Ashley Smith - Overcoming Schizophrenia

Ashley Smith (pictured) writes about her experience as the plenary speaker at the SSNS's 22nd Annual Conference on her blog, Overcoming Schizophrenia:

The 22nd Annual Conference: Mental Illness- Why Me?, hosted by the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia (SSNS), was wonderful! The event took place on Friday, November 26, 2010 at Pier 21. The SSNS Executive Director, Dr. Stephen Ayer, gave me a warm welcome along with the Board of Directors. Dr. Ayer gave me a tour of the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia.

I had an opportunity to dine with the Board of Directors and a couple of other speakers for the conference. The Board gave me a beautiful gift of a photograph taken by Mr. John Ross. In addition to that, I went to dinner with another presenter from the conference, Ms. Laura Burke and her family and friends.

Speaking at the conference enabled me to share my testimony of living with schizophrenia, and to give suggestions to other people directly affected by the illness. I titled my speech, A Distorted Perception to Reality: My Insight Into Recovery, because for me, schizophrenia forced me to think irrationally. However, the illness is manageable, and I am overcoming schizophrenia with the support of medication, support from others, and group therapy.

After delivering my speech, several people asked questions about my experience. I had a moment with some of the guests to elaborate on my experience and to exchange stories. Many of the participants thought my talk was inspirational, which I am glad because having an illness like schizophrenia can be tough, however, it is manageable.

Please click on the photograph to magnify it.

The SSNS's 22nd Annual Conference - Mental Illness: Why Me?

The Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia’s

22nd Annual Conference

Mental Illness: Why Me?

Held on Friday, November 26th, 2010

Joan Greenwood (left) receives the 2010 Janine Williams Memorial Bursary from Cecilia McRae, president of the SSNS.


Ashley Smith, Founder and Executive Director, Embracing My Mind, Inc.


Dr. Stan Kutcher, Sun Life Financial Chair in Adolescent Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University


Patrick Burke, QC, member of the SSNS Board of Directors, with Dr. Kutcher.


Aileen McGinty, Dip. Psych. (Open), M.T.A., Post-Graduate Diploma in Music Therapy, Certificate of Teaching, Dip.L.P., LL.B., M.A.








Phil Rogers, treasurer of the SSNS (left), with Dr. Tomas Hajek, Associate Professor & Dalhousie Clinical Research Scholar, Departments of Psychiatry and Anatomy & Neurobiology, Dalhousie University


Phil Rogers with Dr. Sherry Stewart, Killam Research Professor, Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Community Health & Epidemiology, Dalhousie University


Left to right: Debby Gladstone, secretary of the SSNS, Ms. Laura Burke, MA Student in Creative Arts Therapies, Drama Therapy Option, Department of Creative Arts Therapies, Concordia University and Margaret Smith


Elainie Garland, vice president of the SSNS (left), with Andy Cox, Mental Health Advocate, IWK Health Centre and Member, Board of Directors, Mental Health Commission of Canada


Please click on any photography to enlarge it.

Photographs by Stephen Ayer.

Promises: Based On A True Experience With Schizophrenia

The synopsis of a recently published book by Novia Scotian author Adam Jack Pelley:

Turner Whynot is a psychiatrist looking for reason within his work. He is searching for more than the prescriptions and the textbooks that psychiatrists rely upon to treat the mentally ill. Why does he look after the sick? Is it something divine that's within us all, or some other driving force? Turner begins to find answers to these questions when he and his wife travel to the south shore of Nova Scotia and meet Adam, a patient in a psychiatric facility there who wants peace from a world that has brought him pain. Adam tells the Whynots the story of his own promise, an experience that may bring truth to the reality they all share, or to a reality that is perhaps just his own. Based on the authors own experiences and struggles with schizophrenia, Promises tells the story of how love offers the key to recovery and understanding of mental illness.

The Jack Project - Mental Health First Aid Canada - Youth Course

Also see:

The Jack Windeler Memorial Fund

Last March, Jack Windeler, a first-year student at Queen’s University, died of suicide. To help others, Jack’s family and friends have raised $300,000+ for the Jack Windeler Memorial Fund, administered through Kids Help Phone. The focus is on youth mental health to

1. educate ‘emerging adults’ aged 16-20 as they transition from high school to college/university, and


2. to build a micro-site to counsel youth who are suffering.(supported by Kids Help Phone counsellors)

Jack’s high school (Ridley College) and university (Queen’s) are leading efforts by providing training in “Mental Health First Aid”, which teaches skills so you can help someone who is developing or experiencing a mental health problem. The goal is to broaden the approach across Canada.

National survey reveals 45.1 million adults in the U.S. experienced mental illness in the past year

A November 18th media release from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA):

Study shows that nearly 1 in 5 people suffering from mental illness also have a substance use disorder

According to new results from a national survey, 19.9 percent of American adults in the United States (45.1 million) have experienced mental illness over the past year. The survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) indicates that 11 million adults (4.8 percent) in the U.S. suffered serious mental illness in the past year -- a diagnosable mental disorder has substantially interfered with, or limited one or more major life activities.

SAMHSA’s 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) reveals that 8.4 million adults in the U.S. had serious thoughts of suicide in the past year, 2.2 million made suicide plans, and one million attempted suicide.

The survey also reveals that in many cases those experiencing mental illness, especially those with serious mental illness, also have a substance use disorder (abuse or dependence on alcohol or an illicit drug). Nearly 20 percent (8.9 million) of adults in the U.S. with mental illness in the past year also had a substance use disorder. Among those with serious mental illness in the past year, 25.7 percent had a substance use disorder in the past year -- approximately four times the level experienced by people not suffering from serious mental illness (6.5 percent).

"Too many Americans are not getting the help they need and opportunities to prevent and intervene early are being missed," said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. [pictured] "The consequences for individuals, families and communities can be devastating. If left untreated mental illnesses can result in disability, substance abuse, suicides, lost productivity, and family discord. Through health care reform and the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act we can help far more people get needed treatment for behavioral health problems."

