Examining Schizophrenia (Video)

A video from PsyWeb.com:




Also see:

Elyn R. Saks

Webcast Recording - Review of the Involuntary Psychiatric Treatment Act by Stephen Ayer

Recording of the Webcast

Review of the Involuntary Psychiatric Treatment Act

by

Dr. Stephen Ayer

Executive Director

Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia

Presentation made during the February 10th, 2014, meeting of the HRM Chapter of the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia

To view the webcast recording, please click here.

Royal Assent was given to Nova Scotia’s Involuntary Psychiatric Treatment Act on December 8, 2005. The Act came into effect on July 3, 2007. An independent review of the Act, conducted by the Honourable Justice Gérard La Forest and Professor William Lahey, was made public on December 12, 2013.

An overview of the Act and its application was provided, as was a review of some of the many important findings of the independent review. The availability of and access to a broad range of treatment and support options for people diagnosed with mental illnesses was also discussed.

National Guidelines for a Comprehensive Service System to Support Family Caregivers of Adults with Mental Health Problems and Illnesses

A report released on June 27, 2013, by the Mental Health Commission of Canada:

From this webpage:

A loved one’s mental health problem or illness often impacts family, friends and supporters. Caring for a person living with a mental illness often creates emotional, physical, financial and social burdens for caregivers. The Mental Health Commission of Canada has created guidelines for policy makers and service providers that seek to recognize and support family caregivers’ needs, including recommendations on services and supports caregivers find useful.

Please click on the image to magnify it.

To download the entire document (PDF), please click here.

Also see:

National Family Caregiving Support Guidelines

TED Blog -- 2013: The Year in Ideas

From a December 19th TED Blog posting:

It’s time to get personal about mental illness.

1 in 4 people in the world lives with some form of mental illness, and yet, the stigma remains. In 2013, several speakers stepped to the TED stage to share their personal stories of mental illness. Eleanor Longden explained what it’s like to have voices in her head. (Read her TED Book, Learning from the Voices in my Head.) Kevin Breel took us inside his world, giving “confessions of a depressed comic.” Just this week, Andrew Solomon spoke poetically about his experience with depression, and how he sees it a secret many people share. Punctuating it all — a talk from Thomas Insel [below], the director of the National Institute of Mental Health, on how moving from the term “mental disorders” to “brain disorders” could open up research possibilities.

This holiday season, please give your support to the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia

To make an online tax-deductible donation to the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia, with an immediate tax receipt sent to you by email, please click here.

For information about the programs and services of the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia, please click here.

Report of the Independent Panel to Review the Involuntary Psychiatric Treatment Act and Community Treatment Orders - Nova Scotia

A report released by the Government of Nova Scotia on December 12th.  For the media advisory related to the release of this report, please click here.

Please click on the image to magnify it.

To download the entire report (PDF), please click here.

Also see:

Nova Scotia mental health concerns flagged

CAMIMH Calls for Canadians to Contribute to a Responsible Discussion on Suicide

Please click on an image to magnify it.

To download the PDF version of the above document, please click here.

Also visit:

The Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH)

Guidelines for the Practice and Training of Peer Support - Mental Health Commission of Canada

A report released on December 2nd by the Mental Health Commission of Canada:

Please click on the image to magnify it.

To download the entire document, please click here.

Also see:

Issue: Peer Support

Healthy Minds Cooperative Newsletter - December 2013

Please click on the image to magnify it.

To download the entire newsletter (PDF), please click here.

Also see:

Healthy Minds Cooperative

Examining the Nova Scotia mental health system

Dr. Michael Teehan, President of the Canadian Psychiatric Association, is interviewed by Global Television just prior to the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia's 25th annual conference held on November 15th, 2013. The theme of the conference was "Mental Health Services in Nova Scotia: What We Have and What We Need".





Also visit:

The Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia's 25th Annual Conference: What We Have and What We Need

Please consider joining the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia

As a provincial not-for-profit community organization, the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia (SSNS) relies heavily on its members to continue working – through education, support programs, influencing public policy, and encouraging research – to improve the quality of life for those affected by schizophrenia and psychosis. When approaching the Nova Scotia Government and other decision makers, we are empowered by our grassroots membership.

The SSNS provides a much needed community-based network of knowledgeable and dedicated volunteers to support Nova Scotians directly affected by schizophrenia and psychosis, as well as their family members, friends, colleagues, and communities. Our core belief is that people with mental illnesses like schizophrenia and psychosis can live a life of meaning and purpose. The focus of the SSNS is to promote the goal that each individual will be able to return to a quality of life meeting each person's own perception of needs and expectations.

