression and anxiety in any group and I don't think doctors are any different. "I would expect that they would be the two big ones to look out for." He says while the project is welcome, it will be difficult to act on the survey results. "We're already found with initiatives to get rural doctors to manage their fatigue level," he said. "That's really looking at issues to manage when you've been up half the night delivering a baby or attending an accident. "In the city where there's lots more doctors you can have the day off and it doesn't have as big as an effect as if you're the only doctor in a town. "The same thing applies to mental illness."
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MIFNQ LIBRARY UPDATE Book Review
Foreward – Life is full of
turning points and I have experienced a few of them personally and politically. One of the very special turning points is the birth of a child, a child of your very own to nurture and love. Here is the future so full of promise and possibility. For some, another turning point comes when you are told that your child has a mental illness. This can be a place of fear, uncertainty and confusion. It can be the beginning of a long and difficult journey for both you as a parent and your child. Yet there is and should be hope. All mental illnesses are treatable. Although there are no cures, every person with a mental illness can improve and live a life with meaning and purpose. There have been major advances in medical and psychosocial treatments and there is a growing awareness and acceptance of mental illness in our community, which is reducing stigma. Our journeys can be made easier through sharing, mutual support and through an acknowledgement that things have changed but they can still be good. Within these pages are the stories of folk just like you and a resources section with useful tips and places to get information and support. I commend this book and hope that it is a turning point for you.
The Hon Frank Walker QC Attorney General NSW 1976-1983 Vice President, Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia
Publisher – ©Eli Lilly Australia Pty Ltd 2010
Mia’s Story There is no ‘closure’ when you are grieving By Mia Freedman, 2 Dec 2012 www.mamamia.com.au Six weeks. That’s about the length of time after a tragedy when the shock subsides, the adrenaline wears off and reality sinks in. Unfortunately, it’s also around the six week mark when – if the tragedy didn’t affect you directly – you kind of forget about it. You dropped over a lasagna. You sent flowers. You texted and maybe you even took time off work to attend the funeral. You shed tears and they were genuine. But then your sympathy and altruism were swallowed by the demands of day to day life like quick sand. And things soon returned to normal. Well, for you they did. Those at the centre of the tragedy are still tentatively patting themselves down after the explosion having staggered one or two steps down a road that stretches into forever. This is when they need the most support, right when most of their friends have filed the situation away under “Really Sad Things That Are In The Past”. Partly, it’s because we want to believe they’re feeling better but we also feel helpless and uncomfortable, unsure how to help someone navigate their grief. “After the “I’m so sorry’s” and “Here’s a lasagna” … people just don’t know what to say” says a friend who was bereaved last year. “So they say nothing. Or worse, they just move on and probably think ‘Well, she’ll just have to get used to her new reality’ … which is true to a point.” In the days after a death, there’s a surprising amount to do. Funerals to be planned, eulogies to be written, people to notify. In the case of a shock diagnosis, there are decisions and medical appointments to be made. But as days become weeks, the activity subsides and the even harder yards begin. People tend to drift away at around the time you’re trying to work out how to function again in the world” says a friend who lost her baby daughter two years ago. “The initial deep shock has started to wear off and there you are … just floating along with no idea how to behave any more. You start to panic about boring people. About being depressing. A downer. God forbid. People desperately want to think you’re okay … maybe so you’re no longer on their ‘to do’ list to worry about. “ Grief is often a private affair that others cannot share or perhaps even understand, agrees Petrea King, author of Sometimes Hearts Have to Break and CEO of the Quest for Life Foundation. “Grief can spring out of drawers and cupboards, off shelves, from photographs, wafts to our nostrils upon a perfume, is precipitated by music, clutches at our heart, hollows out our insides and plummets us to the depths.” We’re funny about grief. We like to think it’s finite and able to be quantified and quarantined. We like to talk about ‘closure’. We think we’re being helpful when we urge someone to ‘be strong’ or exclaim ‘you look so well!’ to a friend who’s sick or bereaved in the hope that it might just be true. continues next page
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MIFNQ LIBRARY UPDATE Books Now Available..... A Better Life is a rich blend of
Craig Hamilton’s own amazing story of how as a busy broadcaster, Dad, husband and mental health campaigner, he lives with bipolar. “Reading A Better Life will give encouragement to many, and I hope, to men in particular”.
The Hon Jeff Kennett AC, Chairman, Beyond Blue, The National Depression Initiative
DVDs Now Available..... Another Shade of Blue: Depression in Older Australians Carers’ stories of Hope and Recovery – Vol2
Depression and Parkinson’s Disease Depression Yarns – Tackling Depression, Anxiety and Related Disorders in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Communities
Don’t beat about the bush! – the ABC Landline Rural Depression Program “Out of the Blue” – Managing Depression
Speaking from Experience – Anxiety Disorders
Stories of Hope & Recovery: Personal accounts of depression, anxiety and related disorders
Tackling Depression in Schools Taking Control Diabetes, Depression & Anxiety
continued from previous page “About two months after we lost our daughter, I remember an elderly neighbour saying, ‘Oh you look like you’re back to your old self,’” recalls my friend Rebecca. ” I looked at him in horror and then went inside and wept. How could I be communicating to people I was ‘okay’? I wasn’t okay! My baby died! So you’re always trying to find this balance between wanting the world to know you’re in deep mourning but not inconveniencing anyone.” Sometimes I worry I’m bringing it up too often,” admits another bereaved friend who is sinking after he unexpectedly lost a loved one earlier this year. “But it’s all I can think about and in some ways it’s worse now because I’m no longer buoyed by the wonderful flurry of support that held us up in the weeks after it happened.” Rebecca told me of wanting to post something about her older daughter on Facebook six weeks after her baby girl was stillborn. “I was paralysed because I kept thinking “But what if people think that because I’m on Facebook, that I’m fine now?” So what can we do to support our friends in the darkness? Talking to a number of bereaved people, they all say they feel they’ve been given a gift when someone speaks the name of the person they’ve lost. When they give them a chance to talk, cry, even laugh. “It’s the small things that people do,” says the mother whose son died the day after he was born and who gave Bruce & Denise Morecombe mourners at his funeral little bags of sunflower seeds to plant in his memory. “Like sharing photos of their sunflowers or letting us know that they keep photos of our son close by, even talking about their ‘nephew’ or ‘grandson’, saying his name….they’re all reminders that they care.” Petrea King puts it so beautifully: “Grief is a strange beast that we learn to live with. We don’t get ‘over it’ as if it were a surmountable obstacle. We can become more comfortable with our discomfort but there is no finite time for grief as there is no finite time for love. “
Insuring mentally ill
Opinion: Doron Samuell, Sydney Morning Herald, 5 Nov 2012
If you have been to your GP this year, there is a two in five chance that you have been diagnosed with a mental illness. You may have been prescribed an antidepressant, sedative or tranquilliser. We hear that such things are no big deal in a world free of stigma about psychiatric disorders. This is true - until you apply for an income protection insurance policy. Disability insurers find themselves in a bind. They want to insure people with mental illness but they are struggling to get their heads around how to cover an area of medicine that can't be proven (or disproven) with tests. Mental illnesses are a set of conditions that are opinion based, and doctors disagree in their opinions all the time. So when the time comes to deal with an insurance claim of mental illness, it becomes complex. continues next page
News in Brief
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Older Australians abandoned in mental health reform
MHCA Update– 12/12/12
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists was disappointed to read The Roadmap for National Mental Health Reform 2012-2022 released on the weekend by the Council of Australian Governments. ‘Older people are only mentioned ONCE in this 48 page document outlining mental health reform, despite being the fastest growing part of the population, with their own special needs related to mental illness' says Dr Roderick McKay, Chair of the Faculty of Psychiatry of Old Age. Australians are now living longer than ever, and our population as a whole is ageing. However we are not appreciating the importance of preparing our society to meet the needs of these people, and we are not valuing their needs and contributions. '
Premier strengthens homelessness council
MHCA Update - NSW - 12/12/12 Minister for Family and Community Services Pru Goward today announced that five new non-government members have been added to the Premier’s Council on Homelessness, to provide added expertise. The Premier’s Council on Homelessness is a collaboration of Government and non-government representatives that has been charged with developing policy solutions targeted at reducing homelessness across NSW. Ms Goward said the five new members will contribute valuable expertise in the areas of mental health; drugs and alcohol; disability, including people with acquired brain injury; exprisoners; and children and young people.
