News: Counselling doubles chances of surviving breast cancer by cutting stress levels - Telegraph

Researchers from Ohio State University found that attending fortnightly counselling groups helped women with breast cancer.

This Telegraph article (18 November 2008) reports on the study from the Comprehensive Cancer Centre which found that interventions boosted survival rates for breast cancer patients.

Barbara Andersen, who led the research, comments: "The results suggest that we can help breast cancer patients make positive steps that may help them live longer. Many of the strategies learned in the intervention programme, such as stress reduction, may have had benefits against heart disease and other causes of death."

You can find out more about this research by visiting the press pages for the Ohio State University.

www.therapyme.com

News: Binge-drinkers 'risking dementia' - BBC News

Britain could be heading for a dementia epidemic following a doubling of alcohol consumption since the 1960s, warns this BBC News article (1 November 2008).

Reporting on research published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, Alcohol-related dementia: a 21st-century silent epidemic, the BBC piece quotes Dr Susanne Sorensen, of the Alzheimer's Society: "Binge drinkers hitting the town on a Saturday night are becoming a familiar sight, but we don't yet understand how it will affect the numbers of people with dementia."

"As drinking habits change, it is vital we understand more about the relationship between alcohol and this devastating condition."

The research authors, Dr Susham Gupta and Dr James Warner, comment: "Given the neurotoxic effects of alcohol and the inexorable increase in per capita consumption, future generations may see a disproportionate increase in alcohol-related dementia."

News: This is the age of paranoia, scientists say - Telegraph

Who are you calling paranoid? One in four of us regularly has paranoid thoughts, according to research from the Institute of Psychiatry. The Telegraph (20 October 2008) article quotes Dr Daniel Freeman from King's College London: "Social isolation, a frequent drawback to urban life, is closely associated with paranoid thoughts. In the UK nearly four times as many people live alone than 50 years ago. Increasing paranoia is certainly one more challenge posed by galloping urbanisation."

News: Long-term psychotherapy is superior, study finds - Los Angeles Times

Long-term psychotherapy is more effective than short-term therapy when treating complicated conditions, according to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (1 October 2008).

The LA Times (30 September 2008) quotes the JAMA editor, Richard M. Glass, who comments upon the the report's positive findings: "It is ironic and disturbing that this occurs at a time when provision of psychotherapy by psychiatrists in the United States is declining significantly. The reasons for this merit careful evaluation. To some extent this may reflect the cost-efficacy of treatments for some mental disorders with medications and brief supportive visits. However, this trend appears to be strongly related to financial incentives and other pressures to minimize costs. Is this what is really wanted for patients with disabling disorders that could respond to more intensive treatment?"

His point is well made.

News: The therapist will ring you now - Los Angeles Times

This LA Times article (22 September 2008) refers to a study from Northwestern University which found that people with depression continued seeing their telephone counsellor for longer than those who consulted an office-based therapist.

The study's author, David Mohr, comments that only 20% of those people who say they want therapy actually turn up and 50% drop out of treatment: "One of the symptoms of depression is people lose motivation. It's hard for them to do the things they are supposed to do. Showing up for appointments is one of those things."

It's not clear from this article whether the study measures efficacy. The fact that people remained with treatment for longer via telephone does not necessarily equate with clinical effectiveness of course, although it's interesting to see how the therapy world is changing to accommodate client need.

News: A quick fix for the soul - Guardian

Darian Leader writes an interesting piece for the The Guardian (9/9/08) about the UK government's concentration on cognitive behavioural therapy.

He writes: "Unlike CBT, traditional therapies do not aim to give access to a common, scientific reality but to take the patient's own reality seriously: to explore it, to define it, to elaborate it and to see where it will go. No outcome can be predicted in advance: the patient may go back to work but equally they may give up a well-paid job to pursue another path."

News: Older fathers linked with bipolar - BBC News

A Swedish study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry (Vol. 65, No. 9, September 2008) suggests a link between paternal age and bipolar disorder (BPD).

Older fathers are more likely to have children with BPD than younger fathers.

