‘I've gone through a metamorphosis'

An article published in yesterday's edition of The Globe and Mail:

Stability is the key to managing mental illness, experts suggest. André Picard looks at a Montreal project that puts housing first, providing troubled homeless people a stable home of their own

By André Picard

Ricardo Maddalena has lived in many places over the past four decades: fleabag apartments, a psychiatric hospital, prison, rooming houses and on the streets.

Four years ago, he finally found a home.

The 58-year-old, who suffers from severe schizophrenia and has struggled with alcoholism since his teens, moved into an innovative housing project in downtown Montreal that is operated by Chambreclerc, a non-profit group in the city that offers housing to long-time homeless men and women with severe psychiatric disabilities.

“Since I moved here, I've gone through a metamorphosis,” Mr. Maddalena says.

To read the entire article, please click here.

Also see:

Homelessness: By the numbers

Harm reduction: Contentious, but experts say it works

Photo Credit: John Morstad for The Globe and Mail

The Schizophrenia Society of Canada Supports Appropriate Treatment of Inmates Living with a Mental Illness

A November 5th news release from the Schizophrenia Society of Canada:

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA--(Marketwire - Nov. 5, 2009) - The Schizophrenia Society of Canada ("SSC") welcomes the 2008/09 Annual Report of the Office of the Correctional Investigator ("OCI") tabled November 2, 2009 in Parliament. Commenting on the Report, SSC President Jim Adamson says: "It is commendable and most appropriate that four of the 19 key recommendations address the treatment and support of inmates who live with a mental illness within Canada's federal prison system."

According to the OCI Annual Report, mental health services in federal penitentiaries are woefully deficient. Across the country, prisoners are denied treatment because of a shortage of clinical staff and inadequate mental health facilities for the prison population. The Schizophrenia Society of Canada along with its provincial schizophrenia societies has maintained that the treatment and support of inmates who are mentally ill in Canadian prisons is sub-standard, and sometimes almost non-existent.

Howard Sapers, Correctional Investigator of Canada says in his annual report: "Federal correctional mental health care services are under extreme duress - there are deficiencies in terms of capacity, quality, standards and responsiveness of care. Criminalizing and then warehousing the mentally ill burdens our justice system and does nothing to improve public safety. The demands in this area of corrections are increasing dramatically; the unmet needs are immediate and troubling. The overall situation of offenders with mental health disorders has not significantly improved since my Office first reported on this troubling situation back in 2004."

The prevalence of offenders with significant mental health issues upon admission has doubled in the past five years. Eleven percent of federal offenders have a significant mental health diagnosis and over 20% are taking a prescribed medication for a psychiatric condition; just over 6% were receiving outpatient services prior to admission. (1)

The Correctional Investigator's report highlights the seriousness of the conclusion that our prisons have become warehouses for the mentally ill. Over the past three decades Canada has moved toward a community and outpatient system of "de-institutionalizing" the mentally ill from provincial facilities, to "re-institutionalizing" them as prisoners.

"Criminalization of those with mental illness is unethical. If these inmates do not receive hospital-standard psychiatric care, their chances of rehabilitation are extremely low and their risk of re-offending remains high. Allowing inmates to go without comprehensive treatment services for their mental illness is a failure of the Correctional Service to address mental health needs of offenders on many levels," says Chris Summerville, CEO of the Schizophrenia Society of Canada.

(1) Public Safety Canada, Corrections and Conditional Release Statistical Overview: Annual Report 2008, December 2008.


For more information, please contact:

Schizophrenia Society of Canada
Chris Summerville
Chief Executive Officer
Office: (204) 786-1616 or Mobile: (204) 223-9158

Also see:

Report: Prisoners lack mental health support

Mental Health Commission of Canada responds on Correctional Investigator's Report

Mental health court takes first cases

An article published in today's edition of The Chronicle Herald:

'It’s not about the crime, it’s about the person'

By Davene Jeffrey

The first sitting of the province’s mental health court wrapped up quickly Thursday afternoon in Halifax.

With just five cases on the docket, the session was over in just 15 minutes. And unlike in other courts, most of the participants seemed happy to be there.

"The docket will grow," said legal aid defence lawyer Kelly Rowlett. "There are a lot of mentally ill people who have filtered through the criminal court and forensic system."

Ms. Rowlett is one of two lawyers who will defend people who appear in the mental health court.

In the inaugural session Thursday, three men and two women facing charges ranging from assault with a weapon to mischief appeared in the court. Four of the five were eager to have the mental health court handle their cases.

One woman said she wanted time to review information on the program before deciding.

A team including a nurse and social worker will now interview the four and determine whether they are eligible for the program.

The atmosphere in the mental health court is meant to be collaborative rather than adversarial, said Crown attorney Sandi MacKinnon. The clients must acknowledge their guilt and sign a form stating they are entering the program voluntarily.

"It’s not about the crime, it’s about the person," Ms. Rowlett said.

And while the court is designed to be a better fit for people with mental health issues, it is also a good situation for Ms. Rowlett and Ms. MacKinnon, they said.

"In a previous life, I worked with individuals with disabilities and I was a community advocate," Ms. MacKinnon said.

That’s what led her to become a lawyer.

"It’s almost like coming full circle for me," she said.

Ms. Rowlett used to work in insurance litigation before she began to represent mentally ill clients.

"It’s kind of nice to make a difference every once in a while," she said.

Ms. Rowlett said her clients "are really wonderful, caring people who appreciate the assistance."

The mental health court has been in the works for two years.

Ms. MacKinnon said a lot of mental health services are available, but the job of the court and its team of workers will be to co-ordinate those services in developing programs for the people who come through the courtroom doors.