continued from previous page This frightens insurers because they have limited means available to mitigate their losses. When you decide you will be responsible for your own welfare and take out an insurance policy to ensure security for yourself and your dependents, the same two in five of you are going to either be denied a policy or, if you are lucky, find a progressive insurer that gives you reasonable policy terms. Various mental health agreements between the Mental Health Council of Australia and the Financial Services Council have attempted to bring some reason to the issue and have enlisted the support of the insurance industry to implement reform. Progress has been made, but the problem has not gone away. Almost a decade of negotiations between the interest groups has not resulted in a solution. Yet, if we look over the Tasman we can learn from a legislative approach that has worked well for the mentally ill and the insurance industry. New Zealand's Human Rights Act 1993 makes it unlawful to refuse services on the basis of discrimination, which prevents insurers from refusing policies because the applicant has a mental illness. There is no reason why this cannot be incorporated into anti-discrimination legislation here. There are no losers with this approach. Nervous insurers who may bristle at the thought of having to offer policies to all comers should realise that, as an industry, they can quantify the risk of mental illness just as they quantify other types of risk. Insurers can load their policies as necessary, creating realistic terms and opening up new markets. Insuring the mentally ill is an opportunity for growth, with the potential to increase gross revenues by at least 30 per cent, with immediate access to what is essentially a new market. Governments can benefit by seeing this change as an opportunity to encourage people to manage their own risk and to lighten the burden on existing welfare and medical schemes. Consumer groups will need to understand that just as it would be unreasonable to deny cover, it would be unreasonable to expect insurers to offer policies on unviable commercial terms. Two things are required. The first is a regulator. It would not be fair for insurers to game the system by offering outrageous terms that amount to a denial of policy. An industry funded ombudsman could receive appeal submissions and give binding decisions on insurers. The second requires an acceptance that insurers are entitled to do appropriate due diligence at both ends of the insurance scale. If we are asking them to take on more risk, then we must allow them the right to properly quantify the risk at the underwriting stage and again when a claim is made. In this game of risk there can be no winners if we demand the risk takers both increase their exposure and simultaneously undermine their incentive to do so. This will only drive insurers out of the market, effectively removing the option of insurance for the rest of us. It is long overdue that Australia breaks the negotiation impasse that has prolonged discriminatory practices, and both sides of politics should support this simple solution to an increasingly burdensome problem. Dr Doron Samuell is a psychiatrist and medical director at SR2 Health, a medical risk-management service.
News In Brief
Page 11 of 28
Help at hand for children dealing with trauma
MHC Media Update 19 Dec 2012 In the wake of the mass shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, the Australian Child and Adolescent Trauma, Loss and Grief Network (ACATLGN) based at ANU, has cautioned parents, carers and healthcare professionals to be mindful of the impacts this tragedy could have on Australian children. ACATLGN Chairperson and Prof. of Psychological Medicine at the ANU Medical School, Beverley Raphael AM, expressed the network's sadness over the shootings and reminded people of the support resources available. We all extend our wishes and condolences during this tragic time. We also recognise the great courage of both those who have died and those who have survived. Parents, families and communities will be experiencing grief, sadness, anger and helplessness.
New data on homelessness show 230,000
MHCA Media Update, 19 Dec 2012
Demand for crisis accommodation remains high in Australia, with specialist homelessness agencies providing over 7 million nights of accommodation in 2011-12, according to a report released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). The report, Specialist Homelessness Services 2011-12, shows that almost 230,000 Australians accessed specialist homelessness services, including accommodation, in 2011-12. On average, over 19,000 people were accommodated each night, and those clients who received accommodation were accommodated for an average of 82 nights. 'Sixty per cent of all clients needed accommodation, with 40% needing short-term or emergency accommodation. Thirty-seven per cent of all clients received accommodation at some time in 2011-12,' said AIHW spokesperson Geoff Neideck.
Australian first for depression treatment
From Department of Health Website, 2 November 2012
In an Australian first for public hospitals, The Alfred is now using revolutionary technology to treat clinical depression. Minister for Mental Health Mary Wooldridge launched the first Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Clinic at the Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre. The $600,000 cutting edge equipment in the new TMS Clinic uses a ground-breaking technique to manage treatment-resistant, or refractory, depression. Due to pioneering medical research, TMS can help hundreds of Victorians suffering depression who have not responded to medical or psychological treatment. TMS is a non-invasive treatment which works by using a magnetic field to stimulate nerve cells in superficial areas of the brain. Because it is a non-invasive therapy that is carried out while the person is awake, TMS has important advantages over older therapies such as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Ms Wooldridge said that the prevalence of treatment-resistant depression is significant, so providing a low cost, non-invasive and effective treatment is important in ensuring good patient outcomes. “The Alfred is the only publicly-funded provider of this new technology in Australia and should be commended on its pivotal role in introducing this innovative technology to manage treatment-resistant depression,” Ms Wooldridge said. Ms Wooldridge also officially opened Alfred Health’s new mental health precinct, which includes the new St Kilda Road Clinic (community mental health) and the co-located Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre. The St Kilda Road Clinic provides a range of community based mental health services, including clinic-based case management and outreach services. The new facility has been purposefully re-fitted to provide a more welcoming environment to mental health clients and provide facilities that support modern service provision to the community. For further information visit the Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre website at http://www.maprc.org.au/ Phone: (0)3 9076 6564 Email: maprc@monash.edu
News In Brief
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Knowledge hub builds disaster resilience
Senator Jan McLucas, 23 Nov 12 A new interactive website helping the emergency services sector and the community better understand and prepare for natural disasters was kicked off today. Attorney-General and Minister for Emergency Management Nicola Roxon said The Australian Emergency Management Knowledge Hub gives Australians a centralised disaster resource. “The Knowledge Hub gives Australians information to help them plan and better prepare for the challenges that emergencies like bushfires and floods present,” Ms Roxon said. “Police, State Emergency Services, Councils and Schools are just some groups that can connect and share experiences to improve community resilience to disasters.” As well as providing research, resources and news relevant to emergency management, the Knowledge Hub allows users to provide feedback and share ideas. It includes a research clearing house, an Australian disaster event database, cross-sectoral discussion forums and new media collaboration tools such as Twitter, allowing users to contribute resources, share information and interact. Funded by the Commonwealth Government, the Hub supports the implementation of the Council of Australian Governments’ National Strategy for Disaster Resilience. The Strategy recognises that a national, coordinated and cooperative effort is needed to enhance Australia's capacity to prepare for, withstand and recover from disasters. For more information, please visit the Australian Emergency Management Knowledge Hub © Copyright Attorney-General's Department 2011
Alcohol abuse is crushing future generations
The Age, 13 November 2012