Administrator Hyde announced the survey’s findings during an address before the 6th World Conference on Promotion of Mental Health and Prevention and Mental and Behavioral Disorders in Washington, D.C. sponsored by the Education Development Center, Inc., The Clifford Beers Foundation, The Carter Center and the World Federation for Mental Health.

The survey provides other insights into the nature and scope of mental illness, including information on those segments of the population who may be at greater risk of experiencing mental illness. For example, the survey shows that mental illness is more likely among adults who were unemployed than among adults who were employed full time (27.7 percent versus 17.1 percent).

There is a marked difference in the percentages with mental illness between men and women as well, with 23.8 percent of women experiencing some form of mental illness, as opposed to 15.6 percent of men. In terms of age, young adults (ages 18 to 25) had the highest level of mental illness (30 percent), while those aged 50 and older had the lowest (13.7 percent).

Less than four in ten (37.9 percent) of adults in the U.S. with mental illness in the past year received mental health services. Service use was higher for adults with serious mental illness (60.2 percent); however, 4.4 million adults with serious mental illness in the past year did not receive mental health services.

Results from the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Mental Health Findings is based on the 2009 NSDUH -- the latest in a series of scientifically conducted annual surveys of approximately 67,500 people throughout the country. Because of its statistical power, it is a primary source of information on the levels of a wide range of behavioral health matters including mental health and substance abuse issues.

A copy of the report is accessible at: http://oas.samhsa.gov/NSDUH/2k9NSDUH/MH/2K9MHResults.pdf


SAMHSA is a public health agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. Its mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities.

Disability, Rental Housing, Registry Programs Inadequate

A November 17th media release from the Auditor General of Nova Scotia:

The Auditor General found problems with government services for persons with disabilities, provincial rental housing programs and government registries, according to his latest report to the legislature released today, Nov. 17.

Jacques Lapointe's report to the House of Assembly included three performance audits that were completed this summer in two departments as well as three chapters on government financial matters.

An audit of registries operated by Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations raised concerns about the security of computer systems protecting personal and business information, primarily in the land, business and joint stock registries. Weaknesses were found in the way passwords are controlled, computer accounts are set up and cancelled, and security changes are made. Disaster preparedness was also found to need strengthening.

On the other hand, the Auditor General said business processes to control the collection and recording of registry data were sound, and both business processes and IT systems in the Registry of Vital Statistics were well controlled. The report also noted that the recommended remedies require "relatively minimal resources to implement."

The audit of services for persons with disabilities at Community Services focused exclusively on the community-based options stream of the program, including family support, independent living and small options homes where three or fewer people with disabilities receive care.

The Auditor General said client-needs assessments were inconsistently completed and did not always provide adequate plans to meet identified needs. Reassessments were not always completed as required.

In addition, policies and procedures to investigate complaints about the homes or the services they offer are inadequate and there was no evidence that appropriate actions are taken to follow up and resolve complaints.

Mr. Lapointe said those weaknesses could result in persons with disabilities not receiving the level or type of services they require.

The report notes that the services for persons with disabilities program has been under review since 2002. While the department has made a number of improvements to the program as a result, many recommendations from these reviews have not yet been fully Implemented. A comprehensive plan for the future of the program has yet to be produced.

The audit of Community Services' rent supplement housing program found policies that have not been updated for 15 years, inadequate assessment and monitoring of rental units for safety and affordability, and inadequate evaluation of applications from housing developers applying for subsidies.

The department offers up to $75,000 per rental unit for new or renovated affordable housing. However, the auditors could find no evidence of a formal evaluation process for proposals received or, any evidence of how evaluations are conducted. In addition, once the units are constructed, the department does not follow up to ensure the units continue to meet program affordability requirements.

Other chapters in the report deal with government's financial reporting. One chapter provides the results of financial audits and reviews, and includes recommendations to improve financial controls.

The report also provides indicators of the province's overall financial condition, expanded this year to compare Nova Scotia with five other provinces. And a review of audit opinions of government agencies and Crown corporations highlights a need for them to pay more attention to implementing recommendations of their private sector auditors.

The full report and related documents are available online at www.oag-ns.ca.


FOR BROADCAST USE:

The Auditor General has found problems with government services for persons with disabilities, provincial rental housing programs and government registries, according to his latest report to the legislature released today (November 17th).

Jacques Lapointe's report to the House of Assembly raised concerns about the security of computer systems protecting personal and business information, primarily in the land, business and joint stock registries at Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations.

Mr. Lapointe says weaknesses with client-needs assessments and complaint investigation for persons with disabilities at Community Services' community-based options could result in persons with disabilities not receiving the level or type of services they require.

The audit of Community Services' rent supplement housing program found policies that have not been updated for 15 years, inadequate assessment and monitoring of rental units and inadequate evaluation of subsidy applications from housing developers.

The full report and related documents are available at www.oag-ns.ca.

-30-

Media Contact:

Jacques Lapointe
Auditor General
902-424-5907
E-mail: lapoinjr@gov.ns.ca

Progress in the Elimination of the Stigma of Mental Illness

From the November 2010 edition of The American Journal of Psychiatry:

Changing Views of Mental Illness?

Public awareness of the neurobiology of mental illness increased between 1996 and 2006, yet the stigma associated with several major mental disorders did not decline. Pescosolido et al. (p. 1321) found that persons who have a neurobiological conception of schizophrenia or depression actually had increased likelihood of aversion or fear in their rating of vignettes of individuals with these illnesses. The perception of alcohol dependence as refl ecting "bad character" rose from 49% to 65% of survey respondents. Support for treatment increased, however, and in an editorial, Goldman (p. 1289) suggests that the outcome of the study would have been different if the vignettes had included individuals who have recovered from mental illness.

An editorial published in the November 2010 edition of The American Journal of Psychiatry:

By Howard H. Goldman, M.D., PH.D. [pictured]

Pescosolido and colleagues report on an interesting and informative study of public attitudes toward mental illness in this issue (1). They are the preeminent group of investigators working with the General Social Survey, a repeated survey of social attitudes of cross-sections of the U.S. population. Their data provide an empirical analysis of public attitudes toward mental illness using well-designed vignettes as stimulus material. The investigators systematically vary the characters in the vignettes to control for a range of sociocultural and demographic characteristics that might influence attitudes. However, the abnormal behaviors depicted in the vignettes, which present individuals with behavioral features of mental disorders, are both the strength and the weakness of the study.

