1) - http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/apr/11/mental-health-services-turn-away-23-of-under-18s-referred-to-them
- Mental Health services turn away 23% of under-18s who are referred to them.
- 1 in 10 youths aged between 5 and 16 suffer with a Mental Health problem, this is the same as 3 per every classroom, which equals to 720,000 youths across England.
- The Office of National Statistics states that for boys aged between 5 and 19, suicide is the most common cause of death. This totals to 14% of deaths. It is second most common for girls of this age after traffic accidents, equaling 9%.
- In 2012-13 more than £704m was spent on children and adolescent mental health services. This is the same as 6% of the total mental health budget or around 0.7% of the total NHS budget.
- The number of children who are superscribed anti-depressants has increased by 50% in the last 7 years (between 2005 and 2012).
- WHO (World Health Organisation) director of mental health names Dr Shekhar Saxena responded with; 'Anti-depressant use amongst young people is and has been a matter of concern because of two reasons.' 'One, are most people being prescribed anti-depressants without sufficient reason? and second, can anti-depressants do any major harm?'
- Another worry was that children under the age of 18 were being given non licensed drugs for their age group.
- The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines state that these drugs should not be used to treat mild depression in children. The same applies when it comes to treating a child with moderate and severe depression, they don't believe it should be used unless it is also combined with a concurrent psychological therapy.
- Chair women of the Royal College for GP's, Dr Maureen Baker, said that anti-depressants would rarely be the first initial treatment option for children and young people. She stated 'But with such long waits for patients to see a specialist or to get a psychological therapy referral, drug therapy is sometimes seen as the only option for GP's to best support patients, who may be in extreme distress, and their family.'
- Depression effects the body as well as the mind. Research states it causes an imbalance to how the body attacks harmful molecules.
- Depression cause a change oxidative stress, which is an imbalance in the production of free radicals and the body's ability to neutralise them with antioxidants.
- Depression should be treated as a disease which studies have found impacts both the physical and mental health.
- Some say that Britain's teenagers are stressed, drink too much and think they are fat. Teenagers are becoming too stressed because of the pressure they face at school.
- 73% of girls and 52% of boys in England felt pressured from school work.
- 16% of girls and 22% of boys in England said they actually like school.
- 72% of girls and 81% of boys in England find it easy to talk to their mums about it.
- 10% of girls and 12% of boys in England drink alcohol at least once a week.
- 31% of girls and 25% of boys in England have been drunk on two occasions or more.
- 71% of girls and 84% of boys in England reported good life satisfaction.
- 50% of girls and 25% of boys in England think they are too fat.
- News story about a charity for bereaved family's that is demanding the government investigates the ways in deaths of young people in mental health units are recorded.
- News report: David Cameron called for the nation to focus on mental health after a review revealed inadequate, underfunded care, leading to "thousands of tragic and unnecessary deaths".
- A real story:
- Recovery tactics: Have a cup of tea with your friends; Go for a walk in the park; Call up a friend you haven't spoken to in a while and have a catch up.; Read a good book; Clean the house; Put on your favourite film; Exercise; deep breathing; sleep (sometimes can help).
Some good coping skills include:
Meditation and Relaxation Techniques: Practicing deep breathing techniques, the relaxation response, or progressive muscle relaxation are ways to help reduce stress and induce relaxation.
Time to Yourself: It is important to set aside time everyday to allow yourself to relax and escape the stress of life. Give yourself a private, mini vacation from everything going on around you.
Physical Activity: Moving around and getting the heart rate up causes the body to release endorphins (the body's feel good hormones). Exercising provides some stress relief.
Reading: Escape from reality completely by reading. Reading can help you to de-stress by taking your mind off everyday life.
Friendship: Having friends who are willing to listen and support one through good and bad times is essential.
Humor: Adding humor to a stressful situation can help to lighten the mood.
Hobbies: Having creative outlets such as listening to music, drawing or gardening are great ways to relax and relieve everyday stress.
Spirituality Actively believing in a higher power or divine being can have many health benefits. In recent studies, it has been found that people who pray have better mental health than those who do not.
Pets: Taking care of a pet helps distract the mind from stressful thoughts. Studies Show that pets are a calming influence in people's lives.
Sleeping The human body needs a chance to rest and repair itself after a long and stressful day. Sleeping gives the body this chance so that it is ready to perform another day.
Nutrition Eating foods that are good for you not only improve your physical health, but they play a major role in your mental health. When your body gets the proper nutrients, it is better able to function in every capacity.
Negative coping skills:
Drugs
Excessive alcohol use
Self-mutilation
Ignoring or storing hurt feelings
Sedatives
Stimulants
Excessive working
Avoiding problems
Denial
Tips for better mental health:
Build Cofidence - identify your abilities and weaknesses together, accept them, build on them and do the best you can with what you have.
Accept Compliments - many of us have difficulty accepting kindness from others but we all need to remember the positive in our lives when times get tough.
Make Time for Family and Friends - these relationships need to be nurtured; if taken for granted they will dwindle and not be there to share life's joys and sorrows.
Give and Accept Support - friends and family relationships thrive when they are "put to the test." Just as you seek help when you are having a tough time, a friend or family member might come to you in their time of need.
Create a Meaningful Budget - financial problems are big causes of stress, especially in today's economy. Over-spending on our "wants" instead of our "needs" can compound money worries. Writing down where you money is going helps you keep a closer eye on your finances.
Volunteer - being involved in community gives a sense of purpose and satisfaction that paid work cannot. Find a local organization where you life skills can be put to good use.
Manage Stress - we all have stressors in our lives but learning how to deal with them when they threaten to overwhelm us will help to maintain our mental health.
Find Strength in Numbers - sharing a problem with others who have had similar experiences may help you find a solution and will make you feel less isolated. Even talking about situation with people who have not experienced what you are going through is a good way to gain outside perspective.
Identify and Deal with Moods - we all need to find safe and constructive ways to express our feelings of anger, sadness, joy and fear. Channeling your emotions creatively is a wonderful way to work off excess feelings. Writing (keeping a journal), painting, dancing, making crafts, etc. are all good ways to help deal with emotions.
Learn to Be at Peace with Yourself - get to know who you are, what makes you really happy and learn to balance what you can and cannot change about yourself.
9) - Documentary showing what it's like to live with mental health issues.
10) - The truth about depression BBC documentary 2013.
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