Why do Australians avert their eyes from a national disgrace? EVERY Australian should hang their head in shame on hearing how alcohol is permanently damaging Aboriginal children in remote communities. Generations of Aborigines have been soaked in alcohol abuse, leading to alarming rates of violence, neglect, chronic mental illness and premature deaths. Now we learn that half the eightyear-olds in the Fitzroy Valley in Western Australia's Kimberley region have foetal alcohol syndrome disorder (FASD). Worse, in the Fitzroy Valley region there are no medical specialists to care for these children or provide support to their parents. There is not even so much as a general practitioner. How does Australia, one of the world's most prosperous countries, allow this to continue? We pride ourselves on living in a country that is feted for its economic management, its relatively robust health and education standards, its overall quality of living. And yet foetal alcohol syndrome disorder is crippling the country's already disadvantaged indigenous communities, stealing their children's future before they are even born. The aftermath of alcohol abuse lasts for generations. Children who witness it often end up abusing alcohol themselves as adults, and a child with FASD lacks the ability to navigate their social environment. They can exhibit highly complex behavioural problems, leading to concerns about violence, sexual abuse and suicide. Decades of community apathy and government inaction have led to this point. Consider Fitzroy Valley. The nearest medical facility of any size is in Derby, 260 kilometres to the west, which must service a region of more than 10,000 square kilometres. People with FASD, however, require long-term healthcare. They are afflicted with serious cognitive impairment, which cannot be cured but might be alleviated with occupational therapy, speech therapy and psychology services. Then they need intensive assistance with education. With these sorts of needs in one micro-region, the demand in the greater region serviced by Derby's health services units is acute. Fitzroy Valley, though, is merely one corner of the indigenous world affected by high rates of alcohol abuse. There are hundreds of remote indigenous communities in this country and, in one way or another, most have been touched by alcohol abuse. In Mt Isa, the head of paediatrics at the biggest hospital in north-west Queensland has described FASD as a huge problem in the region. In Western Australia, more than 30 per cent of the populations in that state's remote communities have FASD, and a report has found rising rates of FASD in three generations: children, their parents and grandparents all exhibited the disorder. That is the practical definition of endemic. continues next page
News in Brief
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Rehab service alarmed at mental illness in clients ABC News | 19 Dec 2012
One of Australia's largest drug and alcohol rehabilitation services is reporting an alarming growth in clients with mental illness, linked to illegal drug use. Sydney-based Odyssey House's latest annual report also reveals there are high levels of alcohol and amphetamine use. Chief Executive Officer James Pitts says in 1999, only 10 per cent of addicts had a diagnosed mental illness, but that has now jumped to 56 per cent of its clients during the past year. "With amphetamine use you do get a lot more," he said. "It directly affects people's mental health. It produces hallucinations, auditory and visual, people suffer from a high level of aggressiveness, they exhibit a lot more direct mental health problems than a lot of the other people."
All in the Mind
ABC Radio National All in the Mind is Radio National’s weekly exploration of all things mental—a program about the mind, brain and behaviour, and the endlessly fascinating interactions between them. From dreaming to depression, memory to imagination, psychotherapy to psychopathy, emotion to obsession, All in the Mind explores the human condition through the mind’s eye. While many aspects of our minds remain seductively mysterious, new light is being shed on the way we think and the way we relate to each other all the time. All in the Mind brings together a diverse range of ideas and human experiences through the voices of great thinkers and powerful personal stories. http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/pro grams/allinthemind/pastprograms/subjects/index=depression
continued from previous page Just how serious is this problem? Overseas studies indicate a lifetime of extra medical care for someone with FASD would cost at least $1 million and possibly as much as $2 million. Consider the hundreds of children already afflicted in Western Australia alone, and this country faces an appalling problem. Yet there seems to be a gaping chasm between what goes on in Canberra and what happens on the ground. Why, for example, has the government stalled on funding a diagnostic tool for FASD? Without such screening, it is impossible to determine rates of FASD affliction and thus plan adequate health services. Indeed, where is the evidence that there is any commitment to tackle this scourge? Even if solutions emerged now, FASD cannot be mended overnight. For too many Australians, these problems may as well be in another country; they are too far away or too complex to bother about. Yet the children of Fitzroy Valley are our children. They are not a problem to be analysed and classified and left to rot on the other side of this vast continent. They are deserving of care and funding, far more so than most Australians in east coast cities.
PND costs Australia $433m
Lisa Power, The Daily Telegraph, 14 November 2012 IT is often a very private agony but postnatal depression comes at a public cost of nearly half a billion dollars to the Australian economy. Research calculating the financial impact of the illness for the first time found the depression was directly responsible for $310 million in lost productivity, $78.66 million in healthcare costs and $44.5 million in lost earnings. The $433 million cost is likely to be higher, with work absences for men supporting partners not included. More than 1800 Australians are diagnosed with antenatal or postnatal depression each week, according to the Post and Antenatal Depression Association, which commissioned the research. "It is affecting government, business, the health system and whole families," PANDA CEO Belinda Horton said. "It impacts on worker productivity, family financial stability, community wellbeing and quality of life." Around 100,000 new parents are hit by depression during pregnancy and in the first year of birth. New data shows untreated depression during pregnancy can even impact on the baby's health, said Dr Nicole Highet, from Beyondblue. "(It can) lead to low birth weight and premature birth and health problems in the baby," Dr Highet said. "There can also be long term childhood illness and higher risk of developing attachment and childhood and adolescent mental health problems." Experts advocate early treatment for the highly treatable illness. Minister for Mental Health Mark Butler said an $85 million universal screening program that began two years ago was improving support and treatment services. Father-of-two Simon Briggs missed a lot of work when his wife Anna was hospitalised for four weeks with PND after the birth of son Sam. "Before my wife went into hospital she would ring up crying - a wreck - so I would drop everything and rush home," he said.
News In Brief
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Tassie walk opens eyes of depression sufferer
B Ryan, Sydney Morning Herald, 12/12/12
For the past three months Terra Lalirra has seen a very different side of Tasmania. Ms Lalirra set out in September to walk around Australia, with Tasmania her first leg on her quest to raise awareness of mental health issues and suicide prevention. She completed the Tasmanian stretch of what she has dubbed The Happy Walk at the weekend. Along the 1200kms from Devonport, to Launceston, down the East Coast to Hobart, Bruny Island, then over to the West Coast and back to Devonport, she not only admired the natural beauty of the state but got a personal insight to the many people she met along the way. ``I've been surprised by people opening up, I didn't really expect that but I think sometimes people just want someone to talk to," Ms Lalirra said. ``I'm not trained in anyway, I only know my personal experience." She said everyone she met had a story to tell - either personal or of a family member or friend - that had been affected by depression. Ms Lalirra has had depression on and off throughout her life and tried to commit suicide three years ago. She decided to embark on the walk for her own wellbeing but also to talk to others, particularly those living in regional areas, to let them know there are professional services available. During the walk she said numerous individuals and families opened their home to her or gave her a meal. Many motels and businesses did the same for her. Although she did not set out to raise money, many people have asked what she is collecting for and Ms Lalirra is now directing donations to Lifeline. So far she has raised about $300. After a Christmas break with her family in Port Macquarie, Ms Lalirra will continue the walk, heading off from Melbourne to Adelaide through regional Victoria.