The investigation tests the hypothesis that between the two observational time points—1996 and 2006, when mental health supplements to the General Social Survey were administered-public attitudes changed to favor a more scientific understanding of mental illness and that this change in understanding in turn is associated with two changes in attitudes. One putative change in attitude, associated with a more scientific—particularly a more neurobiological—conception of mental illness, is an increase in recommendations from those surveyed that the individuals in the vignettes should seek treatment. The other putative change is a decline in social stigmatizing attitudes about the individuals in the vignettes, particularly among respondents who view the illness as a manifestation of a neurobio-logical abnormality. Consistent with this hypothesis, those who attribute the abnormal behaviors to mental illness and those who increasingly view mental disorders as neurobiological are now more likely to endorse a referral for treatment. Contrary to the hypothesis, however, those with a more neurobiological understanding are also more likely to endorse socially stigmatizing and distancing attitudes about the people represented in the vignettes.

A theory of stigma reduction that motivates many of the antistigma interventions is that changes in attitudes about mental illness favoring a scientific understanding of specific disorders increase help-seeking behavior and that increased help-seeking behavior will lead to treatment that will reduce distress and dysfunction, promote recovery, and secondarily reduce social stigmatization. The mechanism for reduced social stigma is secondary to the effect of treatment in reducing the signs and symptoms of mental illness, which people perceive as alien and threatening. Thus, the behaviors are the source of stigmatization, and treatment makes them less visible or eliminates them. This recovery after treatment is not represented in the General Social Survey study vignettes. The responses to the vignettes tell us how people feel about individuals with active mental illness—not how they would feel about the more relevant vignette of an individual who has recovered from a mental illness. Admittedly, it is difficult to assess attitudes about an individual who has recovered from mental illness, because that individual has little or none of the abnormal behaviors manifest in the illness. A vignette of a normally behaving person who professes a previous history of mental illness would be the proper stimulus to determine the social stigma associated with an individual who has been successfully treated for a mental disorder. Indeed, the authors point out in the paper's discussion that the 1999 U.S. Surgeon General's report cautioned that acceptance of neurobiological causation alone might cause a backlash of stigma if it were not coupled with successful treatment of mental illness.

Despite this limitation, the study does tell us about some important attitudes and moderators of public opinion. The authors offer a wise warning that neurobiological explanations might not be a panacea for reducing stigma, but they may overstate the likelihood that such an approach will be stigmatizing. Given that many mental illnesses are only partially treated with current psychopharmacological and psychological interventions, widespread acceptance of a neurobiological understanding of mental illness may nonetheless usefully encourage further research funding and more financial support of treatment, as in the enactment of mental health parity legislation. We may not have eliminated social stigmatization of symptomatic individuals with mental illness, but improved treatment has helped many of them to make their symptoms and dys-function less visible and less problematic. Perhaps accordingly, we have seen dramatic increases in research funding, more service use, and better insurance coverage for treatment of mental disorders.

Footnotes

Editorial accepted for publication August 2010

Dr. Goldman reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Goldman, Editor, Psychiatric Services, and Professor, University of Maryland School of Medicine; hh.goldman@verizon.net (e-mail).

Reference

1. Pescosolido BA, Martin JK, Long JS, Medina TR, Phelan JC, Link BG: "A disease like any other"? a decade of change in public reactions to schizophrenia, depression, and alcohol dependence. Am J Psychiatry 2010; 167:1321–1330 [Abstract/Free Full Text]

Combating schizophrenia

Nature, one of the most prestigious science journals in the world, devotes its November 11th edition to schizophrenia:

Research has revealed daunting complexities in the psychiatric condition, but also new routes towards diagnosis and treatment.

A special collection of articles focuses on the challenges of schizophrenia, from spotting early symptoms during adolescence to changing the stigma associated with the disease.

Editorial

Combating schizophrenia
Research has revealed daunting complexities in the psychiatric condition, but also new routes towards diagnosis and treatment.

News

China tackles surge in mental illness
Psychological examinations added to selection procedure for government officials.

Features

The making of a troubled mind
Schizophrenia appears during adolescence. But where does one begin and the other end?

The drug deadlock
The biology is too complicated. Pharma companies are quitting. Where are schizophrenia drugs going to come from?

Comment

Short-lived campaigns are not enough
The stigma of mental illness will be reduced only if region-specific awareness initiatives become a permanent fixture of health and social services, argues Norman Sartorius.

Cognitive remediation therapy needs funding
More rigorous studies should be done on the effects of a therapy that seems to improve the everyday functioning of people with schizophrenia, says Til Wykes.

In retrospect: The five lives of the psychiatry manual
Roy Richard Grinker describes the military origins of the key reference work for diagnosing mental illness.

Audio

Nature podcast (24:36, Rethinking schizophrenia)
Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, and Til Wykes, psychiatrist at Kings College London, talk about the symptoms, causes and best treatments for schizophrenia.

Perspectives

Rethinking schizophrenia
Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, calls for schizophrenia to be emphasized as a neurodevelopmental disorder in which psychosis is a late — and potentially curable — stage.

From maps to mechanisms through neuroimaging of schizophrenia
Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg, director of the Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, explains how neuroimagng and other systems-level techniques can help develop future treatment.

The environment and schizophrenia
Jim van Os, Gunter Kenis and Bart Rutten review our knowledge of the environmental factors that influence schizophrenia risk, and the major challenges that will be involved in teasing them out.

Image credit: The cover artwork is by Rodger Casier and NARSAD Artworks, a non-profit organization that showcases artists with mental illness. Proceeds from the art go to the research-funding body NARSAD.

Psychosis - Fact Sheets

From the Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre:

Fact Sheets

These fact sheets, in English, and 10 linguistically diverse languages, provide information specific to early psychosis. The information is most useful for young people, their family and friends. Anyone can print these fact sheets out and distribute them. The fact sheets provide information about the different types of psychotic disorders, and the phases of assessment, treatment, and recovery.

• What is psychosis?
• Getting help early
• Recovering from psychosis
• How can I help?
  