After a program has been set up for a client, he or she will be required to return to court so the judge can assess whether progress is being made.

In many cases, the criminal charges will eventually be stayed, Ms. MacKinnon said.

She said cases involving people who are found to be not criminally responsible for their actions will remain in the regular court system.

Ms. MacKinnon said the purpose of the mental health court is not to avoid criminal convictions for clients but to provide the supports they need to avoid coming into conflict with the law repeatedly. In that way, the public is protected, she said.

The Crown does anticipate some glitches as the new court gets underway.

For instance, Ms. MacKinnon said, few resources are available to help people who have experienced brain injuries.

"This segment of the population is going to be somewhat challenging," she said.

The court’s second session will be next Thursday.

Also see:

Youth Mental Health and the Criminal Justice System

London's Mental Health Court

Reading List: Mental Health Diversion Courts

Mental-health program for Digby schools gains national attention

An article published in today's edition of The Chronicle Herald:

By Brian Medel, Yarmouth Bureau

Digby County proponents of an adolescent mental-health curriculum being included in area high schools have received national attention.

The Mental Health Commission of Canada has asked if they can use a local program in a new national anti-stigma campaign.

"We’re very excited about being part of this campaign," John Roswell, the co-ordinator of the Digby Clare Mental Health Volunteers, said Tuesday.

"Our mandate is to promote the mental health of Digby County residents and we are trying to overcome the prejudice and discrimination faced by people with mental illness in our community.

"We have been focusing on adolescent mental health in particular and this is one of the areas the commission is concentrating on."

Mr. Roswell said his group has been working for several months to introduce information about mental health and illness into the curriculum of Digby County high schools. It now looks like the program will begin during the 2010-2011 school year.

"The (Canadian) Mental Health Commission will be helping us measure the effectiveness of our program," said Mr. Roswell.

The Digby County group has also joined forces with the Sun Life Financial Chair of Adolescent Mental Health at Dalhousie University and the IWK Health Centre to help with their project.

Dr. Stan Kutcher, an adolescent mental health expert at Dalhousie University’s school of medicine, spoke to Digby County teachers Tuesday, providing information on mental health and disease.

Mr. Roswell said 80 per cent of all psychiatric disorders emerge in adolescence and it would be good for people to have some understanding of them.

"Mental illnesses affect more people, directly or indirectly, than any physical illness," he said, adding that 83 per cent of Digby County high school students surveyed by his association recently said they knew someone with a mental illness.

And yet mental illness is something people don’t like to talk about, said Mr. Roswell.

"We’re trying to overcome that by creating a dialogue in our community. We’re trying to help people see that it’s OK to admit that you might have a mental illness."

Flu program delays deal for psychiatrists — minister

An article published in today's edition of The Chronicle Herald:

By David Jackson, Provincial Reporter

Health Minister Maureen MacDonald [pictured] said Tuesday her department’s focus on swine flu has delayed a new deal for metro-area psychiatrists.

Half a dozen doctors were at Province House to draw attention to the department missing an Oct. 31 deadline for an agreement.

Dr. Nick Delva, the Capital district health authority’s chief of psychiatry and the head of Dalhousie medical school’s psychiatry department, said he thinks a deal could get done in a week to 10 days.

But with the biggest immunization program in provincial history underway, that’s not a time frame Ms. MacDonald is looking at.

"I think it’s pretty clear what I’m looking at in the next 10 days, and it’s not sitting down and doing collective bargaining, sadly," said Ms. MacDonald, who has been under opposition fire for the government’s handling of the H1N1 vaccine rollout.

"We will get to this issue as soon as we can, but we are dealing with a public health emergency in the province, and that’s where our focus has to be for the time being."

The psychiatrists had a memorandum of understanding with the previous government and Doctors Nova Scotia to get an agreement, called an academic funding plan, done by the end of October. The last one expired more than three years ago.

Dr. Delva said the new arrangement would add about $3 million in annual costs to about a $20-million budget. That covered 70 full-time-equivalent positions at 1,840 hours each per year, but Dr. Delva said psychiatrists have done a lot of work for free.

"We were providing far, far more hours (of) clinical work and far more hours (of) academic work than this," he said. "We did it for free for a number of years, and it was an unsustainable situation."

Aileen Brunet, a forensic psychiatrist and president of the Nova Scotia Psychiatric Association, said doctors won’t support the province’s new mental health court until an agreement is done.

The court starts sitting Thursday, with four cases scheduled. The Justice Department plans to pay for a private psychiatrist, if necessary, before an agreement is finalized. Dr. Brunet said psychiatrists would never withdraw services they are already providing, but they won’t be offering new ones until the deal is in place.

Premier Darrell Dexter said in question period that he expects a new deal to be done soon.

Liberal Leader Stephen McNeil said the Dexter government doesn’t seem to have a plan for mental health services.

"Clearly, what happened here today is the premier said one thing on the floor of the House, and the minister said something quite different outside. They’re not on the same page. Who’s telling the truth?"

Also see:

Psychiatrists threaten to skip mental health court

Nova Scotia's Mental Health Court Program

From the Nova Scotia Department of Justice website:

A specialized Mental Health Court, the first of its kind in Nova Scotia, will hold its first seating on November 5, 2009. The new court will hear cases which have been recommended by a mental health court team as being eligible for the program, and a team of mental health clinicians and lawyers will be at the courthouse to assess potential clients and assist with their needs through counselling and other support. The goal of this new court is to treat Nova Scotians with mental disorders, who commit criminal offences, fairly and compassionately, and to help them improve their mental health to reduce the risk to public safety.