Public lives, private pain
Glenn Jackson, Brisbane Times, 17 November 2012
News in Brief
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Mental health services for young people at risk MHCA Update – WA – 13/12/12
Coming forward on depression...Ian Thorpe Photo: Getty Images ''SUPPORT is
available for anyone who may be distressed by calling Lifeline 13 11 14.'' In bold, dark letters and foot-noting a scenario that is much bleaker, these words don't often appear in the sports pages. They suggest loneliness or loss. But not the loss of a sports match. Perhaps those words could and should be seen in the sports pages. Is sport, and its stars, immune to mental illness? Certainly not. And realise this: sportsmen and sportswomen are more likely to require advice from a counsellor than they would a knee surgeon. But while a blown knee is obvious, depression is not. Many sports stars will not seek the help they require. Research estimates that one in five Australians will suffer some form of depression in their lives. And while fitter, stronger and faster, it is also believed by some that elite athletes are more likely to suffer from depression than those whose losses aren't registered on a scoreboard. ''Depression among elite athletes is proportionately higher than the community average,'' says the chairman of Beyondblue and the former president of Hawthorn, Jeff Kennett. He blames, in part, the ''continuing crescendo of expectation to deliver''. ''These young athletes start training at an early age,'' Kennett says. ''They progress as a result of extraordinary commitment and endeavour. As they get older, and better, [it's] the expectations they place on themselves, the expectations that their parents either deliberately or inadvertently place on them … then it becomes a matter of expectation from the team, or the community, or the coaches. Once they reach the top, then it becomes a matter of delivering, of maintaining your prowess, your ability. And as you become better known, the public often expects highly of you, and that puts more pressure on you.'' The public also expects you to be bulletproof, foolproof. Fearless, not fallible. Which is why the problem, more so in the past but still evident now, has been the stigma attached to mental illness. That it is a sign of weakness. That it needs admitting. ''You keep hearing of athletes who invariably report their experience with depression after they've finished competing,'' Kennett says. ''With all the best intentions, there is still this feeling by some that if you suffer a depressive mental illness, or you admit to it, or you seek help, it's a sign of weakness. And it might prohibit your maintenance within the team selection. ''If Ian Thorpe broke a leg, everyone would rush to him, support him, and encourage his return to good health and to swimming. continues next page
An innovative new program to connect school-aged children with mental health services such as Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) and Headspace would aim to reduce the risk of self-harm or suicide of our young people. Mental Health Minister Helen Morton said another six child and adolescent mental health staff would be posted in the Perth area and a dedicated school psychologist work with schools to identify children at high risk and divert them into mental health services. This comes in response to an increase in emergency presentations by young people. Mrs Morton said the complexity of youth mental illness and suicide risk needed a multi-pronged approach in the community, at school and sometimes as a last resort, in hospital. "Evidencebased research has shown that young people with mental health issues have better long term outcomes when treated in a community-based setting than extended care as an inpatient in a treatment facility," she said.
Engaging conversations: substance use & therapeutic process
MHCA Update - Mentha Consulting, 2012
The guide examines therapeutic process, the exchange between client and clinician through which the work happens. The focus is not so much on content — how to treat substance use or coexisting concerns — as on the relationship being formed, what helps and the challenges that arise. The main audience for this guide is the AOD worker whose role is primarily to work on substance use concerns. However, the ideas are not exclusive to the AOD field - indeed we hope clinicians in many other settings will find useful ideas they can apply in their own work.
continued from previous page The same would have occurred had he said, 'This pressure is so great I'm suffering depression.' The community would have embraced him. ''Depression is widespread; it is not a crime to be ill. And it saddens me when I read about someone like Ian, who has lived at the very peak of his profession, and sport, around the world, who clearly - during some of that time - did not get much enjoyment from it at all.'' Thorpe recently revealed bouts of depression during his swimming career. He felt alone then - yet he is far from alone now. Rugby league players Andrew Johns, Preston Campbell, Scott Hill, Matt Cross and Cory Paterson, rugby union stars Clyde Rathbone and John Kirwan, AFL player Nathan Thompson, and cricketers Shaun Tait, Ryan Campbell, Andrew Flintoff and Marcus Trescothick are some of the sports stars to declare publicly what they have suffered privately. Many more are speaking privately about it, to counsellors. The more the merrier? Perhaps. As more sports stars say they have suffered from mental illness, the more likely it is that others will seek help. Blown knees can end careers, and so can depression. Sports have made strides in ensure that a lack of welfare does not lead to a farewell. Yet in many, the farewell is indeed the trigger. ''People come into these clubs at an early age - 17 or 18,'' says Kennett. ''They're in a cocoon - they're pampered, they're treated, they're rubbed up and down, they're turned over, they're massaged … the club does everything for them.
''If a player is successful at their sport and lasts 10 years or longer, when they re-enter the market, they may be 30, they may be 35. Their salary goes from hundreds of thousands down to very little. ''But their peers have all moved on. The guys they went to school with are either managers or middle managers. They're going back into the marketplace, and they don't understand why the market doesn't salute them. You've got to go back and start again.'' The former welfare manager with the NRL, who now carries that same title at the Gold Coast Titans, Matt Francis, calls it a ''grieving process''. But good things can come from bad places, and the upwards trend of sports stars revealing themselves at their most vulnerable, both midand post-career, has been well-received. Because the revelation of negative thoughts can, and likely will, have a positive influence elsewhere. ''The influence they can have on the rest of the community … it will save lives,'' says the NRL's education and welfare manager, Paul Hepstonstall. ''When people like Andrew Johns and Matt Cross and Preston Campbell tell their stories, I'm sure it's saved lives.'' concludes next page
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International News
Liaison psychiatry in the modern NHS
Centre for Mental Health, U.K. Nov 2012
Every NHS hospital should have a liaison psychiatry service as standard, according to this new report. Liaison psychiatry services provide immediate access to specialist mental health support for people being treated for physical health problems, most often in general hospitals and in some cases in the community. http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk /pdfs/liaison_psychiatry_in_the_modern_ NHS_2012.pdf
Opening Eyes, Opening Minds: The Ontario Burden of Mental Illness and Addictions Report.
Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences and Public Health Ontario, Nov 2012
Most Ontarians are affected, either directly or indirectly, by mental illness and addiction issues. According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada, one in five Canadians is affected by a mental illness or addiction issue every year. Onset often occurs at a young age and can persist throughout life, with a significant impact on social connections, educational goals and workforce participation. The impact of mental illness and addiction on life expectancy, quality of life and health care utilization is significant—in many cases, more so than with other medical conditions—yet is often under-recognized. The Ontario Burden of Mental Illness and Addictions Report is the most thorough evaluation of the impact of mental illness and addictions on Ontarians to date. A joint project of the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) and Public Health Ontario (PHO), the study seeks to estimate the relative impact of a wide range of mental illnesses and addictions to inform priority setting, planning and decision-making by those involved in public health and mental health care planning. http://www.ices.on.ca/file/OpeningEyes_Full_Report.pdf
conclusion Changing attitudes not only from those who suffer depression, but those who don't, has played a part. Campbell now believes revealing his battle is anything but a sign of weakness. ''It's a sign of strength … it's a sign of strength,'' Campbell says, reinforcing the point. ''For me, the weakness is not coming forward. You're being weak then.'' Says Kennett: ''It's not a crime to be ill, it's a crime not to seek help.'' Reassuringly, help is there. When a player is injured on the field, we see training and medical staff flock to them and the athlete is nursed back to health. Do players who are ill, even in private, get the same attention? In the NRL, counselling is available to all players, staff and their immediate families. Every club employs an education and welfare officer and, this year, each NRL club put two of their staff through a three-day, mental-health first-aid course. The hope is that, in the future, the roles of education and welfare will be split between two fulltime staff, and many more, including coaches and senior officials, will be put through the course. State and national cricketers, current and retired, are offered access to a confidential phone counselling service, co-supported by Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers' Association, which is ''well supported by current and past players,'' says the ACA's national manager of player development and wellbeing, Ben Smith. ''One of the challenges with mental health is encouraging players to take up support,'' he says. Says Kennett: ''We're so much better off than where we were 10 years ago. But there's a lot more we can do.'' He says every code should make it an integral part of its work and measure the effectiveness of the programs. Sometimes, the most important message some stars need to hear is not how many tackles they need to make, or how many runs, or who they should mark. But who is marking them.