These information sheets are also available in other languages.

• French
• Arabic
• Croatian
• Greek
• Italian
• Serbian
• Spanish
• Turkish
• Vietnamese
• Simplified Chinese
• Traditional Chinese

Click here to go to the Free Downloads page

Advocates for the Not Criminally Responsible Schizophrenia Sufferers (ANCRSS)

From the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario website:

ANCRSS (pronounced anchors) is a program under the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario which operates as a Canadian based e-mail support group. Our members have a family member or loved one who suffers from schizophrenia, bipolar or clinical depression. They have come into conflict with the law as a result of their illness and have become involved in the forensic/criminal justice system.

They may be:

• Detained in custody in a detention center pending court remands.

• Waiting for court ordered assessments for fitness for trial and/or criminal responsibility.

• Found guilty or not guilty of summary convictions or indictable offences.

• Deemed Not Criminally Responsible for their actions on account of a mental disorder (NCR).

This confidential provincial network of friends and supportive relationships is offered through the use of e-mails and telephone calls without having to leave our urban or rural homes. We provide our members an understanding, empathetic ear. We provide information and support, to help them deal with the challenges of difficult life situations and social stigma. The acronym is intended to signify the stability offered by the group to each other and indirectly, to our loved one. Membership is free and offered by invitation in a non-listed private e-mail group for any involved family members who wish to apply.

ANCRSS offers an opportunity for family members to become empowered through education on the issues surrounding mental health and the laws that govern care and provides opportunities to become involved in:

• Advocacy issues in pertinent medical and legal areas.

• Breaking down barriers of stigma.

• Helping others overcome feelings of isolation and powerlessness.

ANCRSS promotes the "human needs perspective" on neurobiological brain disorders.

For more information, support or to join our email group contact ANCRSS@gmail.com.

"The anchor is a symbol of a well-grounded hope. As the anchor was often a seaman's last resort in stormy weather, it was frequently connected with hope. Being made of a solid body, the anchor was also identified with firmness, solidity, tranquillity and faithfulness. The anchor remains firm and steady amidst the stormy waters, symbolizing the stable part of a human "storms" of life. Therefore the anchor keeps us steady in the storms of temptation, affliction, and persecution."

This explanation of the symbolism of the anchor fits well for us.

B.C. Plan Focuses on Healthy Minds, Healthy People

Please click on the image to magnify it.


A November 1st media release from the Government of British Columbia:

VANCOUVER – The Province today released a 10-year plan to address mental health and substance use with a focus on prevention of problems, early intervention, treatment and sustainability.

“The 10-year plan is a road map to further build on our commitment to improving mental health for all British Columbians and addressing problematic substance use,” said Health Services Minister Kevin Falcon. “Government now spends over $1.3 billion annually – up 47 per cent from 2001 – to address mental health and substance use problems and we need to ensure dollars are aligned with leading practice and best evidence.”

Entitled Healthy Minds, Healthy People, the cross-ministry plan reflects both extensive public and stakeholder consultation and evidence-based research and practice. It is aligned with existing child, youth and adult mental health and substance use strategies across the province, as well as the national mental health framework.

Healthy Minds, Healthy People places a strong emphasis on children and families, based on research that shows that early engagement and access to targeted supports can prevent or reduce mental illness and substance use problems later in life.

“We know that mental health problems frequently originate in childhood, and that early intervention at a young age can help prevent future illness,” said Children and Family Development Minister Mary Polak. “A strong foundation in childhood sets the course for a healthy, fulfilling and productive life. The Ministry of Children and Family Development spends over $100 million annually on a continuum of child and youth mental health services for children up to age 19 and their families.”

The indirect costs of mental illness and/or substance use are also significant. Nationally, mental illness is estimated to cost the Canadian economy around $51 billion annually in lost productivity. B.C.’s proportional share of this burden would be more than $6.6 billion each year. Indirect annual costs of lost productivity related to alcohol use alone are estimated at $1.1 billion.

Healthy Minds, Healthy People acknowledges that mental illness and problematic substance use can affect people of all ages from all walks of life in school, work and at home. Around one in five adults in B.C. are affected by mental health or substance use problems over any twelve-month period. However, the stigma associated with these problems often means people do not seek out and receive the supports and services they need.

“The B.C. plan to address mental health and substance use reaches out to people at home, in school and at work,” said Michael Kirby, chair of the Mental Health Commission of Canada. “British Columbia’s plan focuses on prevention, early intervention as well as treatment. The commission congratulates the B.C. government for this comprehensive and innovative approach. We are proud to be working together toward the common goal of transforming the mental health system and improving the lives of everyone affected by mental health problems.”

Programs and services that promote maternal and family health and healthy early childhood development are crucial in prevention and early intervention.

As part of the continuum of supports and services to address mental health in children, the FRIENDS For Life program is an example of an evidence-based prevention program that increases resiliency and prevents anxiety available to grades 4, 5 and 7 students. Teachers and parents are educated about the prevalence, signs and impact that anxiety has on children and youth and learn skills to build children’s resilience and address the early signs of anxiety. FRIENDS in B.C. is funded and co-ordinated by the Ministry of Children and Family Development in partnership with school districts around the province.

Since its provincial launch in 2004, all school districts have participated, as well as many independent schools. Over 3,000 educators have been trained to deliver FRIENDS in classrooms, and more than 1,000 parents and caregivers have attended FRIENDS parent workshops – helping to increase mental health literacy in schools, families and communities.

“The FRIENDS program teaches children how to cope with fears and worries and equips them with tools to help manage difficult situations, now and later in life,” said Jonaire Bowyer-Smyth, a behaviour specialist in the Surrey school district and FRIENDS program trainer. “The FRIENDS program is fun learning for kids and will benefit them, their parents and their entire family.”

The plan will achieve results by realigning current resources to invest in what is proven to work, and linking with existing programs and projects across government to increase efficiency and effectiveness.

“We need to learn from the evidence and provide effective and efficient services to achieve the best outcomes for people,” added Falcon. “We need to stop doing what doesn’t work in favour of what does and to ensure services are evidence-based and cost-effective.”