The study prompts a news item on the BBC News website (1 September 2008). BPD affects half a million people in the United Kingdom.

News: Medical trials explore benefits of hallucinogenic drugs to patients with terminal illnesses - Guardian

Scientists in Switzerland are exploring how psychedelic drugs may be used to treat the likes of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression. The Guardian (12 August 2008) report provides an interesting video clip from Pamela Sakuda who took part in another study, where people with terminal illness were given psilocybin, a chemical substance found in magic mushrooms.

Vanda Taylor of Cancer Research UK is quoted in the Daily Mail: "Research into the use of a variety of drugs to help with pain, anxiety and quality of life, may lead to better treatments and help patients cope better with their illness."

www.therapyme.com

News: Move over Freud: Psychiatrists embrace pill power - Reuters

Could financial considerations be getting in the way of appropriate psychiatric care? Office-based psychiatrists in the United States are increasingly turning to pills for a quick fix replacement for psychotherapy, according to research published in the Archives of General Psychiatry (and reported by Reuters, 4 August 2008 and the LA Times, 5 August 2008).

Comparing the percentage of patients who received psychotherapy in 2004-2005 and 1996-1997, researchers discovered a fall of 15.5%.

Dr Ramin Mojtabai, of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, who conducted the research whilst at the Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, comments: "Psychiatrists get more for three, 15-minute medication management visits than for one 45 minute psychotherapy visit."

Commenting on the research, Dr Eric Plakun, of the American Psychiatric Association, voiced concerns: "I'm worried about our patients. Patients need the best help we can give them...If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail."

News: Mental illness sufferers barred from Olympics - Stuff

People suffering from mental illness are banned from entering China, according to a report on the Stuff website (7 August 2008).

In New Zealand, the Foundation for Mental Health has urged the Chinese government to change their policy.

The Foundation's chief executive, Judi Clements, comments: "The Olympic spirit is all about taking part. It is a cruel blow for sportspeople and spectators to be excluded purely because they experience mental illness, which affects around one in five people in New Zealand alone."

You can read the Foundation's press release on their website.

News: Genes for schizophrenia uncovered - BBC News

Genetic mutations may increase the likelihood of schizophrenia, according to findings from three research projects published in Nature (30/7/08) and Nature Genetics. Research suggests the risk of schizophrenia is influenced by genetic make-up although scientists believe they are a long way off from really understanding the causes of the condition.

The BBC report (30/7/08) quotes Professor Michael O'Donovan of Cardiff University School of Medicine: "It's very dangerous to say never, but to me, there are so many genes involved, that the idea of predicting whether someone will develop schizophrenia doesn't seem to me very likely."

Quoted also in The Independent (31/7/08), Professor O'Donovan comments: "These findings are impressive leaps towards understanding the origins of schizophrenia. But since only a small amount of the genetic risk of schizophrenia has been accounted for, they are not ready to be applied to genetic testing, an area that has seen fierce controversy as a number of biotech companies have begun offering genetic tests for psychiatric disorders."

www.therapyme.com

News: National schizophrenia awareness week launched - Irish Times

Access to talking therapies should be improved in Ireland, says John Saunders, director of Schizophrenia Ireland.

He tells the Irish Times (22/7/08) that provision for counselling and psychotherapy across the country is inconsistent.

Launching National Schizophrenia Awareness Week, John Saunders comments: "The demand for psychological and social therapies and the evidence for their effectiveness has been growing in recent years, and the consensus among users and service providers is that they should be regarded as a routine component of basic mental healthcare services."

News: Therapy requires the right type of regulation - Times Online

A recent article in The Times about the UK government's intention to regulate the psychotherapy and counselling industry provokes contributions to the letters page (18/7/08).

Andrew Samuels, of the Centre for Psychoanalytic Studies at Essex University, says it's time for the government to rethink how it conducts its review.