Make Aboriginal MH a national priority
NACCHO Aboriginal Health News Alerts, 5 December 2012
The National Mental Health Commission has called for the mental health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to be made a national priority. NACCHO’s chairman, Justin Mohamed, says incorporating mental health as a target in the program would help better track progress. A full NACCHO response to this report is being developed and will be released shortly. “We know that mental health and emotional and spiritual well being has a major impact on our communities, especially our young people. So we would welcome any form of targets or a position where Justin Mohamed, NACCHO Chairman the government can report back on how they are going with closing the gap, particularly in this field of mental health.” continues next page
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International News
Results from the 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Mental Health Findings and Detailed Tables
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) U.S, November 2012
The 2011 Mental Health Findings Report presents results pertaining to mental health from the 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), an annual survey of the civilian, noninstitutionalized population of the US aged 12 years old or older. This report presents national estimates of the prevalence of past year mental disorders and past year mental health service utilization for youths aged 12 to 17 and adults aged 18 or older. Among adults, estimates presented include percentages and numbers of persons with any mental illness (AMI), serious mental illness (SMI), suicidal thoughts and behaviour, major depressive episode (MDE), treatment for depression (among adults with MDE), and mental health service utilization. Estimates presented in this report for youths include MDE, treatment for depression (among youths with MDE), and mental health service utilization. Measures related to the cooccurrence of mental disorders with substance use or with substance use disorders also are presented for both adults and youths. The report focuses mainly on trends between 2010 and 2011 and differences across population subgroups in 2011. http://www.samhsa.gov/data/NSDUH/2k 11MH_FindingsandDetTables/index.aspx
continued from previous page In its first annual report card it has recommended the mental health of Indigenous Australians be added as a target to the Closing the Gap program to reduce early deaths and improve well-being. The National Mental Health Commission’s first report card includes a feature on the emotional and social wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, in a bid it says to have the Indigenous community heard. Commission member, and chairwoman of the Australian Indigenous Psychologists Association, Professor Pat Dudgeon, says the mental health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders has long been overlooked. “I believe that Indigenous issues have been ignored, particularly mental health. It is only recently that we have brought it to the table. There is a gap in Indigenous mental health compared to non-Indigenous mental health. For instance, even though we are only 3 per cent of the population our suicide rates are twice that of the rest of the population.” Up to 15 per cent of the 10-year life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non- Indigenous Australians has been put down to mental health conditions. In its report the Commission says governments must combat the vicious cycles of disadvantage that make mental health issues in Indigenous community’s worse. Ms Dudgeon says mental health cannot be looked at in isolation. “Everything is all interrelated. So if we look at health that is related to mental health, and employment, social inclusion. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people still suffer racism in this country. We also have a history of colonisation that we have to deal with and reclaim our cultures. So that all compounds on the mental health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.” The Commission’s report makes ten recommendations. Among them that the mental health and well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders be included in the Council of Australian Governments’ Closing the Gap on disadvantage program as an additional target. The National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples has welcomed the recommendation, so too the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO), which represents over 150 Aboriginal community controlled medical services across the country. NACCHO’s chairman, Justin Mohamed, says incorporating mental health as a target in the program would help better track progress. “We know that mental health and emotional and spiritual well being has a major impact on our communities, especially our young people. So we would welcome any form of targets or a position where the government can report back on how they are going with closing the gap, particularly in this field of mental health.” continues next page
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International News
Supporting Infants, Toddlers and Families Impacted by Caregiver Mental Health Problems, Substance Abuse, and Trauma: A Community Action Guide
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) U.S, October 2012
Using a case study approach, presents resources service providers, advocates, and practitioners can use to better understand and engage the community in responding to children whose caregivers are negatively impacted by mental illness, substance abuse, or trauma.
http://store.samhsa.gov/product/Support ing-Infants-Toddlers-and-FamiliesImpacted-by-Caregiver-Mental-HealthProblems-Substance-Abuse-andTrauma/SMA12-4726
Teenage cannabis use can cause long-lasting harm
Mental health Care, U.K. November 2012
People who start smoking cannabis when they are teenagers and continue to do so regularly into adulthood are more likely than their peers to have problems with attention and memory as they head towards middle-age.
http://www.mentalhealthcare.org.uk/me dia/downloads/cannabis_longlasting_harm_November_2012.pdf
The short-term effect on alliance and satisfaction of using patient feedback scales in mental health out-patient treatment. A randomised controlled trial BMC Health Services Research 2012, 12:348
The main aim was to investigate the effect of using two brief feedback scales in mental health outpatient Treatment six weeks after starting treatment, compared to treatment as usual. Hypotheses were that use of feedback scales would improve treatment alliance and patient satisfaction. http://www.biomedcentral.com/14726963/12/348
continued from previous page The National Mental Health Commission says Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders must be at the centre of thinking and decisionmaking on mental health initiatives and suicide prevention. It also advises that training and employment of Indigenous Australians in mental health services must increase. The Chief Executive of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Healing Foundation, Richard Weston, says historically Aboriginal people have not had great experiences with the mental health system, so to breakdown barriers and build trust it is going to be critical to have Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people involved in the delivery of services. “But we need Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who are well trained and skilled, who can hold their own with other mental health professions. So we need good education and good training processes to ensure that the standard of care that we are able to provide to our people is able to meet the high level of need that is out there.” Mental illness is experienced by nearly half (45 per cent) of the Australian adult population at some point over their lifetime. Commission chairman Professor Allan Fels says people from all backgrounds are affected, and that in its future reports the Commission plans to focus on various vulnerable groups. “We know that there are lots of issues, problems and system gaps and many different groups of people, such as people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, veterans, refugees, people with intellectual disability, those living with borderline disability disorders and others face very real challenges. In the years ahead we will work on additional areas requiring a special focus such as these as separate pieces of work.”
Canberra secretariat Administration: P: 02 6246 9300 F: 02 6248 0744
Office: 3 Garema Place Canberra City ACT 2601 Postal: PO Box 5120 Braddon ACT 2612 Media & Communications P: 02 6246 9309
Social Media links: http://www.twitter.com/NacchoAustralia http://www.facebook.com/NacchoAboriginalHealth http://www.youtube.com/NacchoTV
Mental health services in brief 2012
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, October 2012
This publication includes information on mental health service provision, available mental health resources and the changes that have occurred in these over time. The publication compliments the more comprehensive data that is available online at Mental health services in Australia http://mhsa.aihw.gov.au.
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International News
Learning the lessons: tackling homelessness in New York City
MHCA Update – 13/12/12
Minister for Housing and Homelessness Brendan O'Connor today visited Bowery Mission in New York City to see first-hand how the innovative service is tackling homelessness. Mr O'Connor met Bowery Mission President and CEO, Edward Morgan, to share ideas and find out more about the Mission's approach to reducing and preventing homelessness. His visit followed a visit in September by Tim Mathieson to the service, the oldest refuge in New York. "Breaking the cycle of homelessness involves more than putting a roof over someone's head," Mr O'Connor said. "It requires a strong focus on prevention and early intervention, as well as a holistic approach that not only helps people secure a place to call home, but also helps them get their lives back on track. http://brendanoconnor.fahcsia.go v.au/node/165
What effect does discrimination have on people’s lives?