The Province is focusing on delivering programs more efficiently and effectively, including:

• No waitlists at BC Children’s Hospital Eating Disorders program due to business process redesign.

• Video-conferencing for training and clinical consultation on community Child and Youth Mental Health teams to improve access to evidence-based treatment.

• A project underway to improve patient flow for adult clients with mental health and substance use problems at six Vancouver Coastal Health hospitals.

In addition, projects like the Homelessness Intervention Project and the Prolific Offender pilots show how better integration can enhance services without new dollars.

“Intervention and front-line outreach, to ensure B.C.’s most vulnerable citizens have access to supportive housing, is a crucial element to ending the cycle of challenges associated with mental illness and addictions,” said Social Development Minister Kevin Krueger. “The province has Homelessness Intervention Projects in five communities and 58 Homeless Outreach programs in communities throughout B.C. which have made a tremendous difference in over 770 people’s lives during the first few months of 2010 alone.”

Improvements in addressing mental health and substance use in B.C. include:

• 75 per cent more community beds for adults with mental health problems since 2001 for a total of 8,662 beds.

• Opening the 100-bed Burnaby Centre for Mental Health and Addiction to treat those with the most severe mental health and addiction issues.

• 182 per cent increase since 2003 in community beds for people with substance use problems to 2,550;

• Increasing the number of family doctors providing mental health and substance use services from 4,194 in 2001 to 4,574 in 2008-09.

• Being the first province in Western Canada to have dedicated withdrawal management beds for youth – there are currently 39.

• In 2003, B.C. became the first province to establish and then implement a Child and Youth Mental Health Plan that doubled the funding and significantly increased access to an enhanced continuum of services and supports.

Healthy Minds, Healthy People can be downloaded at: www.health.gov.bc.ca/library/publications/year/2010/healthy_minds_healthy_people.pdf.

-30-

Three backgrounders follow.


Media Contacts:

Michelle Stewart
Communications Director
Ministry of Health Services
Public Affairs Bureau
250 952-1889

Christine Ash
Media Relations
Ministry of Children and Family Development
250 356-1639

To read the backgrounders, please click here (PDF).

New Medication Approved in the US for Schizophrenia

A November 1st posting by PsychCentral:

By Rick Nauert, PhD, Senior News Editor

Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D., on November 1, 2010

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Latuda (lurasidone HCl) tablets for the treatment of adults with schizophrenia.

“Schizophrenia can be a devastating illness requiring lifelong treatment,” said Thomas Laughren, M.D., director of the Division of Psychiatry Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

“Some patients do not respond well to certain types of drug therapy, so it is important to have multiple treatment options available.”

Latuda is included in the atypical antipsychotic class of drugs. All atypical antipsychotics contain a boxed warning alerting prescribers to an increased risk of death associated with off-label use of these drugs to treat behavioral problems in older people with dementia-related psychosis.

No drug in this class is approved to treat patients with dementia-related psychosis.

Four six-week controlled studies of adults with schizophrenia demonstrated the effectiveness and safety of Latuda. In the trials, patients treated with Latuda had fewer symptoms of schizophrenia than those taking an inactive pill (placebo).

The most common adverse reactions reported by those in clinical trials were drowsiness, feelings of restlessness and the urge to move (akathisia), nausea, movement abnormalities such as tremors, slow movement, or muscle stiffness (Parkinsonism), and agitation.

Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Province Hosts First Atlantic Mental Health Summit

An October 29th media release from the Nova Scotia Department of Health:

Health representatives from the Atlantic provinces gathered in Halifax this week for the first Atlantic Mental Health Summit.

They have been discussing ways the provinces can work together and raise the profile of mental health issues at all levels of government. During the summit they have also heard from national and international experts.

Health Minister Maureen MacDonald [pictured] offered to lead the summit at the Atlantic health minister's meeting in January.

"The great thing about a summit like this is we gather from all walks of life, social workers, practitioners and experts to share ideas and best practices," said Ms. MacDonald during her opening remarks. "The knowledge that is shared here will help us make the right decisions for our province's mental health strategy, as we work to provide better care, sooner."

Delegates are participating in sessions and workshops to discuss mental health and homelessness, child and youth mental health, mental health promotion and prevention, public policy and a national strategy.

One in three Canadians experience mental illness in their lifetimes, and many more are directly or indirectly affected through their relationships with friends, family and co-workers.

The province announced the 12 members of the Mental Health Strategy Advisory Committee in September to help fulfill a commitment to revamp mental health and addiction services.

The summit ends today, Oct. 29.


FOR BROADCAST USE:

Health representatives from the Atlantic provinces are meeting in Halifax this week to discuss ways to work together and raise the profile of mental health at all levels of government.

Health Minister Maureen MacDonald offered to lead the summit at the Atlantic health minister's meeting in January. She says it's a perfect opportunity to share new ideas and best practices in mental health care.

-30-

Media Contact:

Nicole Brooks
Department of Health
902-424-2608
E-mail: brooksnl@gov.ns.ca

Two representatives from the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia participated in the Atlantic Mental Health Summit. They were Stephen Ayer, Executive Director, and Cecilia McRae, President.

To view the Atlantic Mental Health Summit agenda, please click here (PDF).

Photo credit

Open Groups - Bayers Road Community Mental Health

The list below is up-to-date as of August 10th, 2010.


Please click on the image to magnify it.

For further information, call Bayers Road Community Mental Health at (902) 454-1400.

New mental health curriculum guide targets high schools

An October 26th posting by the Dalhousie University Medical School:

By Margo Wheaton

Dealing with a mental health disorder can be overwhelming, especially for adolescents. At a time when fitting in feels crucial, it can be hard for a teen to admit how down she is or how alone he feels.

Although it’s estimated that mental health problems affect one in five young people in Canada, early diagnosis and treatment of conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, bulimia and anxiety disorders remains elusive. As a result, many young people aren’t receiving the help they need.



Dr. Stan Kutcher [pictured], a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Dalhousie University's Faculty of Medicine and the holder of the Sun Life Financial Chair in Adolescent Mental Health, has a group that has been working to change that.