He concedes that psychotherapists may have brought this on themselves: "We psychotherapists probably do have ourselves to blame for not presenting ourselves well. Caught between unnecessary mystification and bogus science, ravaged by ideological splits and the narcissism of small differences, a profession seemingly open to anyone to practise — it can seem to those who don’t follow these things closely that it has become only too necessary for the Government to act. But the total shambles of the exercises being carried out by Skills for Health and the Health Professions Council mean that it is timely to call a halt."

News: MPs reveal mental health problems - BBC News

Nearly one-fifth of UK MPs have experienced some form of mental health problem, according to a survey published by the All-Party Parliamentary Group of Mental Health.

Widely reported in the press today (16/7/08), this piece on the BBC website quotes joint chairman and Liberal Democrat MP Sandra Gidley: "Greater openness at Westminster about mental health problems would have a significant impact in challenging stigma and discrimination.

"When the former Norwegian prime minister Kjell Magne Bondevik publicly disclosed his experience of depression, it did not affect his popularity.

"He went on to be re-elected and proved that people who have experienced mental health problems can recover and manage a challenging job."

News: Can you regulate psychotherapy? - Times

Andrew Billen for The Times (15/7/08) looks at the UK government's plans to regulate psychotherapy.

The clamour of comment from the industry suggests an uneasy ride towards regulation.

News: Giving up alcohol can lead to depression - Telegraph

Abruptly giving up alcohol may be linked to depression, according to a study from the University of North Carolina.

Lucy Cockroft's piece in the Telegraph (10 July 2008) quotes Professor Clyde Hodge: "Our work establishes a link between abstinence from alcohol drinking and depression. In mice that voluntarily drank alcohol for 28 days, depression-like behaviour was evident 14 days after termination of alcohol drinking.

"This suggests that people who stop drinking may experience negative mood states days or weeks after the alcohol has cleared their systems. This research provides the first evidence that long-term abstinence from moderate alcohol drinking leads to a negative mood state, depression."

The academic study - Abstinence following Alcohol Drinking Produces Depression-Like Behavior and Reduced Hippocampal Neurogenesis in Mice - can be found on nature.com.

An easier read can be found on the NHS Choices site.

News: The pursuit of happiness: it's good to talk... or is it? - Independent

The Independent (8 July 2008) reports on the conference of the World Association for Person Centred and Experiential Psychotherapy and Counselling held at the University of East Anglia earlier this week.

The UK government's support of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) over other forms of therapy received criticism.

Professor Mick Cooper, from the University of Strathclyde, released a statement on behalf a group of therapists: "It is scientifically irresponsible to continue to imply and act as though CBT is more effective, as has been done in justifying the expenditure of £173m to train CBT therapists throughout England. Such claims harm the public by restricting patient choice and discourage some psychologically distressed people from seeking treatment. We urge our CBT colleagues and Government officials to refrain from acting on this harmful myth and to broaden the scope of access to include other effective forms of psychotherapy and counselling."

CBT is certainly the flavour of the day as far as government policy is concerned, with UK Health Secretary, Alan Johnson, promising an extra 3,600 CBT therapists from 2010. CBT therapy tends to be short term with the emphasis on changing negative thoughts and behaviour.

Many psychotherapists and counsellors recognise the effectiveness of CBT for addressing specific problems but are concerned about its limited scope.

The UK government's increased funding for psychological services is welcomed but does the concentration on CBT rob clients of longer-term gains through other forms of therapy?

See also the Independent leader piece.

News: Skunk 'psychosis risk' warning - BBC News

A study of 300 people found that those who suffered an episode of psychosis were 18 times more likely to have used skunk rather than other users of cannabis.

Dr Maria Di Forte of the Institute of Psychiatry, London, conducted the study. She comments: "We should take a cannabis history in a more detailed way like we do when we take a history of cigarette smoking to establish risk of lung cancer. But it would be naive to say that smoking a joint is safe as we do not have enough data to reach such conclusion."

Skunk is three times stronger than other types of cannabis. Other research points to the possibility of a link between schizophrenia and cannabis use.