Mental health Care, U.K. Nov 2012 Two hundred people who have been given a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or depression are helping researchers understand more about how discrimination affects their lives. They have agreed to take part in the MIRIAD (Mental Illness Related Investigations on Discrimination) study, which is being carried out by researchers in the Health Service and Population Research Department at King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry. http://www.mentalhealthcare.org.uk/me dia/downloads/MIRIAD_study_November _2012.pdf
World’s First National Report Card
27 November 2012
Professor Allan Fels, Chair of the National Mental Health Commission, has said that Australia can improve the lives of millions of Australians if the Prime Minister, Premiers and Chief Ministers – through COAG – reaffirm their commitment to mental health and have the courage to respond tenaciously to the first national report card into mental health and suicide prevention. A Contributing Life: the 2012 National Report Card on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, is the independent Commission’s inaugural annual report card and is a world first of its kind. Built on the personal stories of people who aren’t often heard – people with a lived experience of mental health difficulty, their families and supporters – the report card views mental health as an issue affecting every aspect of the life of a person; a “whole-of-life approach”. Its theme, ‘A Contributing Life’, recognises that people with mental health difficulties need the same things as everyone else – a stable home, a decent education, a job, family, friends and healthy relationships, good treatment and access to services and rights. A full copy of the report can be downloaded from the Mental Health Commission website at www.mentalhealthcommission.gov.au. Also available on their website is a series of short videos telling the real stories of real people has also been developed to help engage Australians in the theme of each chapter and bring mental health into the public spotlight.
No support for mental health: patient
Andrew Frampton, The Australian, 27 November 2012
FOR more than 30 years, Madison Kennedy had to deal with her mental illness alone because medical authorities didn't know how to help her. By the time the Sydney woman's anxiety disorder was finally diagnosed and treated in 2008, she had given up on ever finding a cure and resigned herself to living in a tortured state. Ms Kennedy's account is one of many that contributed to a groundbreaking national report on Australia's mental health services relying on the personal experiences of people the system is meant to help. Releasing its first annual report card in Sydney on Tuesday, the National Mental Health Commission made 10 recommendations it believes will help people suffering a mental illness receive better and earlier treatment. Madison said she began suffering anxiety and panic attacks when she was just four years old but did not receive the help she needed until she was 37. She saw around 25 specialists, none of whom could help. "It was horrendous. I felt like everybody was constantly giving up on me," she told AAP. "By my early 30s I thought 'this is my lot in life, I'm going to have to live in this terrible tortured state and nobody can help me'.”I pretty much gave up on myself, which was a terrible way to live." She said her illness was made worse by the fact she was considered to be "high functioning". "I had a really good job, I had a partner, a house so I really didn't tell that many people and my illness was internalised.”It affected all of my relationships." Madison finally received the help she needed when she gave birth to her daughter, when a nurse with psychiatric training recognised the symptoms of mental illness and referred her to a suitable hospital. "Giving birth to my daughter was like giving birth to a whole new life."
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Mental Health Commission Phone: (02) 8229 7550 Email: enquiries@mentalhealthcommission. gov.au Address: National Mental Health Commission PO Box R1463 Sydney NSW 2000
Our Role We work across all states and territories and all sectors. Not just government and not just health services. Our job involves three main things, to report, advise and collaborate. By reporting, advising and collaborating we will help transform systems and promote change, so that all Australians achieve the best possible mental health and wellbeing.
Reporting We produce an annual Report Card on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention. The report card will inform Australians of where we are doing well and where we need to do better in mental health. We will look at the facts and figures but also the real and everyday experiences of Australians. Advising We will use our reports, relationships and influence to give honest and independent advice on where and how Australia can better support people with a lived experience of mental health difficulties, their families and support people.
Collaborating There is great work being done. We work with others across all sectors to influence positive change. We also encourage more collaborative ways of working, by helping to bring people together who have the same goals and the same vision.
What we do not... We do not get involved in individual cases or advocate for individual people or groups. Instead we are an advocate for system improvement and better accountability. We are not a fund holding body. We do not provide services, grants or funding for major projects or campaigns.
Aust. Vets with mental health issues
ABC Radio, 28 November 2012 A former Chief of the Australian army has told a Parliamentary inquiry there are potentially thousands of current and former soldiers who are affected by mental health issues after serving in Afghanistan and other overseas deployments during the past two decades. An Australian House of Representatives Committee is looking into the care of Defence Force personnel wounded and injured on active service and it's heard that some soldiers are covering up the effects of their injuries so they can make further tours of duty. Correspondent: Michael Vincent Speakers: Peter Leahy, former head of Australian army MICHAEL VINCENT: As head of army from 2002 to 2008 Lieutenant
General Peter Leahy sent Australian soldiers to fight in Afghanistan and Iraq. He's now heading up an organisation to help the injured. PETER LEAHY: We think we had a handle on the physical wounding about 250. The psychological wounding we don't have a handle on. It could be in the thousands and we suspect it may become more. And the more we talk about it, the more people come forward. MICHAEL VINCENT: But in his evidence to the committee he says post traumatic stress should not be called a disorder. PETER LEAHY: We've taken a decision not to say PTSD. We don't think PTS is a disorder. There are now clearly available through the scientific journals and documents that this is largely a neurological reaction and so why would you call someone disordered when they're just having a physical and a mental problem? MICHAEL VINCENT: There's now wider recognition of the links between post traumatic stress and brain damage. Just last month the Government announced personnel in Afghanistan would be issued with small gauges called blast dosimeters. The devices detect the overpressure and acceleration of explosions and green, amber or red lights reveal immediately whether there was a potentially serious effect on the soldier's body and brain even though no physical damage may be obvious. The parliamentary committee has already heard from one soldier who carried blast injuries through three subsequent tours by just taking painkillers and that that compounded his physical and mental issues. Peter Leahy says that sort of behaviour is not uncommon. PETER LEAHY: You know, we've seen them lie about their age to join the military to do these things. And they'll certainly cover up disabilities and wounds to be able to go on operations. In some ways I wouldn't want to stop that completely because that's the real sense of we're doing this together, this is a team and what you're trying to build. But I think there are opportunities. And hopefully, as I say, through PTS and the work of de-stigmatisation that the guys can say well I just, I need a hand, and go and get that help. MICHAEL VINCENT: Peter Leahy's charity called Soldier On is now raising money for rehabilitation equipment as well as helping those physically and mentally damaged get work when they leave defence. PETER LEAHY: We acknowledge the sacrifice of those who die. But I'm not sure that we know just what's happening to those that come home wounded or indeed those who just come home and, you know, it's been pretty tough. MICHAEL VINCENT: The inquiry's public hearings continue next week in Melbourne.