Through a partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association, Kutcher and his team at the IWK Health Centre have developed the Mental Health and High School Curriculum Guide, an innovative learning resource for secondary school teachers. The guide represents a component of the first expert-reviewed comprehensive school-based mental health program in the country and combines collaborative learning strategies with interactive multimedia tools.

The goal? To increase mental health awareness and literacy in students, teachers, and families.

According to Kutcher, who is this year’s recipient of the J.M. Cleghorn Award for Excellence in Leadership in Clinical Research, early identification of mental disorders in adolescents is key: “The data is very clear. We know that early identification and early effective treatment has profound short and long term positive outcomes not only in terms of the disorder but in terms of secondary prevention.”

He notes that identifying mental disorders in adolescence can help prevent substance abuse and social-vocational problems and stresses that failure to identify and treat mental illness in teenagers can have dire consequences: “Jail has become the new mental hospital for kids. We have to intervene earlier.”

By equipping schools with the most current resources in mental health and education along with the tools to facilitate dialogue in the classroom, teachers and students alike will be in a better position to see mental health problems for what they are and know there’s no shame in seeking help.

The curriculum guide, which consists of lesson plans, student-friendly activities and audiovisual resources, has already been successfully field-tested at Forest Heights Community School and will be further evaluated in two Digby schools early in the new year. A national launch of the program will take place in the next few months.

The curriculum resource is part of a larger framework called Pathways to Care, a collaborative, inter-disciplinary approach to adolescent mental health that’s been developed by the Sun Life team as part of its mission to disseminate the most current scientific information available. Other resources include a number of creative, interactive and user-friendly materials specifically for parents, siblings, healthcare providers and, of course, for teens themselves.

By educating the most important people in a child’s life about mental health, the model cuts across sectors and emphasizes the importance of community connections as a gateway to early detection and treatment.

Kutcher notes that “what we’re doing in the schools here is really cutting edge” and is very appreciative of support from the Provincial Department of Education, the Schools Plus Program, school boards, schools, educators and others without whom the work could not be successful. He points out that the Mental Health Commission of Canada has identified school mental health as a national priority and he envisions it as a major area of investment and development over the next decade.

“We’re now developing national and international linkages in school mental health and I think that we’re well positioned to take a leadership role. I’m hopeful that the province will continue to work very closely with us as we move that agenda forward.”


Media enquiries:

Allison Gerrard, Dalhousie Medical School, (902) 494.1789 / (902) 222.1917, allison.gerrard@dal.ca

Photo credit

Compelling new report shows why mental health ‘must be at the heart of public health’

Please click on the image to magnify it.

An October 26th media release from the Royal College of Psychiatrists (U.K.):

Psychiatrists are today calling on the government to put mental health at the heart of their new public health strategy, which is due to be unveiled later this year.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) has published a compelling bank of evidence showing why public health strategies cannot afford to ignore mental health. The position statement, No health without public mental health: the case for action, shows that:

• People with a mental disorder smoke almost half of all tobacco consumed in the UK and account for almost half of all smoking-related deaths.

• Depression doubles the risk of developing coronary heart disease.

• People with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder die an average 20 years earlier than the general population, largely owing to physical health problems.

• People with two or more long-term physical illnesses have a 7 times greater risk of depression.

• Children from the poorest households have a three-fold greater risk of mental ill health than children from the richest households.

RCPsych President Professor Dinesh Bhugra said: “Historically, government public health strategies have concentrated on physical health and overlooked the importance of both mental illness and mental well-being. But there is no health without mental health. There is vast evidence to show that mental illness is associated with a greater risk of physical illness – and physical illness in turn increases the risk of mental illness. It’s clear that strategies to improve the health of the nation will only be effective if they address mental health and wellbeing as well.”

In the position statement, the RCPsych calls on the Coalition government to make a series of important policy changes, including:

• Tackling substance addiction through a minimum alcohol pricing policy and an evidence-based addictions policy.

• Prioritising mental health within smoking cessation programmes.

• Targeting public mental health interventions for people at higher risk, for example children in care and those who are unemployed or homeless.

• Promoting the importance of mental health and well-being in older age.

Professor Bhugra said: “Earlier this month, a study revealed that mental illness costs the economy £105 billion a year in England alone, and is the single largest source of burden of disease. Including mental health at the heart of the public health agenda will improve people’s lifestyles and reduce health-risk behaviours, thereby both preventing physical illness and reducing the burden of mental illness on society.”

He continued: “Our new position statement makes clear recommendations for political action and policy change. I hope that the evidence we present today can persuade government at all levels, as well as wider society, of the need for action and the benefits it will bring.”

Responding the launch of this new report, Care Service Minister, Paul Burstow MP, said "The Government is clear that there is no health without mental health. That is why we will publish both a public health White Paper and mental health strategy that will break new ground. If the right action is taken early in people's lives, it’s possible to make a big difference. The right support at the right time can help people realise their potential, cope with adversity and hold down a job. This is good for the individual and good for society too."


For further information, please contact Liz Fox or Deborah Hart in the Communications Department.
Telephone: 020 7235 2351 Extensions. 6298 or 6127
E-mail: efox@rcpsych.ac.uk or dhart@rcpsych.ac.uk


Note to editors:

The new position statement, No health without public mental health: the case for change, was published on 26 October by the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

NIMH Head Urges More Emphasis on Mental Illness as Brain Disorder

An article published in the October 15th edition of Psychiatric News:

By Aaron Levin

To catch up with other medical disciplines that have sharply reduced morbidity and mortality, psychiatry must evolve into “clinical neuroscience” and reconceptualize its understanding of the roots of mental disorders.

Research progress on psychiatric disorders must follow the cues of cardiology and oncology, taking major steps forward to find the causes of psychopathology and develop cures for mental illness, stated the director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

“We're in the middle of a revolution,” said Thomas Insel, M.D. [pictured] “We have the chance to change the world—not tomorrow, but by staying on course.”

NIMH has laid out that course over the last few years by shifting its grants in directions that it hopes will produce “disruptive innovations,” said Insel in the inaugural lecture of the George Washington Institute for Neuroscience at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., in September.

The new institute is a multidisciplinary center that promotes research and training in the mechanisms of normal and pathological brain function.