For more information, please see:

Mental Health Court: Overview (PDF)

Mental Health Court: Mission (PDF)

Mental Health Court: FAQ (PDF)

Putting a Price on Mental Illness

An article published in today's edition of The Globe and Mail:

Mental illness costs the Canadian economy a staggering $51-billion annually. That number includes:

• $5-billion in direct medical costs

• $9.3-billion in lost productivity due to short-term sick leave

• $8.5-billion in lost productivity due to long-term disability

• $28-billion is attributed to "reductions in health-related quality of life" - a method used to put a dollar figure on pain and suffering.

The World Health Organization estimates that by 2020, depression will be the leading cause of disability on the planet. Employers see the impact of mental illness every day:

• 500,000 Canadians daily are absent from work because of psychiatric and psychological problems.

• 40 per cent of all disability claims, short-term and long-term, involve mental-health conditions.

• 18 per cent of workers in Canada have had a diagnosis of clinical depression.

• 8 per cent of workers currently on the job are taking drugs for a mental-health condition.

• 6 per cent of all workers are under the care of a physician for treatment of a psychiatric or psychological condition.

Sources: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health; Great-West Life Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace; World Health Organization

Also see:

When the office gives back

Breaking Through

Lunenburg County Chapter - Halloween Party 2009

The Lunenburg County Chapter of the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia held their Halloween Party 2009 on Tuesday, October 20th.

The Scary Witch won 1st prize for the most creative and scary costume.

Our gal Audrey a.k.a. Aubrey Zinck won 2nd prize for the funniest costume and the nicest legs.

Juanita won a prize for the best foreign costume.

Click on any photography to enlarge it.

All photographs by Jan House.

Nurse: MD’s note didn’t look official

An article published in today's edition of The Chronicle Herald:

No psychiatric exam had been set up for Hyde; man didn’t show acute symptoms, woman says

By Michael MacDonald, The Canadian Press

The nurse who admitted a man to a Nova Scotia jail where he later died knew about a doctor’s note requiring the inmate to receive a psychiatric exam, but the nurse told an inquiry Wednesday she didn’t consider it an official physician’s order.

Sandra McLeod was the nurse in charge at the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility [pictured] when Howard Hyde — under arrest for an alleged assault — was dropped off there by deputy sheriffs on Nov. 21, 2007.

Hyde, a 45-year-old musician with a long history of mental illness and run-ins with the law, died the next morning as he struggled with guards, yelling there were "demons" in the jail.

McLeod told the inquiry she knew Hyde had not refilled his prescription for an anti-psychotic drug for about four months, and that he had been Tasered by police after his arrest and later sent to a hospital for treatment.

As well, McLeod confirmed she had read a handwritten note on Hyde’s health information transfer form, written by Dr. Janet MacIntyre, that said he had to be returned to hospital if he did not receive a court-ordered psychiatric assessment.

McLeod testified that when she read the note from the emergency room doctor, she called the Mentally Ill Offender Unit to determine if they were expecting Hyde for a court-ordered psychiatric assessment. But she was told nothing had been scheduled.

The form also said Hyde required ongoing treatment for schizophrenia and psychosis. As well, it said he had demonstrated aggression towards others and the potential to hurt himself.

The nurse said she saw no reason to send Hyde back to the hospital because he wasn’t displaying any acute symptoms.

"He wasn’t disoriented, he wasn’t agitated, he wasn’t hallucinating and he was following direction," she testified during her second day in the witness box.

McLeod said MacIntyre’s note did not constitute a physician’s order because it was written on a form she was unfamiliar with and lacked instructions on a specific time and place for an appointment.

"This isn’t the same kind of form that we follow through on," she said.

Still, McLeod said she asked one of the jail’s support clerks, Maureen Walford, to contact the hospital to make sure Hyde had been medically cleared.

Walford, who also testified Wednesday, confirmed Hyde had been cleared and said she also asked the hospital about MacIntyre’s note.

Recalling the conversation, Walford told the inquiry: "(A hospital administrator) just said, "No, he doesn’t have to come back. I have nothing here.’ "

McLeod said she would have contacted an on-call doctor had Hyde started displaying psychotic behaviour.

She also testified that she was not made aware that Hyde had been given an anti-psychotic drug when he was at the hospital.

However, Hyde did not have any prescriptions with him when he arrived at the jail, which McLeod did not find unusual.

Hyde was placed in a health-care cell, which meant guards would check on him every 15 minutes, but McLeod confirmed the guards were not told to watch for anything unusual.

Most of the guards who have testified at the inquiry have said they had little or no training on how to deal with the mentally ill.

The inquiry, which began in July under the direction of provincial court Judge Anne Derrick, is trying to determine why Hyde didn’t get the psychiatric help he needed, and what can be done to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

Earlier in the inquiry, MacIntyre testified that she would not have discharged Hyde if she had known he would be sent to a jail cell rather than a psychiatric hospital. She said police had assured her Hyde would receive a court-ordered assessment.

The inquiry has also heard that the Halifax police officers working on Hyde’s case knew they did not have the authority to follow the doctor’s instructions once he entered the court system.

The deputy sheriffs escorting Hyde to court did not hand the health form to lawyers handling the case because legislation at the time forbade them from sharing such information with anyone but health-care providers, such as McLeod.

Bold plus italic emphasis is mine.

Writing Together

Please click on the image to magnify it.