The vision of the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia is:

• to reach all Nova Scotians who are directly or indirectly affected by schizophrenia and psychosis;

• to focus on the individual, not the illness;

• to promote wellness and recovery; and

• to reduce the stereotyping, prejudice, discrimination, and misconceptions so often associated, unfortunately, with mental illnesses.

To read about some of the specific work the SSNS does, please click here. Additionally, the SSNS will begin work focused on providing education & support services to residents of Cape Breton Island starting in September 2013, with a dedicated full-time staff member working out of Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia.

Annual individual membership is provided upon receipt of a tax-deductible donation of a minimum of $15.00 to the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia. You can renew you membership by filling out the Membership Form (PDF) available by clicking here and mailing it, along with a minimum donation of $15.00 to:

Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia
Room B-23, Purdy Building
P.O. Box 1004
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
B2Y 3Z9

If you prefer to obtain your SSNS membership by making a secure tax-deductible online credit card, Interac, or PayPal donation, please click here. You will receive an immediate tax receipt by email. Please type the words SSNS Membership in the “Message/instructions for Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia” box that appears when making your online donation. If you would also like to opt-in to membership with the Schizophrenia Society of Canada (SSC), at no additional cost, please type the words SSNS Membership and SSC Membership in this box. You can also note your chapter or support group affiliation in this box.

A final option is to obtain your SSNS membership by calling the provincial office at (902) 465-2601 or 1-800-45-2601 (toll-free in Nova Scotia) and using a Visa or MasterCard over the telephone. 

Thank you!

Media Advisory from the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia

November 14, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Halifax, Nova Scotia

Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia

Media Advisory – Video, Photo, and Interview Opportunity

What: 

Mental Health Services in Nova Scotia: What We Have and What We Need

Who: 

Dr. Rudolf Uher of Dalhousie University, recently co-authored a study which found that the risk of severe mental illness in the sons and daughters of a parent living with the illness may be underestimated. Rather than the widely cited figure of 1 in 10 for the risk for familial transmission of severe mental illnesses, his research found that around 1 in 3 children of parents – one or both of which have a severe mental illness such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depressive disorder – will develop such a disorder themselves by early adulthood.

In order to provide early intervention to reduce the risk of severe mental illness in these young people, Dr. Uher has launched the “Families Overcoming Risks and Building Opportunities for Well-Being” program in Nova Scotia. “We are working on programs that will help young people at risk for severe mental illness stay healthy,” says Dr. Uher. “At the end of this study we hope to identify the problems that young people need help dealing with, and how they can learn the skills that will improve their chances for well-being and reduce the risk of mental illness.”

Dr. Michael Teehan, President of the Canadian Psychiatric Association (CPA) and an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Dalhousie University, will lead off the conference with a presentation entitled “Mental Health Services in Nova Scotia: What We Need”. The CPA, the national voice for Canada's 4,500 psychiatrists, says that recovery is possible if evidence-based treatments are available. “Treatments work if patients have access,” says Dr. Teehan. “Close to 100 per cent of my early psychosis patients have at least a partial response to treatment. For many, the response can be quite dramatic. They can go back to school, go back to work, and lead productive lives. What many people don't understand is that with adequate treatment and other supports, people do get better.”

Other presenters include Mr. Jacques Hendlisz who will be providing an update on the challenges and opportunities in developing the Transformational Research in Adolescent Mental Health (TRAM) Network; Dr. Phil Tibbo who will be speaking about early intervention within the context of the programs and services delivered by the Nova Scotia Early Psychosis Program; Mr. Roy Muise who will be talking about the new Nova Scotia Certified Peer Support Specialist Program, Dr. Alissa Pencer, a clinical psychologist at the IWK Health Centre who will be speaking about the importance of readily accessible psychological services to recovery from mental illness; and representatives from L’Abri en Ville in Montreal, including people with lived experience of mental illness, who will be talking about the benefits of long-term housing with social supports. Ms. Starr Dobson, President and CEO of the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia, will be the morning conference emcee.

When: 

Friday, November 15, 2013, 9:00 am to 4:30 pm

Where: 

McInnes Room, Student Union Building, Dalhousie University, 6136 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Conference Website:

www.ssns-conference.com

About the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia

The Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia works to improve the quality of life for those affected by schizophrenia through education, support programs, influencing public policy, and encouraging research.

