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Tuesday, October 16, 2012

WHO Calls For End To Stigma On World Mental Health Day


"Wednesday (October 10th) is World Mental Health Day," VOA News reports, noting, "The World Health Organization is using the occasion to call for an end to stigma against those who suffer from depression and other mental disorders" (DeCapua, 10/9). Depression affects 350 million people worldwide, with nearly five percent of the world's population suffering from depression annually, according to Medical Daily (Tucker, 10/9). More than three-quarters of people living with mental health disorders reside in developing countries, BBC News notes, adding, "According to the World Health Organization (WHO), eight in every 10 of those living in developing nations receive no treatment at all" (Roberts, 10/10). The WHO "warns stigma is a huge problem that prevents many people from seeking help," VOA writes (10/9).

Copied from: http://kgh.preview.kff.org/Daily-Reports/2012/October/10/GH-101012-World-Mental-Health-Day.aspx

Monday, October 15, 2012

Mental Illness rarely leads to violence

Here's a short 2 mins follow up clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9wxybpy3NU

Dr. Sylvia Gearing talks about how the real danger is not mental illness; it's drug or alcohol abuse.

The only mental illness which increases the risk of violence is paranoid thinking, but only when the paranoia has reached the point of psychosis (complete loss of contact with reality).

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Shootings expose cracks in US mental health system (but mentally ill people are no more violent)

This is a tragic story: http://www.boston.com/2012/10/01/entry-cont/IC1EtuarR03RNoWgUsgrNN/story.html

Although laws may be slowly changing in some states, it is often difficult to get people the help they need before it's too late.

Keep in mind, although this highlights the violence that can transpire when people with mental illness don't get treatment, the vast majority of people who have a mental illness are not violent!

In fact, studies show that mentally ill people are no more violent than others in the general population.

However, people who have a dual diagnosis (ie. mental illness with drug addiction) do show increased violence if they are not adherent to their medications.