The BBC News piece (2 July 2008) quotes Richard Colwill from SANE, the mental health charity: "We have daily evidence that it can trigger frightening psychotic episodes, relapse, and in some cases a life-long mental condition such as schizophrenia."

News: Psychiatric patients 'feel lost and unsafe' - The Observer

The comments of Professor Dinesh Bhurga, the new president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, have provoked a stream of articles in The Observer (29 June 2008).

Many in-patient units are overcrowded, uninhabitable and unsafe he says: "I would not use them and neither would I let any of my relatives do so."

"You don't go into hospital to get hurt, but that's what's happening. There are too many wards that are not safe, which is the one thing these most vulnerable of people should be able to rely on them to be. We would not accept these conditions, any of these conditions, in surgical wards so why is it happening in psychiatric wards?"

Other articles worth a read in The Observer today include:

* The mental health units that shame the NHS
* Mental illness must be taken from the shadows (Editorial)
* 'I decided I'd rather die than go back into that ward' (Personal account)
* 'People need a feeling of safety in their place of refuge' (Interview with Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of mental health charity, Sane)

News: Antenatal blues 'hit development' - BBC News

Children born to women who have experienced depression during pregnancy face an increased chance of delays in their cognitive development, according to research from Bristol University and the University of West England.

The BBC News (26 June 2008) site quotes Dr Toity Deave of the University of West England: "The most important finding is that maternal antenatal depression has a negative impact on children's cognitive development, even when postnatal depression has been taken into account."

In the Daily Mail, Professor Philip Steer, the editor in chief of the International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, comments: "Maternal depression has a significant impact on women and their families. It is essential for doctors, midwives and other healthcare professionals to play an active role in assessing and identifying it."

News: Net addicts skip meals and sex in favour of porn and games - Pink News

Addicted to the net? You're not the only one. This piece in Pink News (23 June 2008) reports on a recent article in the American Journal of Psychiatry, where Dr Jerald Block, of Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, says adults are becoming addicted to using the web: "It's much more acceptable for kids to talk about game use, whereas adults keep it a secret. Rather than having sex, or arguing with their wife or husband, or feeding their children, these adults are playing games.

"They exhaust emotions that they could experience in the real world on the computer through any number of mechanisms: emailing, gaming, porn."

News: Dr Raj Persaud: from populist psychiatrist to plagiarist - Telegraph

How quickly the media swarm spots a fallen soul. This article in the Telegraph (20 June 2008) explores Dr Raj Persaud's recent fall from grace "from populist psychiatrist to palgiarist".

News: Depression rife among family home carers - Herald Sun

This piece in the Herald Sun (17 June 2008) reports on the Australian Institute of Family Studies research which suggests that many home carers are suffering from depression.

The Australian Government's Families Minister, Jenny Macklin is concerned that home carers could be "permanently marginalised" due to social isolation.

News: Media doctor admits to plagiarism - BBC News

UK psychiatrist and broadcaster Raj Persaud has admitted plagiarising other people's work but he denies bringing his profession into disrepute, BBC News reports (16 June 2008).

The psychiatrist, who made a name for himself in the public eye on programmes like Richard and Judy, has faced accusations of plagiarism before.

The General Medical Council in Manchester hold regular fitness to practise hearings. A statement on their website reads: "The Panel will inquire into the allegation that Dr Persaud, whilst working as a Consultant Psychiatrist for the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust and holding an honorary post as a senior lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College, University if London, published a book which contained passages which were plagiarised from various sources.

"Further, it is alleged that Dr Persaud submitted a number of articles, portions of which were not his own work, copied and reproduced from other sources. It is alleged that Dr Persaud’s actions were inappropriate, misleading, dishonest and liable to bring the profession into disrepute."

The Times (17 June 2008) also cover this story.

News: Ruby Wax the shrink will see you now - The Times

Ruby Wax, "the scarlet-lipped smartass", is interviewed in The Times (15 June 2008) about her new project, Ruby's Room, part of an online BBC series of films about mental health.