Holly House - Accepting applications for affordable, supportive housing

Adapted from the October 15th edition of the Community Action on Homelessness Newsletter:

The Elizabeth Fry Society of Mainland Nova Scotia owns a residence [pictured] at 1 Tulip Street in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The residence will house our Society’s offices and will offer single occupancy rooms with shared kitchen, common room and bathrooms for rent to seven women. The house will provide safe, affordable housing for women for up to two years. This is not a half-way house. All women in the community are eligible to submit an application. Tenants will have access to:

• Elizabeth Fry’s professional staff
• Communal living space
• Support to develop a Personal Transition Plan
• Individual counselling
• Education and employment exploration
• Housing search support and advocacy
• Community resources referrals
• Personal development programming
  

Rent will be geared to income and tenancy is subject to a lease and the policies and procedures of the residence, which include a zero tolerance policy for drug or alcohol use, and a commitment by tenants to support the spirit of communal living.

If you are interested in applying to rent a living space, please obtain an application form by calling 454-5041 or 1-877-619-1354 (toll-free), and forward it to:

Elizabeth Fry Society of Mainland Nova Scotia
Attention: Tenant Application
2352 Gottingen Street
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3K 3B9

Fax: 902-455-5913
email: mjmilley@efrynovascotia.com
Website: www.efrynovascotia.com

oneinfive.ca - Speaking up about Nova Scotia Mental Health Issues

From www.oneinfive.ca:



To view more of the videos, please click here.

Recovery Quilt winner!

Dorothy Gregor, right, is presented with the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia's Recovery Quilt. Ms. Gregor's winning ticket was drawn by Judge Alfred Brien during the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia's 21st Annual Conference on October 1st, 2009. Presenting the Recovery Quilt to Ms. Gregor is Cecilia McRae, president of the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia.


About the Recovery Quilt

The Recovery Quilt depicts life after a diagnosis of mental illness. Picking up the pieces to create something beautiful and functional, yet often different from what we had initially intended.

The Iris represents the individual; and the blades of grass, the support system. Supports include: family, friends, caregivers, co-workers, medical staff, education, skills, jobs, housing, religion, community and various organizations. All help weather the storm; for alone the Iris is vulnerable and frail.

The checkerboard border is suggestive of the journey, and how each move we make has an impact on the outcome.

The gently scalloped edge illustrates that the road to recovery is not always straight, we have to expect some curves along the way.

In 1994, The Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia chose the Iris as an emblem for its crusade against mental illness. The Iris’ three petals represent courage, wisdom and hope. The Iris takes its name from the Greek word for “rainbow”.

The Recovery Quilt was hand-made by Cecilia McRae and Roberta Smith. It was hand-quilted by the Merigomish Presbyterian Church Guild in 2009.

Judge says mentally ill shouldn't fill jails

An article published in the October 8th edition of the Saint John Telegraph-Journal:

By Sandra Davis

SAINT JOHN - Professional development days to train teachers how to deal with students with mental health problems and mental health response teams in schools would be big steps toward transforming the health care system, says a prominent judge.

"Who spends more time with kids than teachers?" said Judge Michael McKee [pictured] as he addressed about 20 members of the mental-health profession and the public who attended a meeting of the Saint John Community Advisory Committee on Wednesday morning.

McKee recently wrote a report urging government to break down the bureaucratic barriers that too often send mentally ill citizens to jail.

"It's easy to be decent and kind. We'd be surprised to know how many people need that in life and how easy it is."

Who to contact and how to respond is most important, he said.

"The first contact somebody with mental illness makes should be concerned about recovery," he said. "We need to focus on recovery if we're going to transform the system." In government, where the bottom line is a major concern, "the longest planning is from one election to the next," McKee said.

"The money spent on jails would be better spent on the front end.

"It's easy to come back and say 'we don't have the resources'."

Saint John's mental-health court has cost nothing - thanks to Judge Alfred Brien - McKee said, adding that he believes there are other New Brunswick judges who are willing to go that extra mile."There are people willing to take on extra files and work extra hours," he said. Eighty per cent of people who are dealt with in mental-health court never go back to court, he said.

"We've got to find a better way than bringing in the paddy wagon and handcuffs. They're not criminals, they're sick. People need to be sensitized. At the end of the day, it's about having a little bit of heart."A mental-health crisis response team comprised of a psychiatrist, psychologist, counsellors and other experts who would respond to schools would go a long way to nipping problems in the bud, he said.

Collaboration and co-ordination of government departments and professionals is also necessary, said the former Liberal cabinet minister and MLA.

"Government departments wouldn't share a nickel with another department," he said.

Uncomplicated access to housing and income support are also necessary if the system is to improve, he said.

Government has responded to a number of his recommendations within the set time lines, McKee said, but it remains a "work in progress."

"I didn't see all I would have liked. I have become a little unrealistic, but I'm not going to apologize for that," McKee said.

"This is everybody's business."

Photograph courtesy of the Saint John Telegraph Journal.

Also see:

Together into the Future: A Transformed Mental Health System for New Brunswick (PDF)

Wait-and-see reaction to gov't mental health response

Advisory Council on Mental Health Act debated

Bill 26, An Act to Create the Nova Scotia Advisory Council on Mental Health, was debated in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly on October 7th, 2009. Reference to the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia was made on two occasions during the debate. To read a transcript of the debate, please click here.

Photo credit

Province Introduces New Mental Health Resources in Schools

An October 5th news release from the Nova Scotia Department of Education:

Nova Scotia's students will gain a better understanding of mental health with the introduction of new resources to support health education in schools, Education Minister Marilyn More [pictured] announced today, Oct. 5.

The Healthy Mind/Healthy Body resources supplement the province's newly enhanced health education curriculum, which includes mental health as one of six priority areas.

"Healthy Mind/Healthy Body speaks to students in age-appropriate language, and teaches the difference between healthy and unhealthy feelings," said Ms. More. "It is intended to help both students and their families cope with the challenges that youth face as they grow and mature."

