WebCoder.com  
 
SITE SEARCH ENGINE  
 
HOMEPAGE
 
BRIEF DETAILS FOR PRINTING
 
TREATMENTS EXPLAINED
 
OTHER SERVICES
 
FEES AND REFERRALS
 
CONSULTANT INFORMATION
 
CONSULTING ROOMS
 
AREA MAP LOCATIONS
 
EMAIL now
 
MENTAL HEALTH INFORMATION
 
OTHER HELPLINE ADDRESSES
 
PRINTED PAMPHLETS
 
LINKS PAGE
 
NEWS AND FEATURES
 
FEEDBACK
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Recent Mental Health News: 
 
Summarised Health (largely mental health) News stories : 
 
Mental problems "hit one in four" (BBC Health)  
One in four people around the world will suffer from mental health problems at some point in their lives, according to a report from the World Health Organisation (WHO).  
It says 450 million people world-wide, currently suffering from mental or neurological illnesses, are being failed by their communities, many of which have no mental health policies in place.  
The report, "Mental Health: New Understanding, New Hope" urges governments around the world to invest more in the community care of its mental health patients rather than placing them in large institutions.  
It says depression, which is most prevalent in poorer communities, is currently the fourth most common illness in the world.  And mental health disorders are expected to rank second behind heart disease by 2020.  
 
NHS GPs 'cannot cope with mentally ill' (BBC Health)  
People with mental health problems need much more support from primary care services, a report says.  
The study argues that over-stretched GP services are frequently unable to offer the level of care needed by people with mental illness.  
The report, by the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health in association with the NHS Alliance, paints a grim picture.  
It says many primary care staff lack training in mental health, and links with specialist services are often poor.  
The result is that too many mental health problems are not diagnosed properly and that some patients receive inappropriate medication. More than 90% of people with mental illnesses never have contact with specialist services, and are only ever treated in primary care.  
But research has suggested that up to half those who present themselves to a general practice with depression and other mental health problems fail to have their mental health symptoms recognised by the GP.  
 
A fifth of GPs "intend to quit"  (Surgery Door)  
One in five doctors working in general practice in England say they intend to leave the profession within the next five years, according to a study. The proportion of doctors aged under 65 intending to leave general practice within the next five years has risen from 14 per cent in 1998 to 22 per cent in 2001.  
Researchers from Manchester University, who surveyed nearly 2,000 GPs, say the increase is mainly because doctors are becoming more dissatisfied with their jobs, particularly the long working hours and high workloads, and are having problems adjusting to NHS reforms. 
 
Waiting lists rise by nearly 20,000 (Surgery Door)  
The number of patients waiting to be admitted to NHS hospitals in England has risen in the past 12 months, according to official figures, but the length of time patients are waiting has fallen.  
 
NHS Mental health services "deteriorating" (BBC Health)  
Psychiatrists say care for the mentally ill is a "Cinderella service" with insufficient funding. Seventy consultants were surveyed by the mental health charity SANE, to mark the organisation's 15th anniversary. They were asked for their views of services over the last 15 years, during which the Care in the Community programme was introduced and many of the old asylums were closed.  
Almost half said in-patient services had deteriorated. Two thirds said more funding, more staff and beds and better facilities for patients were all crucial for the improvement of mental health care.  
 
National Insurance increase (BBC Health)  
Prime Minister Tony Blair has defended the government's 1p tax increase, by insisting the hike was necessary to cut NHS waiting lists.  The penny levy on National Insurance contributions being introduced in April was a "difficult thing to do", Mr Blair acknowledged.  
The NHS was not "all perfect", he said, but it should "strive to be the best in Europe".  One way to do that was through setting waiting list targets, he said.  
 
Prozac hype "increased" depression awareness (Yahoo Health) 
The media hype surrounding Prozac® in the 1990s helped de-stigmatise depression and prompted a surge in diagnoses, but confidence in the drug's effectiveness has since diminished, according to industry analysts.  
A report from healthcare market analysts Datamonitor reveals that 22 million antidepressant prescriptions were written in the UK in 2000, up from 9 million in 1991. Although the actual level of depression in the population has stayed static, the rate of diagnosis has increased markedly, particularly among young women. 
 
Meditation may boost immune system  (Surgery Door)  
Meditation may help boost the body's immune system and produce lasting positive changes in the brain, according to the results of a study undertaken by US researchers.  
Previous studies have shown that meditation helps reduce anxiety and stress. However, a study conducted by researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison is the first to suggest that it may also have positive biological effects on the body’s ability to fight infection and disease. 
 
Autism misdiagnosis improving (BBC Health) 
The number of people identified as having Asperger's has soared in recent years as GPs and psychiatrists get better at spotting the condition in childhood.  Some 300,000 people in the UK have now been identified as sufferers. Autistic children often have little desire to interact. Children with Asperger's syndrome do want to mix, but do not have the social skills to do so effectively. 
 
"Millions hooked on alcohol" (Surgery Door)  
Around 3 million people in the UK cannot get through the day without a drink, according to new research.  
Statistics released on Tuesday (04/03/03) by the charity Alcohol Concern, reveal that this equates to 1 in 13 adults - twice the amount of people that are dependent on all other forms of illegal and illegal drugs.  
 
The figures show that the south-east is by far the worst affected region with more than 429,000 people dependent on alcohol. London comes a close second with nearly 394,000 people suffering from drink problems.  
Commenting on the findings, Eric Appleby, chief executive of Alcohol Concern, said, "The fact that over 3 million people can't get through the day without getting a fix of alcohol should surely worry all concerned."  
Alcohol dependence is also linked to mental health problems. Research has shown that around 65 per cent of suicide attempts are associated with alcohol. 
 
 
NEW FEATURES:  
Add your comment to the GuestMap click here  
Extra information on mental health treatments added  
More accurate internal Search Engine added  
Improved layout and interface (faster)  
Greater search engine optimisation (e.g Google)  
Search for a Private Hospital in the South East   
 
 
 
 
 
BACK TO TOP