Monday 21 December 2015

Study: Self-injury in young people is a gateway to suicide ByTed Boscia


Overall, findings support the idea that NSSI may serve as a “gateway” for concurrent or later STB and more serious SB and underscore the need for early NSSI response and intervention. NSSI is rarely cited in empirical suicide research as a notable STB risk factor and is often dismissed as adolescent attention seeking behavior of generally low concern when unaccompanied by other clinical markers [3,9,11]. Including NSSI assessments as part of routine medical and health screenings in adolescent and young adult populations may be one way to identify young people at risk for STB. It also reinforces the call for STB assessment when NSSI is present [3,5] and for periodic STB assessment even for individuals who have tested negative for STB in the past or who are not currently engaging in NSSI.


http://www.selfinjury.bctr.cornell.edu/perch/resources/gateway.pdf

Majority of students experience mental health issues, says NUS survey

The survey, released as MPs meet to discuss student mental health, also shows 54% don’t seek help

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/dec/14/majority-of-students-experience-mental-health-issues-says-nus-survey

Why the stigma of suicide hurts so much

Tim Lott - The Guardian

"At the start of the inquest into the death of his daughter Anna this week,Michael Mansfield announced the launch of a new forum, SOS – Silence on Suicide – aiming to reduce the stigma of suicide and suicidal feelings. Mansfield’s initiative deserves wholehearted support. Because more than 50 years after it was taken off the statute books as a crime, suicide is still a matter for shame – as is depression itself."

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/dec/16/men-stigma-suicide-michael-mansfield

Tuesday 15 December 2015

"YouthNet and Get Connected to merge and create UK’s largest multi-channel support charity for 16-25 year olds"

"The proposed merger will combine YouthNet’s extensive digital reach and Get Connected’s telephone helpline to create the UK’s largest multi-channel support charity for 16-25 year olds. The new charity will offer multi-issue support with a particular focus on mental wellbeing and creating opportunities through volunteering.
Both YouthNet and Get Connected are committed to providing support to young people under 25, whatever their issue and whenever they need they help. They share common values around the importance of holistic advice and peer support."

http://www.youthnet.org/2015/11/youthnet-and-get-connected-to-merge-and-create-uks-largest-multi-channel-support-charity-for-16-25-year-olds/

Monday 14 December 2015

Is the Effectiveness of CBT Fading? by James Pretzer


"A recent meta-analysis published under the provocative title “The Effects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as an Anti-Depressive Treatment is Falling: A Meta-Analysis” (Johnsen & Friborg, 2015) has provoked considerable discussion (and some gloating on the Internet by those who are opposed to CBT). The authors computed the effect-sizes found in 70 studies of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for depression published between 1977 and 2014 and concluded “the effects of CBT have declined linearly and steadily since its introduction.” What’s going on here? Is CBT becoming less effective for some reason? Do we need to abandon CBT and try other ways of treating depression?"

http://behavior.net/2015/08/is-the-effectiveness-of-cbt-fading/

Copng with Self Harm -a guide For Parents and Carers


The Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford has published a guide for parents on coping with their child's self-harm which is based on their in-depth research with parents.


file:///C:/Users/Jan%20Stiff/Downloads/Coping%20with%20Self%20Harm%20Guide.pdf

Monday 23 November 2015

NHS choices:-

"Youth Mental Health" 

An information hub offereing young people advice and help on mental health problems including depression, anxiety and stress.
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/youth-mental-health/Pages/Youth-mental-health-help.aspx

Monday 16 November 2015

"Share Aware - Resources for Schools and Teachers"

The NSPCC have launched a new resource for schools and teachers - lesson plans and classroom guidance about staying safe online

This can be downloaded via the link below for free - 

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/shareaware-schools

Time Spent Online Doubles in a Decade

"Ofcom's Media Use and Attitudes 2015 report, now in its tenth year, shows that internet users aged 16 and above claimed to spend nearly 10 hours (9 hours and 54 minutes) online each week in 2005. By 2014 it had climbed to over 20 hours and 30 minutes.
The biggest increase in internet use is cited among 16-24 year olds, almost tripling from 10 hours and 24 minutes each week in 2005 to 27 hours and 36 minutes by the end of 2014.
http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/news/time-spent-online-doubles/