Neuropsychiatric illnesses are the leading cause of years lost to disability or death from noncommunicable causes, noted Insel.

Progress Lags in Psychiatric Illness

Advances in research and changes in practice have cut deaths from heart disease by 63 percent since 1965, but similar progress has not happened for mental illness, he pointed out.

“We have to move the agenda,” he said. “Diagnosis still comes by observation, illness is detected late, prediction is poor, etiology is often unknown, prevention is not well developed, treatment is by trial and error, and there are no cures and no vaccines.”

Prevalence and mortality have not decreased, and the culture surrounding them is sunk in low expectations. “This is the only area of medicine where people don't talk about cure and prevention,” he said.

The burden of mental disorders is magnified by its relatively high prevalence (approximately 6 percent) and the fact that these illnesses are chronic disorders and usually begin early in life.

He suggested three main areas on which neuroscience research needs to concentrate to tackle the large public-health problem that mental illness presents: a renewed emphasis on psychiatric disorders as brain disorders, an increasing recognition of the role of child and adolescent development, and achievement of advances in understanding the genetic basis of mental illness risk factors.

Field May Shift to Clinical Neuroscience

Brain lesions may be the realm of neurology, but psychiatric illness is defined by the physiology of neural circuits in the brain, said Insel. A different approach and different training may be needed to understand and treat those illnesses. In 10 years, he suggested, psychiatry might be better termed “clinical neuroscience.”

He cited the example of Area 25 in the subgenual cingulate, a region that becomes overactive in depression, but where activity declines when depression is treated with an SSRI. Imaging studies show brain changes—but only in treatment responders. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) near Area 25 also turns down activity, he noted, and the research on DBS shows how knowledge gleaned from brain mapping, circuitry, and imaging can converge to improve understanding of disease and its treatment.

Second, mental disorders are also developmental disorders, he pointed out. Many begin before age 15, while normal brain development continues until age 25.

The cortex in patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) seems to take longer to mature. Individuals with the disorder “end up at the same point but two or three years late,” he said. “So is ADHD a disease of attention and behavior in children, or is it one of cortical maturation? The challenge is to see what is going wrong in the organ of interest.”

Third, while genetics are another key component of mental illness, Insel acknowledged that understanding how hundreds of variations map onto brain pathways is a complex challenge. Many variants express only in the human brain and only during development. Many other genes that contribute to mental illness have not yet been identified.

“We need to move from description to mechanism and to approach all of these problems from many levels: molecular, cellular, systemic, individual, and social,” he said.

Learning which early variations in brain structure, circuitry, and function foretell later disorder might lead to interventions that can prevent the development of frank illness.

Eventually, the foundation of brain circuitry, development, and genetics will support a better understanding of pathophysiology, prevention, and personalized medicine, all leading to Insel's goal of a comprehensive public-health approach to psychiatric disorders.

The George Washington Institute for Neuroscience has scheduled a dozen more lectures by other neuroscience researchers between now and next May.

Information about the George Washington Institute for Neuroscience is posted at www.gwumc.edu/neuroscience.

Photograph by David Hathcox

York study finds schizophrenia and superior verbal intelligence can co-exist

An October 15th media release from York University:

A study released yesterday by York University researchers has found that schizophrenia patients with superior verbal abilities are like similarly-gifted healthy people in many ways, but still have trouble functioning in the community.

The study is the first to confirm the existence of small numbers of schizophrenia patients with superior levels of verbal ability, defined as a vocabulary score in the upper five-to-ten per cent of the general population.

Researchers investigated the cognitive performance, life skills and community independence of verbally gifted schizophrenia patients, comparing their abilities in these areas to those of verbally gifted healthy people. They found no significant differences between the two groups except in the ability to function independently in the community.

“Impaired cognitive performance is widely regarded as a core feature of schizophrenia and a major cause of disability in daily life,” says the study’s lead author, Walter Heinrichs (right), a psychology professor in York’s Faculty of Health. “We’re seeing that this is not necessarily the case with these exceptional patients. They resemble similarly-gifted healthy people in most aspects of cognition as well as in daily living skills, but they still can’t function normally in the community.”

Researchers tested 151 patients, ranging in age from 21 to 65, alongside healthy people with no history of medical or mental illness. Twenty-five of these patients scored in the superior range. Heinrichs notes that the large number of patients tested meant it was possible to compare the gifted group with more typical schizophrenia patients, and with verbally gifted and average healthy people.

The gifted and more typical patient groups differed on virtually every comparison except the severity of their psychotic symptoms. The gifted group was significantly more independent than typical patients, but experienced equivalent levels of symptoms like delusions, hallucinations, apathy and lack of motivation.

It was also noted that neither verbally-superior patients nor verbally-superior healthy subjects performed at superior levels on all cognitive tasks. Instead, oral reading, visual abstract reasoning, working memory, word fluency, learning and attention scores for both groups ranged between average and high-average levels.

“The discovery of verbally gifted patients is important because they offer a window on the schizophrenic brain when it is relatively free of the abnormalities underlying cognitive impairment,” Heinrichs says. “These patients also demonstrate that cognitive ability cannot be the only determinant of community adjustment in this severe form of mental illness.”

Heinrichs worked alongside York graduate students Ashley Miles and Narmeen Ammari, and psychologists Stephanie McDermid Vaz and Joel Goldberg, a York psychology professor.

The study, “Cognitive, Clinical, and Functional Characteristics of Verbally Superior Schizophrenia Patients,” is published in the journal Neuropsychology.

Posting of this media release is for the purposes of research into schizophrenia and psychosis.

Retired businessman living with paranoid schizophrenia to discuss his struggle

An article posted yesterday by The News of Cumberland County (New Jersey, USA).

Special to The News

VINELAND - Robin Cunningham [pictured], a retired businessman living with paranoid schizophrenia, will discuss his struggle with the disease at a community education forum sponsored by the Cumberland County Guidance Center, on Tuesday, Oct. 26, from 7 to 9 p.m., at Chestnut Assembly of God, 2554 E. Chestnut Ave., Vineland.

In this free public forum, "Hope & Mental Illness: A Personal Story," Cunningham will recount his long struggle with paranoid schizophrenia and give an intimate look at the world through the eyes of a person living with this disease.

