Teenagers reporting increased stress

The 2011 Mission Australia survey has found teenagers are stressing about school work, body image and coping with stress more than ever.

Teenagers are feeling the pressure to get good grades at school, particularly 15-19 year olds. The survey found that 41.8 are now listing school as their top priority, up from 28.7 last year. These concerns are probably coming from this generation watching people lose jobs due to the global financial crisis and anticipating the highly competetive job market they will be entering.

Teens, particularly girls, have reported increasing levels of concern with body image, this indicates that the messages about healthy liefstyles and realistic body images are not getting through. The quest to gain peer approval and to be popular seem to be over riding all attempts to make people aware of the dangers associated with the quest to be like "the girls on tv."

This age group also reported generally coping with stress as a stressor.

All in all these figures are concerning, the pressure youth are under and the pressure they put themselves under could lead to further mental health issues.

For more information, check out these articles from News.com and the Australian.

Eating Disorders. Not just for women...

During November there is a focus on men's health, both mentally and physically, as promoted through Movember.

This is a good time to discuss other issues affect men that go unnoticed. Eating disorders have been traditionally stereotyped as a disorder for women, but men are also suffering from the disorder. In many men the disorder goes unnoticed. There are a few reasons for this, firstly we do not look for the symptoms in men. Secondly, the symptoms generally present differently. It is more common for anorexic males to over exercise rather than starve themselves. It is also more acceptable and normal for men to eat large meals, so binge eating is far less noticeable. These and many other factors lead to eating disorders in males going unnoticed and untreated. Eating disorders have many short and long term health problems, including high mortality rates.

Movemeber is aiming towards increased awareness of and discussion about men's health, this is the time to take notice and speak up.

Let's talk about it - mental health and suicide forum

Mental health and suicide are often not spoken about. This needs to change. To try to make this change the ABC presented a 3 hour forum with many experts from the the mental health industry, including representatives from beyondblue, lifeline, headspace and SANE. The broadcast aimed to engage the community in conversation about mental health and suicide. For further information about what was discussed please visit the ABC website.

New e-tool to catch youth depression before it takes hold.

Australian researchers have received funding to develop a customised Internet program to equip young people, especially those at risk, with the skills and resilience to avoid depression. The web-based program will aim to prevent depression by building resilience. The service will be focused towards young people (aged 18-24)who fall into high risk groups such as strong family history of mood disorders, and other factors relating to environment, lifestyle, personality and stress management.

The need for this type of preventative approach is vital. Studies indicate that about 50 percent of all life-long psychiatric disorders start by the age of 14, and about 75 percent of disorders are present by the age of 24. If people within this age group have been better equip with better coping strategies and resilience, the hope is that the severity of disorders will be reduced and that prevalence rates might reduce.

The current system of treating disorders after symptoms emerge has been likened to only treating heart disease patients when they have a heart attack. It is important that everyone has access to mental health services and strategies and that everyone practices mentally healthy habits.

For more information, read the full article.

More help for young Australians

15 new Headspace centres have been announced to support young Australians with mental illness.

The mental health of young Australians is at the forefront with Prime Minister Julia Gillard's announcement of the locations for 15 new headspace centres Australia wide. Early intervention has been a focus, in an attempt to prevent mental health issues in youth becoming more serious and longer lasting. It has been suggested that eight out of ten illnesses affecting people aged 15 to 25 are associated with mental health. With such high figures, it becomes obvious how important helping people as early as possible is.

Headspace have also launched their free and confidential counselling service online and over the phone for young people aged 12 to 25. For more information about headspace and their services check out the headspace website.

Stress Less

Four tips for better mental health!

Be connected: Social networks provide us with the tools to overcome stress

Be active: Excercising our bodies and minds leaves us feeling refreshed

Be Giving: Leaves you feeling better about yourself and opens the possibility to experience more of what life has to offer.

Take notice and Tune in: Pay attention to where you are; experience the moment. Listen to your thoughts; be kind to yourself.

For more on this, check out this article.

Call to combat mental illness stigma with campaigns

A Brisbane Summit on mental health this week proposed that government bodies need to act to reduce the stigma related to mental illness.

It was suggested that ongoing campaigns, such as those used for smoking and alcohol misuse, should be implemented to reduce the stigma associated to mental illness.

Others suggested that it would be far more beneficial for people to be more open about their mental illness so the general public can see that 'average' 'everyday' people have mental illness.

For more information check out this article.

Obessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) has been categorised as an Anxiety Disorder by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV. OCD is characteristed by recurrant and disturbing thoughts; refered to as obsessions and the urge to perform repetitive and ritualised behaviours; refered to as compulsions. People suffering the disorder attempt to actively dismiss the unwanted thoughts/obsessions by performing the compulsions. In most cases the compulsions help to alleviate some of the anxiety as the compulsions are seen to cancel out the obsessions, and therefore whatever the disturbing thoughts are will not become real.

There has been a lot of research in the area of OCD lately, Psych Central recentally published an article, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Drugs Helps OCD in Children which discusses a recent study on treatments.

If OCD is something that you are wanting to learn more about, ADAVIC have a lecture coming up on the 11th of October being presented by DR Scott Blair-West. For more information or to book please Click Here

Probiotics May Help Treat Anxiety & Depression

New research has found that good bacteria, or probiotics like those found in yoghurt could help treat people with anxiety and depression because it helps to reduce stress and has the potential to change the chemistry of the brain, thus relieving symptoms.

Watch a video from The Today Show to find out more: Yoghurt Magic

Men's Health Week

This week is men's health week, a time when health issues particularly affecting men are given extra attention.

While mental health issues affect both men and women, this week provides the opportunity to raise awareness about seeking help for men. This is important when considering that many men do not seek help when compared with their female counterparts.

For more information about men and mental health you can visit the Beyond Blue reference page

Mental Health Awareness Forum

The Ringwood Spiders Football Club is hosting a mental health awareness forum in partnership with the City of Maroondah and with the support of Beyond Blue on June 9 2011 at 7pm.

The club has lost two players to suicide in the past 18 months and is holding the forum in an effort to decrease social stigma regarding mental illness.

Key speakers include:
Assoc. Professor Jane Burns from Melbourne University
Mr John McGrath (AM), Deputy Chairman of Beyond Blue
Ms Sharon Boag from Eastern Access Community Health (EACH)

Through these experts, the Forum aims to:
•Increase awareness and provide a better understanding of the issues surrounding mental illness;
•Disseminate important information about the support resources and services that can help anyone who is experiencing a mental illness within their family, friends or community network

The forum is free to attend and the Ringwood Spiders encourages anyone who is interested in this issue to attend and hear industry experts sharing their knowledge and experiences. It will be held at the Karralyka Centre in Ringwood East and supper will be provided. Bookings for this event can be made by emailing mha@ringwoodspiders.com before Friday June 3.

Event Details:
6.30pm for 7.00pm start, Thursday 9th June, 2011
Karalyka Entertainment Centre, Mines Road, East Ringwood
Melways Map 50, Ref A6

Links:
Maroondah Leader: Ringwood Footballers Act On Suicides

Maroondah Leader: New Study Shows Maroondah Teens Struggle to Find Mental Health Support


Note:
A BIG thank you to Maroondah Printing for once again providing free printing of booklets and brochures so as ADAVIC can provide this information to the forum.
http://maroondahprinting.com.au/contact.htm

Location of Maroondah Printing Pty Ltd
Unit 16, 42 New Street, Ringwood. Vic. 3134

PH: (03) 9879-1555

Mental Health and the Federal Budget

On Tuesday night the Federal Budget was released and one of the big announcements was the Government's investment in the Mental Health Sector.

The Government has said it will provide $2.2 billion over five years as part of a mental health reform package that will try and focus on prevention of mental illness. The package will also aim to provide streamlined services for people with chronic mental illness.

The Department of Health and Ageing released a joint statement from its ministers saying that under the reform "Australians with a mental illness will get the care they need, when they need it".

Under the reform a mental health commission will also be established, a move welcomed by the Mental Health Council of Australia.

“A Mental Health Commission is one of the measures we have long been advocating for and is very significant investment in better accountability and governance in mental health," they said.

Not everyone is pleased with the Government's announcement though. Australian Medical Association President Dr Andrew Pesce said under the reform patients would end up having to pay more to see their GP.

"Devaluing the role of family doctors is a backward step that will seriously fragment medical and mental health care for those people who need it in the community", he said.

At this point it appears there are more positives than negatives to the announcement. Any commitment to funding for the mental health sector can only be a good thing. Especially considering how many Australians have a mental illness such as anxiety and depression.

For More indepth coverage of the announcement visit the links bellow:

Croakey Blog: Overview of the budget’s mental health announcements – and some preliminary reaction

Media Release: Department of Health and Ageing

Media Release: Mental Health Council of Australia

The Australian: Mental health reforms aim for prevention

Lateline: Government Pours $2.2b into Mental Health