Ruby has been training to become a psychotherapist. In the piece she is asked about the difference between American and British neurosis. She comments: "The British don’t talk about them,” she says . “It’s a combination of anal retention and the stiff upper lip. Funny, they are both orifices. The British are in full denial of the fact that anything can be wrong."

News: Counselling should not be used immediately after traumatic events - The Times

It's good to talk but should counselling really be regarded as an emergency service? This article in The Times (9 June 2008) by Penny Wark intelligently reviews the assumption that therapy should be the first port of call after a disaster occurs.

Phillip Hodson from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy is quoted in the piece: "Life is full of unavoidable unhappiness and if you think that you should be in a permanent state of euphoria, you have misread the dictionary. Being blue is not a reason to seek help. Probably one of the biggest errors the therapy movement made was to support uncritical trauma counselling in the past.

"[Counselling is] a reflective process, not an emergency service. You can't counsel someone who's raving or in extreme distress; you have to access not only empathy and emotion, but also reason. Counselling is more than dealing with immediate disaster."

Well worth a read. Also take a look at the BBC News story about the University of Buffalo research which prompted the piece.

News: 70 years later, Freud gets therapy college in Vienna - International Herald Tribune

The Sigmund Freud University in Vienna claims to be the first university in the world to offer a psychotherapy degree, reports the International Herald Tribute (4 June 2008).

Alfred Pritz founder of the university says: "We're the first university worldwide to offer a complete psychotherapy degree, which Freud wrote about in 1928 as his great dream. We're realizing that now."

News: 'Gay counselling' call rejected - BBC News

Iris Robinson, chair of the Stormont health committee in Northern Ireland, gets into a spot of bother following a local radio interview, BBC News reports (6 June 2008).

Her comments in an interview on BBC Radio Ulster appeared to be suggesting that gay people could receive counselling to 'turn them round'. The piece includes a link to an audio clip, where she says: "I have a very lovely psychiatrist who works with me in my offices and his Christian background is that he tries to help homosexuals - trying to turn away from what they are engaged in. I'm happy to put any homosexual in touch with this gentleman and I have met people who have turned around and become heterosexuals."

The Royal College of Psychiatrists were quick to release a press statement: "The Royal College of Psychiatrists holds the view that lesbian, gay and bisexual people should be regarded as valued members of society who have exactly similar rights and responsibilities as all other citizens. This includes equal access to health care, the rights and responsibilities involved in a civil partnership, the rights and responsibilities involved in procreating and bringing up children, freedom to practice a religion as a lay person or religious leader, freedom from harassment or discrimination in any sphere and a right to protection from therapies that are potentially damaging, particularly those that purport to change sexual orientation.

"In 1973 the American Psychiatric Association concluded there was no scientific evidence that homosexuality was a disorder and removed it from its diagnostic glossary of mental disorders. The International Classification of Diseases of the World Health Organisation followed suit in 1992.

"There is now a large body of research evidence that indicates that being gay, lesbian or bisexual is compatible with normal mental health and social adjustment. However, the experiences of discrimination in society and possible rejection by friends, families and others, such as employers, means that some lesbian, gay and bisexual people experience a greater than expected prevalence of mental health and substance misuse problems.

"Although there have been claims by conservative political groups in the USA that this higher prevalence of mental health difficulties is confirmation that homosexuality is itself a mental disorder, there is no evidence whatever to substantiate such a claim."

News: Sister fears for troubled Gazza - BBC News

Former England footballer, Paul Gascoigne, has been sectioned under the Mental Health Act, the BBC News reports (4 June 2008).

His sister, Anna Gascoigne, is quoted in the piece: "He's been drinking, I believe, to escape, to get away, and it's been a vicious circle. I have feared for his life, especially I would say the last couple of weeks.

"It had literally gotten to the point where I was having to be with him constantly, to the point where I was taking him to hospital because I believed that he needed help."

Anna Gascoigne talked to ITV News and told them about her concern for his "dangerous mix" of depression and addiction.

News: Therapy for terrorists won't extinguish the hate - Telegraph

Jan Moir writes in the Telegraph about the UK Home Office's £12.5 million investment in counselling services "in an attempt to stop extremism spreading".