In addition to the offices located in Dartmouth and Port Hawkesbury, the society has chapters or support groups conducting weekly or monthly support group meetings in Cumberland County, Halifax Regional Municipality, Kings County, Lunenburg County, and Pictou County.

Media Contact

Dr. Stephen Ayer
Phone: (902) 465-2601
Cellular: (902) 237-0018
Email: ssns@bellaliant.com

Saturday Free Clinic - Halifax

Please click on the image to magnify it.

Also visit: saturdayfreeclinic.blogspot.com

National Conference on Peer Support - Halifax, Nova Scotia

Wednesday, April 30th, to Friday, May 2, 2014

Please click on the image to magnify it.

For further information, please visit: http://www.psac-canada.com/ncps/

Healthy Minds Cooperative Newsletter - November 2013

Please click on the image to magnify it.

To download the entire newsletter (PDF), please click here.

Also see:

Healthy Minds Cooperative

Websites referenced on page 4 of the newsletter:

Transitions

Because Your Mind Matters Youth Education Program

TRAM Expert Input - Day 2 - Patrick McGorry

Also see:

TRAM Strengthening Workshop Videos

Transformational Research in Adolescent Mental Health (TRAM): A Patient-Oriented Initiative

Capital District Mental Health Program - Satisfaction Surveys

Please click on the image to magnify it.

To download the PDF version of the above letter, please click here.

To complete the survey(s) online, visit:

Note: The links below work with Internet Explorer and Firefox, but not with Chrome.

Outpatient Satisfaction Survey:
https://survey.nshealth.ca/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=88LJll86

Inpatient Satisfaction Survey:
https://survey.nshealth.ca/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=88LJlo86

Family and Friends Outpatient Survey:
https://survey.nshealth.ca/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=88LK3l86

Family and Friends Inpatient Survey:
https://survey.nshealth.ca/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=88LK3m86

Nova Scotia Certified Peer Support Specialist Program

From the Healthy Minds Cooperative's May 2012 newsletter:

It's Official

The Department of Health and Wellness has chosen Healthy Minds Cooperative to oversee the advancement of the Nova Scotia Certified Peer Support Specialist Program!

Healthy Minds Cooperative has demonstrated a long term commitment and belief in peer support since our inception in 2005. We believe peer support is an integral component of recovery for people living with mental illness. Our organization has been a pioneer in delivering formal peer support on inpatient units since 2006. This ground breaking work was happening at a time when peer support was virtually unknown. It is incredible to know that beginning in 2013 it will now be available in health districts across our province.

We extend a sincere welcome to Roy Muise, the Peer Mentor for the NSCPSS program as part of our Healthy Minds team. Well known and respected Roy brings his extensive work with the Mental Health Commission of Canada, work with PSACC, a vast knowledge of peer support and many years’ experience delivering peer support. Joining Roy in this exciting work will be Vince Daigle who has 7 years’ experience providing formal peer support on an inpatient unit, Michael Smith and Irene Skehen. Together the entire Healthy Minds team possess unique and valuable skills that amount to about 40 years’ experience working in the field of mental health. When you add the soon to be newly certified peer specialists, that will be delivering peer support to every health district in the province to this team there is no doubt that there will be hope and recovery for many. The Department of Health and Wellness is committed to improving the mental health and wellness of all Nova Scotians. They listened to the people of Nova Scotia and developed the first ever mental health strategy for our province. Thanks to their vision and support the reality of individuals having access to peer support will expand and become a reality across our province.

Also see:

Nova Scotia Certified Peer Support Specialist Program

Healthy Minds Cooperative

Peer Support Accreditation and Certification (Canada) [PSACC]

N.S. puts $1 million into mental health program

The Aspiring Workforce: Employment and Income for People with Serious Mental Illness

A report released today by the Mental Health Commission of Canada:

Please click on the image to magnify it.

To download the entire report (PDF), please click here.

Also see:

Issue: Aspiring Workforce

Family Support Group - Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Wednesday, January 29th, 7:00 pm

The HRM Chapter of the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia

hosts the

Dartmouth Family Support Group

When a loved one is diagnosed with a mental illness, or you feel there are mental health issues not being addressed, it can be overwhelming. Many families find that talking with others who have had similar experiences to be very beneficial. This new support group provides an opportunity to learn about resources in the community, navigating the mental health system, strategies to promote recovery and enhance coping skills, and much more.

Meetings are held the last Wednesday of every month. The next meeting is ...