These resources, which include a pamphlet called Let's Talk About... Mental Health, encourage open and honest discussion around feelings and worries. The learning activities encourage students to talk to a trusted adult when they begin to feel overwhelmed by certain feelings.

Ms. More, accompanied by adolescent mental health experts Dr. Stanley Kutcher and Dr. Bianca Horner, who authored the materials, attended a class at Portland Estates Elementary School today where they shared their thoughts and feelings with Ms. Mamoona Brace's grade four and five class.

"The idea is that by learning to openly discuss emotions and concerns, students will begin to see mental health as an important and natural aspect of their overall health," said Ms. More.

In the earlier grades, Healthy Mind/Healthy Body has students track their feelings in a monthly calendar and identify what causes them to feel frightened, sad or worried. In grades seven to nine, students discuss common mental illnesses and learn to identify their warning signs.

These new resources are part of the recently developed Nova Scotia health education curriculum for grades primary to nine, and have been used in classrooms since spring. The resources further confirm Nova Scotia's position as the national leader in developing curriculum in child and adolescent mental health.


FOR BROADCAST USE:

Nova Scotia's students will gain a better understanding of mental health with the introduction of new resources to support health education in schools.

Education Minister Marilyn More announced today (October 5th) that the Healthy Mind/Healthy Body resources address child and adolescent mental health concerns and are intended to help youth and their families cope with the challenges of growing up.

The mental health materials are written in age-appropriate language and complement the health curriculum for grades four through nine already in place in Nova Scotia's public schools.

-30-

Media Contact:

Nicole Brooks
Department of Education
902-424-5432
E-mail: brooksnl@gov.ns.ca

Also see:

Province introduces mental health strategy for schoolchildren

Latest treatment for schizophrenia offers needed additional option to fight difficult-to-treat disease

An October 6th press release from Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada:

ABILIFY(TM) now available in Canada with several benefits: efficacy, good safety, tolerability and neutral impact on weight, cholesterol and blood sugar levels

MONTREAL, Oct. 6 /CNW Telbec/ - A new treatment option for Canadians with schizophrenia, ABILIFY(TM) (aripiprazole), is now available in Canada. For those living with this lifelong disease who may be struggling with a treatment that doesn't work for them or with side effects that are difficult to tolerate, ABILIFY offers efficacy and good safety and tolerability with limited impact on weight, blood sugar and lipids - significant clinical benefits that may help patients stay on treatment longer.

"Schizophrenia is a complex disease that is often challenging to treat. As a physician, the main challenge I face is that patients stop taking their medications and relapse," said Dr. Ruth Baruch, psychiatrist and director of the community program at Toronto East General Hospital. "Weight gain is particularly important. Two thirds of patients will stop taking their medication because of weight gain. Numerous studies have indicated that ABILIFY has the advantage of causing fewer long-term side effects such as lower weight gain and less increase in cholesterol. Where I think this will translate in the real world is improving adherence and patients will be more likely to stay on medication in the long-term."

Schizophrenia is a lifelong disease and treatment plays an important role in its management. ABILIFY is the latest medication in Canada to treat schizophrenia. It has not only been shown to improve day-to-day functioning and lessen social withdrawal, clinical studies show it does so with less impact on patient weight or other metabolic factors such as cholesterol, lipids and blood sugar levels. ABILIFY is effective in improving a range of so-called "positive" symptoms of schizophrenia, such as hallucinations and delusions, as well as the "negative" symptoms of the disease, such as lack of motivation and emotional withdrawal, that prevent many people with schizophrenia from leading full and fulfilling lives.

One person who knows the immense burden schizophrenia puts on those directly affected by it is Brian Good of Oakville, Ontario. His brother, Eric, was struck with the devastating disease when he was in his early 20s and at university, primed to advance in education and his adult life. Brian remembers what it was like growing up. "My brother's behaviour at home was very disruptive. He would cycle between not being on medication and do strange things like hitchhike across the country," said Brian. "I lost a brother and my children lost an uncle. If there had been better treatment options back then, our family might be very different." Now in his 50s, Eric lives in a group home in Gravenhurst, Ontario.

The Schizophrenia Society of Canada believes that patient access to new treatment advances is critical to making it possible for people with schizophrenia to control their illness and improve their quality of life. "Schizophrenia is treatable and recovery of a quality of life is possible. There can never be too many treatments options for schizophrenia," says Chris Summerville, CEO of the Schizophrenia Society of Canada. "Given the complexity of schizophrenia and psychosis, the challenges people face in recovering and finding the right medication that supports the recovery process, it's vital for patients to have as many options available as possible. For this reason we believe all therapies approved by Health Canada should be made available to patients by all drug plans in Canada, public and private."

About Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a form of psychosis, meaning it interferes with a person's ability to interpret what is real or not. It causes patients to have "positive" symptoms, including hearing voices and having hallucinations, and "negative" symptoms, such as emotional withdrawal and apathy. Symptoms vary widely among patients. An estimated 335,000 Canadians have schizophrenia, most diagnosed in their late teens or early adulthood. There is no cure and it is a lifelong disease. The primary goal of treatment is to provide relief of both positive and negative symptoms. With such control, people can live full and productive lives. Unfortunately, treatment discontinuation among patients with schizophrenia remains high at 40 to 50%. Because symptoms, individuals, and medications differ so greatly, there is always a need for new and effective treatment options.

About ABILIFY(TM)

ABILIFY(TM) (aripiprazole) is a new treatment in the class of atypical antipsychotic medications, available by prescription only. It has been approved by Health Canada for the treatment of schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders in adults. It is also indicated for the acute treatment of manic or mixed episodes in bipolar I disorder in adults, alone or in combination with lithium or divalproex sodium.

