Stamp it out
One Simple Action Can Prevent Suicide
Source – Huffington Post Whenever a well-known individual completes suicide, we often find ourselves engaged in a national conversation on the topic as we ask shake our collective head and ask ourselves “what can be done to prevent suicide from happening?” We know that generally speaking, there are plenty of warning signs leading up to suicide. One very simple action step that we can all take is to become more educated about what those warning signs are and how to respond if we see them.
Read MoreThe stories of service users must be at the heart of social care decision-making
It’s been a year since I put pen to paper for these pages. Last time I wrote about negative labels, stereotypes, stigma and how I was sharing my story to help others tell theirs and break down some of the barriers we face in today’s society.
Read MoreReasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig review – one man’s battle with depression
Source – The Guardian With one in five people now suffering from depression at some point in their lives, the miasma that lingers over public discussions of mental health seems increasingly anachronistic, and makes books like Matt Haig’s anatomy of the depression and anxiety from which he suffered between the ages of 24 and 32 all the more timely. A self-confessed “party person” in his youth, Haig was blindsided by his first bout of depression while pursuing a hedonistic lifestyle in Ibiza. He describes the physical onset of his symptoms as an “intense flickering” in his head, “as though a butterfly was trapped”; by the time he returned home, even a trip to the cornershop had become a source of paralysing terror.
Read MorePremier League March 4 March Campaign
The Collins Foundation – Premier League March 4 March campaign. This March I will personally walk (march) to each and every Premier league club for mental health awareness. The plan is to start at Norwich City FC and seek donations from each of the clubs players, get signed shirts for auction and a photo with each of the Chief Executives to prove I have reached that particular club.
Read MoreDo Objective Diagnostic Criteria Matter in Psychiatry?
One of the criticisms antipsychiatry folks like to make of psychiatry is its lack of objective diagnostic criteria. In other words, there’s no blood test that says you have bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. And this is true.
Read MoreDavid Cameron has created a mental health crisis that can’t be solved with £1billion worth of funding
On Monday, David Cameron became the first Prime Minister in history to address mental health in a public speech. Alongside an almost £1billion investment in mental health services across the UK, he also claimed that he wanted to foster a more “open” and “mature” approach to mental health.
Read MoreSmiffy Artist New release coming soon. Here’s his last release for you
The Collins Foundation Hero for 2016.
Read MoreTEACHERS ARE NOT FULLY EQUIPPED TO TACKLE MENTAL HEALTH
Two thirds of teachers feel they lack the appropriate training to help identify mental health issues in pupils according to a new report. The National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) poll found that while six in ten of those surveyed (62%) felt able to identify behaviour that could be linked to mental health issues, only one in three (32%) felt they received appropriate mental health training to identify problems in pupils. The NFER report suggests that these findings show that school staff are gaining knowledge on how to deal with mental health issues by other means than in-school training.
Read MoreThe Outsiders Project – Men’s Mental Health Pioneers.
The Collins Foundation would like to bring to light a project based in Norwich, Norfolk, UK and as the title of this post suggests a pioneering project by the name of the The Outsiders. Oz and Nick run this fantastic project and have embarked on a journey to change the way in which we approach and cope with mental health, from the minor to the acute. One particular project has my interest as its centered around football, a personal passion of mine, called 12th Man.
Read MoreThe Mental Health Benefits of Music
We’ve all done it. Turned on a love song when we’re feeling romantic. Turned on something lively when we’re cleaning house.
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