It's a comment piece rather than a news article so the tone is pretty emphatic: "Offering counselling to religious fanatics is like putting a sticking plaster on a brain tumour."

News: People With ADHD Do One Month's Less Work Per Year, Study Finds - Science Daily

More than 7,000 workers were screened for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for the WHO World Mental Health Survey. This article in Science Daily (28 May 2008) reports on the research findings: 3.5 per cent had an ADHD diagnosis. People with ADHD worked 22.1 less days than those people without ADHD.

This story is also covered by the BBC. In response to the research findings, Professor Philip Asherson, of the Institute of Psychiatry in London, said: "It's important that ADHD isn't stigmatised as many people with the condition can hold down jobs, or may be particularly good at certain tasks."

News: Peer group pressure is what ultimately forces people to quit smoking, say US researchers - ABC Australia

Did you know it's World No Tobacco Day on Saturday (31 May 2008)?

Giving up addictions, whether it's alcohol, drugs or tobacco is never easy.

Researchers at Harvard University have found that peer group pressure, from friends, family and work colleagues helps smokers who want to stop. This article on the ABC website explores how group support (and pressure) helps smokers give up.

For more in-depth coverage of this report, try the New York Times.

The Harvard University Gazette Online is worth a read too. The title of David Cameron's piece sums it up nicely: Smoking is addictive, quitting is contagious.

News: Mental health bill 'will spiral' - BBC News

Mental health costs in the UK are due to 'spiral' according to a report from the King's Fund. This BBC story quotes Niall Dickson of the King's Fund: "The fact that we are living longer is cause for celebration, but it will mean that the health and social care systems will have to cope with a dramatic increase in the number of people suffering from dementia."

The Paying the Price research reveals that mental illness in England cost £50 billion in 2007.

Co-author of the report, Professor Martin Knapp, is quoted on the King's Fund website: "We found that paying for more people to be treated would create net savings as reductions in lost employment costs would outweigh treatment costs. With a third of adults with depression and a half with anxiety disorders not in touch with services there is significant potential to treat more people with those illnesses and make savings because of the boost to the workforce. The problem is that the costs of care fall largely to the health service whereas the economic benefits mostly accrue elsewhere - to employers, the taxman, the benefits system and the criminal justice system. The government, the NHS, social services and employers need to extend efforts to help people with mental health needs who are of working age but not in employment to get back to work."

News: 'I've got kids who sleep with knives under their pillows' - Independent

The Independent interview Camila Batmanghelidjh about Kids Company, an organisation she set up to offer practical and emotional support to vulnerable inner city children.

As news of yet another killing in London hits the headlines, this piece makes salutary reading.

Batmanghelidjh tells the Independent: "The most dangerous children are those who have experienced violence first-hand, behind closed doors. Other children, who have been well cared-for at home, can come across these very violent children and have to mimic their behaviour to protect themselves from it. It's those children who are more likely to be influenced by violence in films, video games and rap music."

"The fundamental issue is how much quality attachment you had to a parent figure as a child. If you have had good care as a child, you can survive almost anything. Emotional deprivation is a lethal weapon."

Batmanghelidjh has used her psychotherapy and counselling training to provide a much-needed resource for vulnerable children in London.

You can find out more about Kids Company by visiting their website.

News: Experts now push for counselling of chaos victims - NationMedia

Victims of Kenya's post election violence should be given counselling, according to Dr Gladys Mwiti, CEO of Oasis Africa. As people return to their homes, where they witnessed horrendous scenes of violence, they may need support to cope with after effects of trauma. "If all these people are not assisted to heal, the hatred witnessed in January could be rekindled. That is why providing food for the body and ignoring the soul for emotional healing is not wholly helpful," she told NationMedia.

News: Soldiers with combat experience wanted as counsellors and therapists - Canadian Press

The Canadian Defence Department is launching a pilot scheme to encourage soldiers to take up 'mental-health counselling' the Canadian Press reports (23 May 2008).