ABILIFY is the first and only dopamine and serotonin partial agonist. It acts in specific areas of the brain where levels of the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin are too high or too low and appears to balance the levels of these chemicals.

ABILIFY has undergone a rigorous clinical development program and has been evaluated for safety in 13,543 adult patients.

About The Schizophrenia Society of Canada

The Schizophrenia Society of Canada (SSC), founded in 1979, is dedicated to improving the quality of life for those affected by schizophrenia and psychosis through education, support programs, public policy and research. The Society works with 10 provincial societies in a federation model to: raise awareness and educate the public in order to reduce stigma and discrimination; support families and individuals; advocate for legislative change; and support research through the SSC Foundation and other independent efforts.

About Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada

Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, a global pharmaceutical and related health care products company whose mission is to extend and enhance human life. Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada is a leading provider of medicines to fight cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, infectious diseases (including HIV/AIDS), nervous system diseases and serious mental illness. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the BMY symbol (NYSE:BMY). Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada's operations are headquartered in Montréal, Québec.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

(TM)ABILIFY is a trademark of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. used under license by Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada.

For further information, or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Marc Osborne, Director, Government Relations and Public Affairs, Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada, (514) 333-2463, marc.osborne@bms.com, or

Ethan Pigott, Hill & Knowlton, (416) 413-4744, ethan.pigott@hillandknowlton.ca

Note: ABILIFY(TM) (aripiprazole) is not yet listed in the Nova Scotia Drug Formulary. If you would like to have ABILIFY(TM) (aripiprazole) added to the Nova Scotia Drug Formulary, please contact your MLA.

Painting raffle: Lunenburg County Chapter

The Lunenburg County Chapter of the SSNS (LCC-SSNS) is holding a raffle for a framed painting, entitled Down South (above), by Richard Balser, a Chapter member who lives with schizophrenia. Janet Mason, a well known Lunenburg marine artist, and also Richard's art instructor, has valued the painting at $400. Proceeds from the raffle go to a bursary fund set up to assist individuals living with schizophrenia in furthering their educational and skill-building goals.

Tickets are one for $2.00 or three for $5.00. Tickets can be purchased by contacting Jan House at (902) 527-1692 or janice.house@xplornet.com, or Carolyn Eisnor at (902) 543-5418.

The winning ticket will be drawn at the LCC-SSNS's Christmas Party to be held beginning at 6:00 pm on Tuesday, December 15th, 2009, at St. Paul's Lutheran Church on Phoenix Street in Bridgewater.

Richard Balser is selling the two paintings pictured below. If you are interested in purchasing a painting, please contact Jan House or Carolyn Eisnor.





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NEWS RELEASE: Opening Minds to take the stigma out of Mental Illness

An October 2nd news release from the Mental Health Commission of Canada:


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Also see:

From tower to 'beacon of hope'

SSNS's 21st Annual Conference: Mental Illness and the Criminal Justice System

The Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia’s 21st Annual Conference was held on Thursday, October 1st. The theme of this year's conference was Mental Illness and the Criminal Justice System, with a focus on mental health courts.

To download a PDF verson of the Conference Program, please click here.

The plenary speaker was Judge Alfred H. Brien of the Saint John Mental Health Court.

Dr. Ruth Carter (right), Director of Forensic Services, IWK Health Centre, and Kimberley Brennan, Acting Manager of Forensic Services, IWK Health Centre, making a presentation on youth and the justice system.

Dr. P. Scott Theriault, Clinical Director, East Coast Forensic Psychiatric Hospital, Clinical Director, Specialty Programs, Capital District Mental Health Program, and Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, presenting on lack of insight.

Judge Brien answering a question from the audience during the Questions from the Audience / Panel Discussion session. Seated beside Judge Brien is the keynote speaker, Judith McPhee, Executive Director, Policy and Information Management, Nova Scotia Department of Justice.

Members of the panel listening to a question from the audience during the Questions from the Audience / Panel Discussion session. Panel members, from left to right, are Judge Brien, Judith McPhee, Patrick Burke (moderator), Kimberley Brennan, Dr. Carter, and Dr. Theriault.

The conference was held in the Ashley Lounge at the Sea King Club in Shearwater, Nova Scotia.

Conference Master of Ceremonies, Laura Burke (left), with Patrick Burke, a member of the Board of Directors of the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia.

The Recovery Quilt on display at the conference. Congratulations to Dorothy Gregor, the winner of the Recovery Quilt raffle!

Nancy Vidito, the producer of Podium TV, taped both Judge Brien's and Judith McPhee's presentations for broadcast on EastLink Television in late October 2009.

Please click on any photograph to enlarge it.

All photographs by Stephen Ayer.

Conference Supporters

www.mylan.com

www.mentalhealthns.ca

www.gov.ns.ca/just

System is in chaos, mental health advocates say

An article published in the October 1st edition of Metro Halifax:

By Paul McLeod

Mental health advocates from various fields met in Province House yesterday to warn the system is in a state of chaos.

They say mentally ill people are slipping through the cracks because outreach staff are too overburdened to keep up. However, they said the first and most urgent step is cheap and easy to fix.

Nova Scotia currently does not have a comprehensive mental health strategy. They said that needs to change

“They are our family, our friends and our coworkers,” said Stephen Ayer [pictured, left], executive director of the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia.

“As many people as I am able to help, I know there are just as many who continue to suffer alone wondering what exactly is wrong with them, wondering if anybody can help. Sadly, some don’t survive. They die by suicide.”

Ayer estimated 180,000 Nova Scotians will battle mental illness at some point. But he said people still suffer in silence and shame because of social stigma, while issues like swine flu get swift government action.