Monday 9 November 2015

Access Denied: A teenager's pathway through the mental health system


 From the Children's Society - "Access Denied, our first policy report on young people’s mental health, examines how vulnerable groups of young people such as victims of abuse and neglect or children in care access Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). The report makes wide-ranging recommendations to the Government and local decision-makers."



http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/what-we-do/resources-and-publications/access-denied-a-teenagers-pathway-through-the-mental-health

Thursday 5 November 2015

Old Enough to Know Better? - Report from the Children's Society

Sixteen is the legal age of consent to sexual activity. Although many laws declare that any person under the age of 18 is a child, the law protecting children from sexual crimes does not provide young people age 16 and 17 the same level of protection as younger children.
Our report examines why older teenagers are particularly at risk of child sexual exploitation, what can happen when a young person reveals they are being exploited and why existing protection is insufficient.



http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/old-enough-to-know-better?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=tweet&utm_campaign=parallax&utm_content=old_enough

Monday 2 November 2015

Siblings of disabled children need more support



A new joint report from Family Fund and the University of Portsmouth, ‘Do Siblings Matter Too?’, reveals the impact a disabled brother or sister has on a child or young person, showing their experience first-hand through photographs.

This report highlights a number of key themes for siblings, ranging from elements of a typical sibling relationship to issues of lack of time, experience of aggression, violence and emotional upset.


https://www.familyfund.org.uk/News/new-siblings-report

Monday 26 October 2015

TED Talk - Hilary Cottam


Social services are broken. How we can fix them - 

Relationships make the difference...

http://go.ted.com/CCVv

Thursday 22 October 2015

"Help After Suicide" - From the Bereavement Support Partnership


flowers

"Who we are - The Suicide Bereavement Support Partnership (SBSP) is the UK’s national hub for organisations and individuals working across the UK to support people who have been bereaved or affected by suicide, and we host this website"
http://www.supportaftersuicide.org.uk/support/


Measuring Mental Health and Wellbeing in Young People

"A guide to measuring the mental wellbeing of younger populations for public health commissioners."

http://www.yhpho.org.uk/resource/view.aspx?RID=213417

Monday 6 July 2015

Abused Emojis keyboard

Abused Emojis keyboard for iPhone helps kids talk about battering, bullying and dark feelings


http://thenextweb.com/apps/2015/05/22/abused-emojis-keyboard-for-iphone-helps-kids-talk-about-battering-bullying-and-dark-feelings/

Friday 19 June 2015

A new App from Young and Well

http://www.youngandwellcrc.org.au/researchers-identify-new-behaviour-change-techniques-in-appreciate-a-mate/?utm_content=buffere8c14&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Thursday 26 March 2015

Why do Teenagers go missing?


By the "Teenage Whisperer" - Sam Ross


Going AWOL: reasons, prevention & return


If there’s one thing that troubled teens do well, it is going AWOL- disappearing without trace, no note, no message, no nothing. They fall off the radar for a while, but usually they pop up again, maybe a day, a week or even later, often by being found by the police, turning up at a relative’s or returning of their own volition.

Read more here - 
http://www.teenagewhisperer.co.uk/going-awol-reasons-prevention-return/?utm_source=Teenage+Whisperer+Newsletter&utm_campaign=11d73a0fc1-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8b697e7648-11d73a0fc1-330182985

Tuesday 17 February 2015

WHY RETELL TRAUMA STORIES?


Many parents and mental health professionals avoid talking with children
about their prior traumas, fearing that such discussions will cause more pain
and reinforce the trauma. Conversely, when children share their stories within
a context of attunement, support, and safety, while developing a coherent and
sensible narrative, they can face their fears and pain, and begin to heal the
trauma. There are a number of reasons why communicating one’s story is
therapeutic.


https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-retell-trauma-stories-terry-levy-ph-d-b-c-f-e-

Monday 16 February 2015

Number of children in A&E suffering from mental health problems doubles -


The revelation comes after a Mirror investigation exposed the crisis, leading to experts issuing an "alarm call"

http://ow.ly/J7rwl

Monday 9 February 2015

Sleep and use of electronic devices in adolescence: results from a large population-based study

Objectives Adolescents spend increasingly more time on electronic devices, and sleep deficiency rising in adolescents constitutes a major public health concern. The aim of the present study was to investigate daytime screen use and use of electronic devices before bedtime in relation to sleep. 