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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
Alexza's ADASUVE®
U.S. FDA Approves Alexza's ADASUVE® (loxapine) Inhalation Powder for the Acute Treatment of Agitation Associated with Schizophrenia or Bipolar I Disorder in Adults MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Dec. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire Alexza Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALXA) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved ADASUVE® (loxapine) Inhalation Powder 10 mg for the acute treatment of agitation associated with schizophrenia or bipolar I disorder in adults. ADASUVE combines Alexza's proprietary Staccato® delivery system with the antipsychotic drug, loxapine. The Staccato system is a hand-held inhaler that delivers a drug aerosol to the deep lung that results in rapid systemic delivery and absorption of a drug. See below for Important Safety Information about ADASUVE, including Boxed Warnings. "The approval of ADASUVE is an important event in the treatment of agitation. ADASUVE is the first approved non-injectable therapy for the acute treatment of agitation in adults with schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder. As noted in the consensus guidelines for Best Practices in the Evaluation and Treatment of Agitation, we believe that the ability to deliver medications rapidly and non-invasively will be important for patients and the professionals who care for them," said Thomas B. King, President and CEO of Alexza. "This is a landmark day for Alexza and we are proud of our accomplishments in developing this unique product. We project that ADASUVE will be available for commercial launch early in the third quarter of 2013." "The data we have seen from the ADASUVE Phase 3 clinical trials in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder are compelling," said Michael Lesem, MD, Executive Medical Director, Claghorn-Lesem Research Clinic, Houston, TX and a principal investigator in the ADASUVE clinical trials. "I believe that ADASUVE represents an important new and much needed therapeutic option in treating agitation patients who will benefit from a non-coercive therapeutic intervention that works quickly to relieve their symptoms." The FDA approval is based on a clinical data package involving more than 1,600 patients and subjects. In two Phase 3 trials, ADASUVE was found to be effective in the acute treatment of agitation in adults with schizophrenia or bipolar I disorder. In these two studies, ADASUVE 10 mg met the primary efficacy endpoint, with statistically significant reductions in agitation as compared to placebo at the two-hour postdose time point, as well as the principal secondary endpoint. Of note, ADASUVE exhibited rapid effects in agitated patients, with statistically significant reductions in agitation apparent starting at 10 minutes following administration of a dose versus placebo1,2. As part of the ADASUVE development program, Alexza identified a risk of bronchospasm in certain asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients following dosing with ADASUVE. It is important to note that ADASUVE can cause bronchospasm that has the potential to lead to respiratory distress and respiratory arrest. ADASUVE will be available only through a restricted program under a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) called the ADASUVE REMS (described below). continues next page
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About Alexza Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Alexza is a pharmaceutical company focused on the research, development and commercialization of novel, proprietary products for the acute treatment of central nervous system conditions. Alexza's technology, the Staccato system, vaporizes unformulated drug to form a condensation aerosol that, when inhaled, is designed for rapid systemic drug delivery through deep lung inhalation. (Click here to see an animation of how the Staccato system works.) ADASUVE® (Staccato loxapine) is Alexza's lead therapeutic program. Grupo Ferrer Internacional, S.A is Alexza's commercial partner for ADASUVE in Europe, Latin America, Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States countries. Alexza filed its ADASUVE Marketing Authorization Application with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in October 2011. In December 2012, Alexza received a positive opinion from the EMA's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use recommending the approval of ADASUVE in the European Union for the rapid control of mild-tomoderate agitation in adult patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Patients should receive regular treatment immediately after control of acute agitation symptoms. The European Commission is now expected to grant marketing authorization for ADASUVE in all 27 European Union Member States, plus Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway. A decision is expected from the European Commission in the first quarter of 2013. For more information about Alexza, the Staccato system technology or the Company's development programs, please visit www.alexza.com. For more information about ADASUVE, please visit www.adasuve.com. ADASUVE® and Staccato® are registered trademarks of Alexza Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
continued from previous page ADASUVE Partial Prescribing Information (U.S.) Please visit www.adasuve.com for Full Prescribing Information, including Boxed WARNINGS.
INDICATIONS AND USAGE: ADASUVE is a typical antipsychotic indicated for the acute treatment of agitation associated with schizophrenia or bipolar I disorder in adults. Efficacy was demonstrated in 2 trials in acute agitation: one in schizophrenia and one in bipolar I disorder. Limitations of Use: ADASUVE must be administered only in an enrolled healthcare facility.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
WARNING: BRONCHOSPASM and INCREASED MORTALITY IN ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH DEMENTIA-RELATED PSYCHOSIS.
Bronchospasm:
ADASUVE can cause bronchospasm that has the potential to lead to respiratory distress and respiratory arrest ADASUVE is available only through a restricted program under a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) called the ADASUVE REMS Administer ADASUVE only in an enrolled healthcare facility that has immediate access on-site to equipment and personnel trained to manage acute bronchospasm, including advanced airway management (intubation and mechanical ventilation)
Increased Mortality in Elderly Patients with Dementia-Related Psychosis:
Elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis treated with antipsychotic drugs are at an increased risk of death. ADASUVE is not approved for the treatment of patients with dementia-related psychosis
CONTRAINDICATIONS: ADASUVE is contraindicated in patients with the following:
Current diagnosis or history of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or other lung disease associated with bronchospasm Acute respiratory signs / symptoms (e.g., wheezing) Current use of medications to treat airways disease, such as asthma or COPD History of bronchospasm following ADASUVE treatment Known hypersensitivity to loxapine and amoxapine
WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS:
Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome: May develop in patients treated with antipsychotic drugs. Discontinue treatment Hypotension and Syncope: Use with caution in patients with known cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease Seizure: Use with caution in patients with a history of seizures or with conditions that lower the seizure threshold Potential for Cognitive and Motor Impairment: Use caution when driving or operating machinery Cerebrovascular Adverse Reactions: Increased incidence of stroke and transient ischemic attack in elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis treated with antipsychotic drugs
continues next page
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ADASUVE Story: Safe Harbor Statement
This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve significant risks and uncertainties. Any statement describing the Company's expectations or beliefs is a forward-looking statement, as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and should be considered an at-risk statement. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, particularly those inherent in the process of developing and commercializing drugs, including the ability for Alexza to effectively and profitably commercialize ADASUVE in the US, the impact and risks of the ADASUVE post-marketing studies and Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMs) on the commercialization of ADASUVE the adequacy of the Company's capital to support the Company's operations and the Company's ability to raise additional funds and the potential terms of such potential financings. The Company's forward-looking statements also involve assumptions that, if they prove incorrect, would cause its results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These and other risks concerning Alexza's business are described in additional detail in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011 and the Company's other Periodic and Current Reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date, and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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continued from previous page
ADVERSE REACTIONS: The most common adverse reactions (incidence ≼ 2% and greater than placebo) in clinical studies in patients with agitation treated with ADASUVE were dysgeusia, sedation, throat irritation. ADASUVE will be available only through a restricted program under a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) called the ADASUVE REMS. ADASUVE should only be administered in a healthcare facility enrolled in the ADASUVE REMS program that has immediate access onsite to equipment and personnel trained to manage acute bronchospasm, including advanced airway management (intubation and mechanical ventilation). In addition to product labelling, Alexza developed the ADASUVE REMS with the purpose of mitigating the risk of bronchospasm. The ADASUVE REMS includes a communication plan and an "elements to assure safe use" of the product, including provisions designed to ensure that ADASUVE will only be dispensed in healthcare settings that are enrolled in the ADASUVE REMS program. With the ADASUVE NDA approval, Alexza also has several postapproval requirements, including a large observational clinical trial designed to gather patient safety data based on the real-world use of ADASUVE, as well as a clinical program addressing the safety and efficacy of ADASUVE in agitated adolescent patients. About Agitation Associated with Schizophrenia and Bipolar I Disorder: Agitation is a serious medical problem that can present in a number of psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder. Of the estimated 3.2 million patients treated for schizophrenia or bipolar I disorder in the U.S.3, about 90% suffer from agitation in their lifetime4, due to the natural course of underlying disease or noncompliance with chronic medication. Patients average 11 to 12 episodes of agitation each year5. Agitation episodes may escalate unpredictably and, in some cases, necessitate chemical or physical restraint to relieve the individual's distress and to protect care providers and others in close proximity. Rapid, effective and safe intervention is key to returning the agitated person to a less agitated state.