In the meantime, they’ve taken new action to get the word out. Yesterday they announced the website oneinfive.ca, dedicated to raising awareness about mental health issues in Nova Scotia. The name comes from global studies showing one in five people will deal with serious mental health issues at one point in their life.

Along with information and personal testimonials, the site allows visitors to sign a petition and send letters to politicians urging the creation of an overarching strategy.

Liberal MLA Diana Whalen, who helped organize the event, has put forward a bill to create an advisory council on mental health made up of educators, psychiatrists, mental health consumers and their family members.

The council would advise government on how to best meet the mental health needs of the province.

Photograph by Ryan Taplin, Metro Halifax

Mental health court lauded

An article published in yesterday's edition of The Chronicle Herald:

Conference today on system’s benefits

By John McPhee, Health Reporter

Much more needs to be done to support the mentally ill in Nova Scotia, but the creation of a mental health court is a good start, advocates say.

The Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia will hold a conference today in Halifax to highlight the benefits of the court, which the province announced this summer.

"I think it’s only a logical step," said Stephen Ayer, executive director of the society, in an interview. "The idea is to get the person to the point where they can reintegrate themselves into society with a treatment plan. But the person has to accept responsibility for their crime."

Other provinces, including New Brunswick, have had mental health courts for years. The society has pushed for one in Nova Scotia for a long time, Mr. Ayer said. He’s not sure why it took so long for the province to move on the issue.

"Some would argue it’s not necessary, that it’s (the responsibility) of mental health services," he said. "But who’s going to start the process — Health or Justice? Health is dragging its feet and has been for years on the treatment of the mentally ill. Somebody has to start somewhere."

Judge Alfred Brien will speak about the success of the N.B. mental health court system at the conference, which will start at 8 a.m. at 12 Wing Shearwater. Other speakers will include Judith McPhee, of Nova Scotia’s Justice Department, who will explain the province’s plans.

The once-a-week sitting at the Halifax court will not hold trials, but rather will serve as a setting where the court can work out alternatives to jail sentences and set up treatment programs.

Under the system, which begins Nov. 2, provincial court Judge Bill MacDonald will take cases recommended by a mental health court team.

Mr. Ayer said the court’s success hinges on the province improving other supports for the mentally ill in society, such as housing and employment programs.

"That’s where we’re challenged," he said. "I’m going to be interested in hearing the answers on that."

More information on the conference can be found at www.ssns.ca.

Conference: Youth Mental Health and the Justice System

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For further information, please click here.

Recovery After Psychosis (RAP): A Compassion Focused Programme for Individuals Residing in High Security Settings

The abstract of an article published online on September 21st by the journal Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy:

By Heather Laithwaite (1,3), Martin O’Hanlona (1), Padraig Collinsa (1), Patrick Doylea (1), Lucy Abrahama (1), Shauneen Portera (1), and Andrew Gumleya (2)

(1) The State Hospital, Carstairs, Scotland

(2) University of Glasgow, Scotland

(3) Reprint requests to Heather Laithwaite, Rowanbank Clinic, Balornock, Glasgow G21 3UL, Scotland. E-mail: heather.laithwaite@ggc.scot.nhs.uk


Background:

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a recovery group intervention based on compassionate mind training, for individuals with psychosis. In particular, the objective was to improve depression, to develop compassion towards self, and to promote help seeking.

Method:

A within-subjects design was used. Participants were assessed at the start of group, mid-group (5 weeks), the end of the programme and at 6 week follow-up. Three group programmes were run over the course of a year. Nineteen participants commenced the intervention and 18 completed the programme.

Results:

Significant improvements were found on the Social Comparison Scale; the Beck Depression Inventory; Other As Shamer Scale; the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Inventory and the General Psychopathology Scale from the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale.

Conclusions:

The results provide initial indications of the effectiveness of a group intervention based on the principles of compassionate focused therapy for this population. The findings of this study, alongside implications of further research are discussed.

Posting of this abstract is for the purposes of research into psychosis and recovery.

Teens to learn about mental health

An article published in today's edition of The Chronicle Herald:

Pilot project could be coming to Digby County high schools in new year

By Brian Medel, Yarmouth Bureau

High school curriculum designed to teach students about mental illness may be coming to Digby County classrooms in January as a pilot project.

"This is new," said John Roswell, one of the program co-ordinators with the Digby-Clare Mental Health Volunteers Association.

"We hope to do it during the 2009-2010 school year, hopefully beginning in January," Mr. Roswell said about the project that will be conducted in four local high schools.

He hopes the curriculum will someday be included in all Nova Scotia high schools.

The curriculum was prepared by Dr. Stan Kutcher [pictured] in co-operation with the Canadian Mental Health Association.

"This is really a wonderful opportunity," said Dr. Kutcher, an adolescent mental health expert at Dalhousie University’s school of medicine.

The course will give students information on how the brain works and tell them how to maintain good mental health. Suicide prevention and depression will also be discussed, Dr. Kutcher said Tuesday.

He’ll help teachers better understand mental illness and the new curriculum in special workshops that will be held before the start of the course.

"They’ve been very enthusiastic about this," said Dr. Kutcher.

Next week, staff from the Education and Health departments, along with representatives from local school boards and health authority, will gather in Digby to talk about the new high school course and how it will be implemented.

"We’re not quite sure where it will fit . . . that’s part of what this discussion is going to be about," said Mr. Roswell. "We hope to make (it) a larger project . . . an overall approach to addressing adolescent mental health.

"We’re trying to create a dialogue around this issue in the community and make it OK for people to talk about mental health and mental illness."

Mr. Roswell said 80 per cent of all psychiatric disorders emerge in adolescence. He had mental illness as a young person but was undiagnosed until the age of 40.