The Canadian government has allocated $98 million to improve post-traumatic care for soldiers returning from the battlefields of Afghanistan.

News: Boffins sound exam cheat warning on brain enhancing pills - The Register

The Brain Science, Addiction and Drugs report from the Academy of Medical Sciences has been covered by most of the UK papers today (22/5/08).

Professor Sir Gabriel Horn warns: "The use of psychoactive drugs by patients and healthy individuals will become an increasing feature in all our lives. Society must be prepared to respond to these developments. We must act now to harness the opportunities offered by advances in brain science to treat and prevent disease, but also to reduce the harms associated with drug misuse and addiction."

Links: The Register, BBC News, Guardian

News: China sends 800,000 counselling books to child quake survivors - China View

The China View site reports (20 May 2008) on the Chinese government's actions to help those affected by last week's devastating earthquake in Sichuan, which resulted in the death of more than 40,000 people. Five million people have been left homeless following the quake.

News: Boozed-up boy, ten, is given drink counselling - Evening News

A ten-year-old boy has been referred for counselling after being picked up by police in South Edinburgh, the Evening News reports (20 May 2008).

Police have been working with the NCH children's charity to help children who have become habitual alcohol users.

Ian Murray, from the local council, is quoted as saying: "The referral system has been hugely successful, and it's good that the police are doing something about this. But a ten-year-old [being referred] is utterly extraordinary – this child will have gone to alcohol counselling, which is severe. It's a worry for everyone, but these are the extreme cases. There is still an issue with underage drinking in south Edinburgh. The vast majority of youngsters who drink get their alcohol from off-licences, get someone to buy them it, or get it from their parents."

News: Silvio Berlusconi 'needs counselling over his bad attitude to women' - Telegraph

Spanish equality minister Bibiana Aido offers advice to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, as reported in the Telegraph (20 May 2008). Berlusconi had previously commented that the Spanish government was 'too pink' with nine women appointed to cabinet roles.

News: Victims of rape turn to web for help - ABC News

Emily Friedman, for ABC News, reports on the increasing number of women turning to the web for support when they have suffered a sexual assault. Young women who have been raped are looking for online support says the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN).

The news story, also featured in USA Today, highlights RAINN's new online support line.

Scott Berkowitz, president of RAINN, comments: "The National Sexual Assault Online Hotline provides the services these young victims need, using the technology they embrace. The Online Hotline provides a safe way to begin recovery by using extensive security measures to guarantee that the visitor remains completely anonymous."

News: 'Stiff upper lip' culture blamed as British men top Euro depression league - Mail on Sunday

This news piece in the Mail on Sunday (1 May 2008) marks the publication of a study in the British Journal of Psychiatry that found that men are most likely to suffer depression between the ages of 30 and 50, and panic attacks most frequently occur between the ages of 40 and 50. Males in the UK were more likely to experience depression and panic attacks than in the five other countries included in the study.

News: Why men are telling wives 'not tonight' - The Observer

Marriage counsellors from Relate report a 40% increase in men who say they can't be bothered to have sex. Although a headline grabber, this news piece in The Observer (4 May 2008) doesn't explore in depth why this situation has occurred. Professor Michael King of the Royal Free and University College Medical School in London says the reported drop in male libido could be due to depression. Professor Cary Cooper at Lancaster University says men "are less emotionally intelligent than women" and they have less social support to be able to work through emotional difficulties.

News: Why are women better than men at dealing with redundancy? - The Guardian

In these unsettled economic times following the so-called 'credit crunch', it's likely that some firms will be laying people off. In this article in the Guardian (19 April 2008), Laura Marcus reviews a piece of research conducted a few years ago, which suggested that women are better than men at coping with redundancy.

Philip Hodson of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy is quoted in the piece: "It is a generalisation, and many women are breadwinners, but I do think more often than not a man's career is central to his identity. Men are more invested in work status - perks, cars, titles, privileges - so losing these things can be devastating."