After receiving his MBA, Cunningham began a challenging business career. Within three years, he advanced to the level of vice president and thereafter he served as a senior corporate executive officer with several international industry-leading corporations, or their subsidiaries, as well as a major Wall Street investment banking firm and a highly profitable commercial bank.

Cunningham's accomplishments are unusual given that at the age of 13 he was diagnosed with schizophrenia, in a time when the prognosis for individuals with this disease was dismal and the associated stigma was devastating.

Cunningham's life experience has provided him with intriguing insights into the human condition. Since his retirement, he has devoted himself to writing, public speaking and advocacy for the mentally ill. Numerous articles have been written about him and by him, including more than 100 expert blogs he prepared for www.schizophreniaconnection.com.

He currently serves on the New Jersey Governor's Council on Mental Health Stigma, the NAMI New Jersey Board of Trustees, and the Governing Board of Greater Trenton Behavioral Healthcare.

Among others, he has appeared on Voices in the Family (WHYY) and in the BBC documentary "Voices in My Head."

In addition to his presentation, Cunningham will be answering questions from the audience.

Call Jennifer Gardner at (856) 825-6810, ext. 206, by Tuesday, Oct. 19, if you plan to attend.

For more information, call Mary Sauceda at (856) 825-6810, ext. 256.

Rules-Based Medicine, Inc. announces commercial release of VeriPsych™, diagnostic aid for recent onset schizophrenia

An October 6th media release form Rules-Based Medicine, Inc.:

Announcement coincides with Mental Illness Awareness Week, October 3 – 9, 2010

AUSTIN, Texas — October 6, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — Rules-Based Medicine, Inc. (RBM), today announced the widespread commercial availability of VeriPsych™, the first and only blood-based diagnostic test to aid in confirming the diagnosis of recent onset schizophrenia, a potentially devastating and costly mental illness that affects about 24 million people worldwide. VeriPsych is an innovative molecular diagnostic tool designed to complement the healthcare provider’s clinical impression.

VeriPsych, based on the simultaneous measurement of 51 different protein and hormone biomarkers with an associated mathematical decision rule, compares the biomarker profile of a patient with suspected schizophrenia to that of patients with a confirmed diagnosis of schizophrenia. VeriPsych was developed by RBM to aid in the confirmation of the diagnosis of recent-onset schizophrenia, as reported in a study published in the May 2010 edition of Biomarker Insights.

“Schizophrenia is commonly associated with an inevitable disabling decline in mental and overall health, but we are understanding more and more that early therapeutic intervention can alter that prognosis,” said Prof. Sabine Bahn, (Sa-bee-neh Baa – hn) Director of the Cambridge Center for Neuropsychiatric Research in the United Kingdom and an RBM collaborator. “Ultimately, clearer and earlier diagnosis may lead to reduced disability, more effective treatment, improved patient outcomes and enhanced quality of life for patients.”

Each year 1.3 million patients in the United States and 2 million patients in Europe present with early signs that could be schizophrenia. Signs of schizophrenia, which include hallucinations, confusion, delusions and cognitive deficits, are often indistinguishable from those of other mental health or central nervous system disorders, presenting frequent diagnostic challenges.

Diagnosis of schizophrenia is typically accomplished through the clinician’s evaluation of symptoms. If left untreated or improperly treated, schizophrenia can lead to worsening patient conditions and ultimately poor outcomes. Neuropsychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia, are a leading cause of disability, accounting for approximately one third of years lost to disability among people aged 15 years and over.

“VeriPsych was developed through targeted research combining RBM’s proprietary multiplexing technology and unique biomarker discovery capabilities, specifically in the area of mental illness,” said RBM Chief Executive Officer Craig Benson. “We believe this test will be useful to mental healthcare providers seeking to confirm diagnostic decisions that can help patients and families living with mental illness. We are pleased to make this announcement during Mental Illness Awareness Week. VeriPsych is an important step in RBM’s ongoing efforts to develop and provide quantitative diagnostic tools for healthcare providers treating patients with neuropsychiatric disorders.”

About VeriPsych

VeriPsych is an objective blood-based molecular diagnostic tool that utilizes a proprietary set of 51 biomarker immunoassays. These biomarkers are associated with specific biochemical pathways, including inflammation, metabolism, and cell-to-cell signaling.

VeriPsych is a Laboratory Developed Test (LDT) that uses a decision rule to evaluate the similarity of a patient's biomarker pattern to that of patients with a medically confirmed diagnosis of schizophrenia. Its intended use is as an aid in the confirmation of the diagnosis of schizophrenia in patients with recent onset of symptoms and without co-morbidities such as diabetes, severe inflammation or autoimmune disease. It is not intended to provide a definitive diagnosis of schizophrenia.

VeriPsych was developed and its performance characteristics were determined by RBM. The test is performed by RBM in compliance with CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) regulations.

More information about the test can be found at www.veripsych.com.

About Rules-Based Medicine, Inc.

Rules-Based Medicine's biomarker testing service provides clinical researchers, physicians and healthcare providers with reproducible, quantitative, multiplexed data for hundreds of proteins to advance drug development and patient care. The Company's proprietary Multi Analyte Profiling (MAP) technology offers pre-clinical and clinical researchers broad, cost-effective protein analyses in multiple species from a small sample volume. MAP technology also supports RBM's program for development of molecular diagnostics that aid in the detection of complex diseases and conditions in areas of unmet medical need such as neuropsychiatry, nephrology, immunology and cardiology. RBM's first molecular diagnostic test, VeriPsych™, is a blood-based test that aids in the confirmation of diagnosis of recent-onset schizophrenia by evaluating a proprietary set of 51 protein biomarkers. RBM also offers innovative and proprietary ex vivo testing systems such as TruCulture™, the first fully-closed, reproducible whole blood culture system. More information about RBM may be found at www.rulesbasedmedicine.com.

###

VeriPsych is a trademark of Rules-Based Medicine, Inc.

Company Contact:

Christopher Martin
Managing Director, Communications
512-275-2623
512-627-9058 (mobile)
chris.martin@veripsych.com