"My life would have been so much different had I been diagnosed as a teenager," he said.

Elyn Saks Wins MacArthur Foundation Award

An article posted on September 22nd by USC News:

USC Gould School of Law professor and Associate Dean Elyn Saks [pictured] has been selected as a 2009 fellow of the MacArthur Foundation. Saks is the first fellow selected from the faculty of USC and one of only 24 selected for this year’s awards.

The prestigious fellowship, known informally as the "genius grant," provides each recipient with a $500,000 "no strings attached" award over five years. The awards were announced by the Chicago-based John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Saks is a nationally recognized scholar in mental health law, criminal law and the ethical dimensions of medical research. She also has battled schizophrenia and acute psychosis. In 2007, after decades of hiding her illness, Saks published a memoir about her struggles and successes in The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness. The book won far-reaching acclaim from literary critics and advocacy groups.

To read the entire article, please click here.

Photograph by Mark Berndt.

Schizophrenia Patients Show High Rates of Comorbid Illness

An article published in the September 18th edition of Psychiatric News:

By Mark Moran

Metabolic conditions were common but so were such medical conditions as epilepsy and viral hepatitis.

Hospital discharge records of people with a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia showed higher proportions of all comorbid psychiatric conditions and of several general medical conditions than did those of people who did not have schizophrenia.

The general medical conditions included acquired hypothyroidism, obesity, epilepsy, viral hepatitis, type 2 diabetes, essential hypertension, various chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, and contact dermatitis and other forms of eczema, according to data from the National Hospital Discharge Survey reported in the August Psychiatric Services by researchers in the Department of Epidemiology at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.

The survey data confirm what has been reported before: that patients with schizophrenia have higher rates of morbidity associated with some general medical conditions.

However, the study authors pointed out that virtually all existing studies of comorbid disorders in schizophrenia test hypotheses and have focused on a single comorbid condition in relatively small and nonrepresentative samples. The current study appears to be the first systematic analysis of comorbidity in general with schizophrenia in the U.S. hospitalized population.

"Our study is hypothesis-generating rather than hypothesis-testing, with the main purpose of presenting a systematic review of comorbid conditions," said coauthor Natalya Weber, M.D., M.P.H. "Psychiatrists can see in this very large and representative sample what conditions are more frequently comorbid with a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia compared to any other primary diagnosis among the U.S. hospital discharges."

Weber is health science administrator in the Division of Preventive Medicine at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.

To read the entire article, please click here.

Nova Scotia Speech From The Throne

From page 10 of yesterday's Nova Scotia Speech From The Throne:

My government will improve support for individuals with mental illness, and for their families.

We will collaborate with mental health service providers to identify, monitor, and refer youth requiring mental health supports.

Community-focused living bungalows will be developed to provide appropriate, respectful care for individuals coping with mental illness.

Next month, the first mental health court will open and will help people who need counselling and treatment instead of being held in custody or put in situations where conflict may arise.

Vancouver judge: Community court works

An article published in todays edition of The Chronicle Herald:

By The Canadian Press

VANCOUVER — It's the personal anecdotes that tell the story of Vancouver's community court for judge Thomas Gove [pictured].

One year after opening Canada's first court to fully integrate the legal process with health, housing and social services, Gove measured the project's success Thursday by recounting the impact on a drug addict who was nudged into a residential detox program while doing street cleaning as community service for theft.

Gove also spoke about a chronic offender, approaching 60 years old, who was in court on a theft charge.

With the assistance of court workers, he has held down a full-time job for the past six months and not committed any further crimes. Keeping that man away from crime is probably saving $100,000 a year in the cost to merchants, police, the court system and prisons, the judge said.

He recounted details, as well, about a case earlier this week that reflects how different the community court is from a traditional courtroom. The offender broke down in tears after the judge made a strong personal appeal to her.

``Don't you understand, all the people here are trying to help you?'' Gove recalled saying to her. ``What is it we are not doing right? What more can we do? What is missing?''

Vancouver's community court, located in the heart of the city's drug-infested, poverty-ridden Downtown Eastside, was opened one year ago with considerable fanfare.

The jury is still out on the new system. Statistics for the first year of operations have not yet been compiled.

James Threlfall, the acting chief justice of the provincial court, said Thursday an analysis of the impact of the community court on the court system will be completed later this fall.

But Gove, the presiding judge who has been involved with the project since it began, was positive about the court's track record so far.

The court has achieved ``real successes,'' he said in an interview. More cases are resolved sooner, offenders are required to make fewer court appearances, more appearances happen on the day they are scheduled, crime is reduced in downtown Vancouver and, he believes, the rate of reoffending has been reduced.

He was ``frustrated'' that more housing, detox centres and mental-health services were not immediately available for offenders, but he was reluctant to be critical.

The organizations are going in the right direction, he said, adding that more housing has become available in recent months.

Gove could not really think of anything the court should have done differently over the past year.

``The first year has been the experiment - how do we do this? The next year is going to be whether we really (pass) the test - how much impact are we going to have?'' he said.

Cases involving theft from autos, stores and homes, mischief, assaults, drug possession and shoplifting are heard in the community court, while more serious crimes remain in the traditional court system.

Gove said the court saw about 2,000 people in its first year. Around 25 per cent, according to a rough estimate, were repeat offenders.

Multidisciplinary teams devise a plan that is intended to respond to the offender's underlying problems, whether it is mental illness, drug addiction, homelessness or poverty. The court enforces the plan as an alternative measure to traditional court-imposed penalties.

In the first 10 months, 568 people were involved with social, health and mental-health programming, 209 received housing. Offenders did 6,055 hours of community service.

Photograph by Sam Leung, The Province.

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