Conclusions Use of electronic devices is frequent in adolescence, during the day as well as at bedtime. The results demonstrate a negative relation between use of technology and sleep, suggesting that recommendations on healthy media use could include restrictions on electronic devices. 

http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/5/1/e006748.long

Mobile Application Rating Scale Training Module

“The Mobile Application Rating Scale is an excellent addition to the new body of evidence and practical resources we are creating at the Young and Well CRC, which explores how new and emerging technologies can improve the mental heath and wellbeing of young people,” said Young and Well CRC CEO, Associate Professor Jane Burns.
“The MARS will be a comfort to parents and professionals in making informed choices about the use of apps.”
Associate Professor Leanne Hides, who led the project, said, “The MARS is a game-changer for our modern, app-centric lives. Researchers and app developers will benefit from having a reliable tool to help them create high quality apps. It will also increase the confidence of young people and their parents’ of the reliability and accuracy of the apps they are using.”
- See more at: http://www.youngandwellcrc.org.au/mobile-application-rating-scale-mars-new-tool-assessing-quality-health-apps/#sthash.VU5EKpvi.dpuf
“The Mobile Application Rating Scale is an excellent addition to the new body of evidence and practical resources we are creating at the Young and Well CRC, which explores how new and emerging technologies can improve the mental heath and wellbeing of young people,” said Young and Well CRC CEO, Associate Professor Jane Burns.
“The MARS will be a comfort to parents and professionals in making informed choices about the use of apps.”
Associate Professor Leanne Hides, who led the project, said, “The MARS is a game-changer for our modern, app-centric lives. Researchers and app developers will benefit from having a reliable tool to help them create high quality apps. It will also increase the confidence of young people and their parents’ of the reliability and accuracy of the apps they are using.”
- See more at: http://www.youngandwellcrc.org.au/mobile-application-rating-scale-mars-new-tool-assessing-quality-health-apps/#sthash.VU5EKpvi.dpuf

The mobile application rating scale is a new tool for assessing the quality of health apps  

"The MARS will be a comfort to parents and professionals in making informed choices about the use of apps"
More than 1 million mobile applications (apps) are available to smartphone users, with the ‘health & fitness’ and ‘medical’ app categories in the Apple app store ranked at 11 and 18 in popularity respectively. But with the rapid proliferation of smartphone apps, and little to no research to indicate their effectiveness, how can we as users, health professionals, and researchers trust the quality of information and guidance they are providing? - See more at: http://www.youngandwellcrc.org.au/mobile-application-rating-scale-mars-new-tool-assessing-quality-health-apps/#sthash.VU5EKpvi.dpuf
“The Mobile Application Rating Scale is an excellent addition to the new body of evidence and practical resources we are creating at the Young and Well CRC, which explores how new and emerging technologies can improve the mental heath and wellbeing of young people,” said Young and Well CRC CEO, Associate Professor Jane Burns.
“The MARS will be a comfort to parents and professionals in making informed choices about the use of apps.”
Associate Professor Leanne Hides, who led the project, said, “The MARS is a game-changer for our modern, app-centric lives. Researchers and app developers will benefit from having a reliable tool to help them create high quality apps. It will also increase the confidence of young people and their parents’ of the reliability and accuracy of the apps they are using.”
- See more at: http://www.youngandwellcrc.org.au/mobile-application-rating-scale-mars-new-tool-assessing-quality-health-apps/#sthash.VU5EKpvi.dpuf
 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnqaT8j--k62o9fuFsumYKJzLVfiASMnP

Thursday 8 January 2015

Online Counselling


Online counselling: It is getting easier for students to seek help

The case for using online counselling services as an additional fixture is strong. Considering the fact that Generation Y are digital natives, offering an online counselling service that enables students to get help as and when they want it is an appealing option. Kirsten, a past BA and MA student at The University of Liverpool said that partaking in sessions via online mediums such as email and instant messaging would encourage students to seek help, so long as it was ‘proven to be as private and secure as face-to-face counselling.’

http://www.independent.co.uk/student/student-life/online-counselling-it-is-getting-easier-for-students-to-seek-help-9958702.html