DISCLAIMER The information in this article is provided for general information only. It is not intended as medical advice, and should not be relied upon as a substitute for consultations with qualified health professionals who can determine your individual medical needs. We hope this information is of help to you in thinking about further questions that you might want to ask your doctors and qualified health professionals. Mental Illness Fellowship NQ Inc
ADASUVE Story References: 1.Lesem
MD, Tran-Johnson TK, Riesenberg RA, Feifel D, Allen MH, Fishman R, Spyker DA, Kehne JH and Cassella JV. Rapid acute treatment of agitation in individuals with schizophrenia: multicentre, randomised, placebocontrolled study of inhaled loxapine. Br J Psychiatry. 2011 Jan;198(1):51-8. 2.Kwentus J, Riesenberg RA, Marandi M, Manning RA, Allen MH, Fishman RS, Spyker DA, Kehne JH and Cassella JV. Rapid acute treatment of agitation in patients with bipolar I disorder: a multicenter, randomized, placebocontrolled clinical trial with inhaled loxapine. Bipolar Disord. 2012 Feb;14(1):31-40. 3.Alexza data on file (Calculation: from NIMH prevalence; Saha 2005; Merikangas K. Lifetime and 12-month Prevalence of Bipolar Spectrum Disorder in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2007. 64(5):543-552.) 4.Alexza data on file (primary market research among caregivers of patients with schizophrenia (95% have agitation) and bipolar patients (87% have agitation)) 5.Alexza data on file (primary market research among caregivers of patients with schizophrenia (have an average of 12 agitation episodes per year) and bipolar patients (have an average of 11 agitation episodes per year))
Source: Alexza Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Thomas B. King, President and CEO, +1-650-944-7634, tking@alexza.com; or Karen L. Bergman and Michelle Corral, BCC Partners, +1-650-575-1509 or +1415-794-8662, kbergman@bccpartners.com or mcorral@bccpartners.com.
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CEO’s Update
Welcome to what is going to be a very interesting year for MIFNQ. In the current funding climate a community organisation such as ours needs to be flexible and adaptable so that we can respond to external changes and the needs of the people who use our various services. I am grateful that we have well qualified and committed staff who are innovative and creative and who demonstrate the responsiveness needed to maintain MIFNQ as a leader in the community mental health field. Our board members also possess a range of skills that enable the organisation to be forward looking and Jeremy Audas, CEO agile and they are active in setting the Fellowship’s direction and providing leadership. We cannot do it alone of course and we rely on our collaborative partner agencies to enable appropriate support and assistance to be provided to people with a mental illness, their families and carers. 2013 will not be without its risks of course and with State government funding shrinking and uncertainty about the future of funding for the Cairns Mental Health Carers Hub we need to be working towards ensuring that we remain sustainable and viable otherwise members of the communities we service will miss out on vital services. I should also mention the tremendous support afforded through membership of the Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia which continues to grow and lead the way. MiNetworks and the Psychosis Australia Trust are two MIFA initiatives that spring to mind. Late last year MIFNQ signed the lease with Queensland Health over a parcel of land in Vincent, Townsville, on which our new building will be constructed. Work on this will commence in coming weeks and there has been a tremendous amount of work done behind the scenes to keep this moving forward. I’d especially like to thank Ken Tippett, our architect, who has provided many, many hours of work to prepare for the construction. 2013 will be the year that we will move into our new Townsville premises. This will mean we will have far better facilities, more accessible and contemporary office spaces, counselling and conference rooms, library and workspaces for the Townsville community to access. Living Proof is going from strength to strength as you will have read in Alison Fairleigh’s front page article. This program is a great example of an early intervention and prevention strategy that aims to reduce stigma around mental illness as well as providing young people with access to a wide range of useful resources. MIFNQ has entered into an arrangement with the Toowoomba Clubhouse in order to enhance the delivery of Living Proof in the Toowoomba region. While on the subject of Clubhouses MIFNQ has three fledgling Clubhouse initiatives in Townsville, Mackay and Cairns. Clubhouses are more than places where people can meet socially and engage with peers, they also provide employment and training opportunities and will be a growing part of MIFNQ in years to come. If you want to find out more about the Clubhouse model go to these websites: http://www.steppingstoneclubhouse.org.au and http://www.toowoombaclubhouse.org.au. The Directors of Stepping Stones and Toowoomba are mentoring the Fellowship’s initiatives. You will hear more about this in 2013. February will see the opening of headspace Mackay, MIFNQ is a consortium member and has been working with other organisations to support this important service for young people for the last twelve months or so. There is a headspace in Cairns too and MIFNQ is working in partnership to assist in providing support and information to families and carers of young people who are headspace clients. Finally I would like to say thanks to our volunteers who do such a great job as presenters for WellWays, Living Proof and in our Day to Day Living programs, as well as those who volunteer their time to do various other tasks. People like Donella Pickles who regularly comes into the Townsville office to assist with administrative tasks. During 2013 we will be revamping our volunteering system to bring it up to make it more accessible and relevant to volunteers and MIFNQ alike. That’s all for this edition of Northern Voices....I look forward to an exciting and challenging year as MIFNQ continues to grow and change to meet the needs of people with a mental illness, their families, friends and carers and the communities in which they live.
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) 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
SUNSHINE COAST - Living Proof PO Box 5080 Nambour Q 4560 P: (07) 5442 1651 F: (07) 5442 1651 E: coolum@mifnq.org.au
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President’s Reflections
The little Fellowship I joined just eight years ago has grown a lot since 2004. When I took over as Treasurer [from Andy Froggatt], Lyn Tyson was President and Philippa Harris was our CEO. Philippa and others were on reduced paid hours [they worked for more than they were paid], as we could not afford to pay them for whole weeks. We were squeezed into our little house on Kings Road, but we made-do, providing as much support as we could to our people and their carers and families on government grants. We had a commitment to always remember that the reason the Fellowship existed. This was to ensure Bob James, President that our people had a voice and that the public and politicians knew of the needs of our people, which included hospitals and clinicians, but also support within families and the community – before, during, after and often instead of clinical and hospital treatment. Eight years later, our Fellowship has grown, but is still very small, compared to the big national organisations which try to cater for people in need. After almost half a decade of leadership from former senior public servants Andy and Jeremy, ably supported by Cherrie, we are a bigger, stronger, better-connected and more corporatized organisation, more in tune with 21st century ways of government-funded community support organisations. Governments, the media and the public now know more than they ever did about the needs of people with mental health issues; especially those needs which hospitals and clinicians cannot meet – those vital support services for our people, their carers and their families. From eight years ago, we still have Lyn and Philippa [and Barbara, and Committee people Jenny, Donella and Tanya] to remind us of our purpose – the reason a small organisation like ours needs to exist. We know that we most closely represent the people that those larger organisations cannot. We know our people and they know and trust us. We are still squeezed into our little house in Kings Road – but not for long. We have offices in Cairns and Mackay, where staff provide services which now reach much, much further than back in 2004. We are still dependent on government funding to provide the support needed. We also know that there are so many more ways we can help and so many more people, but we just do not have the funding and resources to do more. But we are readier now than ever before to take advantage of the promised extra funding and expand our services to try to meet more of the needs of our community. Is it any easier now than eight years ago to continue to survive and serve? In many ways, the environment is more demanding, so that much of our development has been focused on these more-demanding requirements. We are still subject to government budgets. But we are a stronger organisation now than we were and readier to expand or take cuts than we were in 2004. We are prepared for the challenges of this new environment, ready to continue and to expand the support for our people that we are the best to provide.
MIFNQ Management Committee President Vice-President Secretary Treasurer Committee Members
Bob James (vacant) Jenny Chapman Sandra Hubert Alf Musumeci Cathy O’Toole Tanya Park Donella Pickles Sandi Winner
Promoting Recovery Through Services in the Community
Mi Networks AUSTRALIA
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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
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM
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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