Our work and personal identities are not conveniently separate entities even though they may feel like two different worlds. Redundancy and other 'life shock' events can throw us off course, leaving us feeling vulnerable and rudderless.

There's an old article on the BBC website called Coping With Redundancy, which may be worth a read.

News: Teens using marijuana to 'self medicate' for depression risk more serious mental illness - ONDCP

On Wednesday, 9 May 2008, the US Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) published its report on teenage marijuana use.

The press release makes gloomy reading:

"The new report, "Teen Marijuana Use Worsens Depression: An Analysis of Recent Data Shows 'Self-Medicating' Could Actually Make Things Worse," shows the following:

* Teens who smoke marijuana at least once a month are three times more likely to have suicidal thoughts than non-users;
* Using marijuana can cause depression and other mental illnesses;
* The percentage of depressed teens is equal to the percentage of depressed adults, but depressed teens are more likely than depressed adults to use marijuana and other illicit drugs;
* Teen girls who use marijuana daily are more likely to develop depression than girls who do not use marijuana;
* Depressed teens are also more likely than non-depressed teens to engage in other risky behaviors such as daily cigarette use and heavy alcohol use."

The Talk to Frank website is a good UK resource with lots of background information about the effects and risks of drug use.

News: Can talking make you better - New Statesman

Simon Wessely, of the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London, writes about the UK Government's 'therapy of choice', CBT. This article in the New Statesman suggests that 'CBT does not cure cancer, schizophrenia or arthritis, but it does improve mood, coping and quality of life.'

He comments that there is a good evidence base for supporting the use of CBT. Of course, other talking therapies, that take a more holistic approach, don't tend to favour the randomised controlled trials approach, which has its roots (some would argue) in the commercial considerations of the pharmaceutical industry. Within the psychotherapy community, there is a preponderance of heated discussions about the efficacy of one type of therapy over another.

News: Talk Therapy Proves Effective for Terminal Cancer Patients - Washington Post

This Washington Post article is about research suggesting that talking therapy is effective in treating depression in patients with terminal cancer. Japanese researchers consulted six studies featuring interviews with 517 patients.

News: Ecstasy is the key to treating PTSD - Times Online

An interesting news feature from The Times about how a South Carolina psychiatrist is using the club drug, Ecstacy, to help people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. For a more academic treatment about the possible therapeutic use of MDMA, see AC Parrot's work Psychopharmacology.

News: Banks urged to ease debt worries of people with mental health problems - Society Guardian

Mental health charity, Mind, surveyed 1,800 people about the impact of financial worries on their mental health. A good overview of this research has been written by Society Guardian journalist, Mary O'Hara. The Mind report reveals that people with mental health problems are three times more like to be in debt compared to the national average. You can see more about the In the Red report on the Mind website.

News: Rise of a treatment that works

This article in the Guardian explores the UK Government's plans to improve access to psychological therapy within the NHS. With a bias on promoting cognitive behavioural therapy, there is much debate amongst psychotherapy and counselling professionals about whether the plans are well formed.

News: Does sex addiction exist?

Addictive behaviours can ruin lives. This magazine piece on the BBC website makes interesting reading.

News: 1 in 12 American Teens May Suffer from Depression

Concerning statistics about teen depression in America have just been published - see PsychCentral. In the UK we have 11 million children with an estimated 1.1 million children experiencing mental health issues according to the Office of National Statistics. Did you know that 80% of youngsters who display behavioural problems by the age of five go on to develop other anti-social behaviours as adults.

News: Sick days in the UK costs billions of pounds

This survey from the CBI reveals that companies are paying out on average £476 per employee for sick days. Public sector workers take more sick days than private sector workers. Bare-bones research like this hides the real human story of how work stress is affecting us all.

News: Ex-Monty Python John Cleese's divorce 'worth every penny'

This news item in the Telegraph highlights some of the obvious costs to divorce, which John Cleese typically greets with humour. Emotionally divorce presents a huge life change for both parties, leading to a sense of new-found freedom for some and deep loneliness for others. Therapy can be useful in negotiating this transition.