Date

Wednesday, January 29th, 2014

Time

7:00 pm to 8:30 pm

Place

Alderney Gate Public Library

Starr Room

60 Alderney Drive

Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

For further information, please contact Donna Methot by phoning (902) 462-8658 or sending an email to hrmchapterssns@accesswave.ca.


Photograph by Robert Alfers

"60 Minutes" Focuses on Schizophrenia and Violence

From CBS's 60 Minutes:




Also visit:

Untreated mental illness an imminent danger?

Psychiatric News Alert: "60 Minutes" Focuses on Schizophrenia and Violence

American Psychiatric Association

Treatment Advocacy Center

Healthy Minds Cooperative Newsletter - October 2013

Please click on the image to magnify it.

To download the entire newsletter (PDF), please click here.

Also see:

Healthy Minds Cooperative

Mental Illness Awareness Week - 2013

Families Matter in Mental Health - Dartmouth

Ongoing until December 3rd, 2013

Dartmouth

Please click on the image to magnify it.

To download a PDF version of the above poster, please click here.

Also see:

Families Matter in Mental Health Brochure

Families Matter in Mental Health

Healthy Minds Cooperative

Perceived need for mental health care in Canada: Results from the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey–Mental Health (September 2013)

By Adam Sunderland and Leanne C. Findlay

From this webpage:

Background

Past research and national survey data on Canadians’ perceived need for mental health care (MHC) have focused on unmet needs overall, and have not considered specific types of MHC needs or the extent to which needs are met.

Data and methods

Using data from the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey–Mental Health, this article describes the prevalence of perceived MHC needs for information, medication, counselling and other services. The degree to which each type of need was met is explored. Associations between risk factors for having MHC needs and the extent to which needs were met are investigated.

Results

In 2012, an estimated 17% of the population aged 15 or older reported having had an MHC need in the past 12 months. Two-thirds (67%) reported that their need was met; for another 21%, the need was partially met; and for 12%, the need was unmet. The most commonly reported need was for counselling, which was also the least likely to be met. Distress was identified as a predictor of perceived MHC need status.

Interpretation

Many Canadians are estimated to have MHC needs, particularly for counselling. People with elevated levels of distress are significantly more likely to have unmet and partially met MHC needs than to have fully met MHC needs, regardless of the presence of mental or substance disorders.

Keywords

Mental illness, mental disorder, distress

Findings

Many Canadians experience a need for mental health care (MHC), but not all of those needs are met. In fact, the presence of mental illness has repeatedly been associated with an MHC need, despite evidence-based practices suggesting that mental illness can be successfully treated. Rates of unmet needs were higher among people with the criteria for mental illness, especially those with depression. This is relevant considering that, in 2012, an estimated 10% of Canadians experienced a mental disorder (depression, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, or alcohol, cannabis or substance abuse or dependence) in the past year. [Full Text]

Authors

Adam Sunderland and Leanne C. Findlay (1-613-951-4648; leanne.findlay@statcan.gc.ca) are with the Health Analysis Division at Statistics Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0T6.

What is already known on this subject?

Many Canadians experience a need for mental health care (MHC), but not all of those needs are met.

Past research and national survey data on Canadians’ perceived need for MHC have focused on unmet need overall, and have not considered specific types of MHC needs or the extent to which needs are met.

What does this study add?

Based on data from the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey–Mental Health, an estimated 17% of the population aged 15 or older reported having had an MHC need in the past 12 months.

Two-thirds (67%) of them reported that the needs were met; for another 21%, the needs were partially met; and for 12%, the needs were unmet.

The most commonly reported need was for counselling, which was also the least likely to be met.

Distress was associated with perceived MHC need status.

To download the entire article (PDF), please click here.

Also see:

Mental and substance use disorders in Canada (September 2013) (PDF)

Mental Health Profile, Canadian Community Health Survey - Mental Health (CCHS), by age group and sex, Canada and provinces (2013)

Response to the release of Canadian Community Health Survey: Mental Health 2012 by the Mental Health Commission of Canada

Schizophrenia Society of Canada - 2013 Annual Report

Please click on the image to magnify it.

To download the entire Schizophrenia Society of Canada 2013 Annual Report (PDF), please click here.

The Schizophrenia Society of Canada - VALUES

Please click on the image to magnify it.

To download a PDF version of the above document, please click here.

Also visit:

Schizophrenia Society of Canada

Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia

Our Voice - eNewsletter of the Capital Health Addictions and Mental Health Program - July 2013

Please click on the image to magnify it.

To download the entire eNewsletter, please click here.

Also see:

Capital Health Addictions and Mental Health Program

Community Mental Health Referral Form

OurHealthyMinds.com

Our Voice - eNewsletter of the Capital Health Addictions and Mental Health Program - June 2013

Please click on the image to magnify it.

To download the entire eNewsletter, please click here.

Also see:

Capital Health Addictions and Mental Health Program

Community Mental Health Referral Form

OurHealthyMinds.com

Talking therapies: A four-year plan of action (2011)

Please click on the image to magnify it.

To download the entire document (PDF), please click here.

Also see:

Improving Access to Psychological Therapies

No Health Without Mental Health: A Cross-Government Mental Health Outcomes Strategy for People of All Ages


I thank Dr. Rudolf Uher for bringing this program to my attention.

Cannabis & Psychosis: Exploring the Link

Also visit:

Cannabis & Psychosis: Exploring the Link

Healthy Minds Cooperative Newsletter - June 2013

Please click on the image to magnify it.

To download the entire newsletter (PDF), please click here.

Also see:

Healthy Minds Cooperative

Mental Health & Criminal Justice

Please click on the image to magnify it.

2013 Clinical Neurosciences Conference - Psychosis

Erin Hawkes – My Psychosis and its Treatment

Source: http://www.bcss.org/recordings-project/2013-clinical-neurosciences-recordings/erin-hawkes-die-girl-die-my-psychosis-and-its-treatment/     Also see:   When Quietness Came: A Neuroscientist's Personal Journey With Schizophrenia 2013 Clinical Neurosciences Recordings

Whispers - A collection of poems by Brian Malay

Published by Gaspereau Press, Whispers is a collection of poems written between 2000 and 2009 by Brian Malay (1983-2010).

Compiled and edited after his death, Whispers provides insight into the joy of what it means to be fully alive and seeking answers to everyday mysteries, as well as the pain and sorrow of Brian’s truly exceptional nature.

From his early years until the last days of his life, Brian expressed himself through his writing. He was an imaginative free thinker whose poetry reflects a keen sense of his own world and the world about him.

Although Brian lived with schizophrenia, his diagnosis did not disable him; conversely, he worked harder at his writing and discovered it to be a wonderful expression of his creativity. Ultimately, poetry simply flowed from him, thus making him a true master of the written word.

Brian’s mother, Cindy Crowell, is kindly donating proceeds from the sales of Whispers to the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia.

To place an order for Whispers, please mail a $20.00 cheque made out to the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia, along with the address to which the book should be shipped, to:

Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia
Room B23, E.C. Purdy Building
P.O. Box 1004, Station Main
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
B2Y 3Z9

Orders with payment by credit card are also accepted. Please call the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia at (902) 465-2601 or 1-800-465-2601 (toll-free in Nova Scotia).


Portrait of Brian Malay by Jared Malay. Please click on the image to magnify it.

Sale on the novel: "Playing the Genetic Lottery"

An email received by the SSNS today from Terri Morgan, author of the novel Playing the Genetic Lottery:

May is Mental Health Awareness month in the United States, and as an author of a novel about schizophrenia and an advocate for reducing the stigmas surrounding mental health issues, I've offering a special on my novel. Would you please share this information with your members? I think they would appreciate hearing about this great discount on a book that validates many of their experiences.

Thanks, Terri

As you know, understanding mental illness is one of the big keys to reducing the stigmas that surround it. The stigmas that prevent people from talking about mental illness, and even worse, prevent people from seeking help when they need it. One out of every four people will be affected by mental health issues at one point in their lifetime.

In my mind, that makes it even more urgent to educate people about mental illnesses and dispel many of the myths and misconceptions surrounding it.

As the author of a novel about schizophrenia, I worked hard to weave in accurate information about mental illness and the impact it has on families into my book in an effort to raise compassion for people who are living with mental illness and reduce some of the stigmas.

That's why I'm offering a special price to people who download my novel, Playing the Genetic Lottery, during the month of May in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month in the United States. From May 1-31, people can download my book, which is a fictional memoir about a woman who grew up with two parents living with mental illness, for just CDN $1.01. To take advantage of this special, please click here.

For more information about the novel, please check out my website at terrimorgan.net.

Why reduce the price by 2/3rds? Because reducing the stigmas, to me, is more important than making a few extra dollars on each sale.

Also see:

Book Review by Ashley Smith

Playing the Genetic Lottery | Psych Central