Drug and alcohol are related to 80% of mental issues. They are powerful chemicals able to change our pattern of thought and our behaviour. Most of us would have experienced in our lifetime the effect of these powerful drugs on the brain chemicals.
According to the Human Givens model the reasons why humans are not only attracted to them and enjoy a glass of wine but become addicted to alcohol and drugs is because of the unmet psychological needs. Addiction is a trance state and unless the psychological needs are met via other means the addiction will continue. The way to deal with it is to break the trans-state.
Studies conducted in addicted lab rats or soldiers returning from Vietnam showed that once their physical or psychological needs were met their addiction stopped without any further help.
Negative thoughts of isolation and withdrawal from problems and responsibilities are typical of the addictive behaviour.
The neurochemical systems mediating motivation and reward are the dopamine and the opioid one. Dopamine is appetitive opioid is consumatory.
According to the neurochemical model the amygdala is the organ deputised to advice the brain of the lack in a chemical substance, can be nicotine, alcohol or any addictive chemical. Once the system is activated a distressing signal is sent to the anterior cingulate where it is analised and pattern matched to previous events in the lymbic system for significance.
If that is significant a further signal will be sent to the neocortex to decide on the way of action, otherwise an immediate response will follow and before the concious mind can realise what is happening an action will be taken (i.e. lighting a cigarette before we can contiously realise it).
Treatment:
a) change lifestyle
b) plan for high risk situations
c) counter-condition expectations
Dr Angelo Cacciato is a GP working in a rural setting in New Zealand. He moved to Waikanae in April 2007 after spending thirteen years in UK.
He started developing an interest in Mental Health during his military service in Italy in1989.
Once he moved in Britain he got involved in a rotation to complete his postgraduate studies in General Practice. As part of his rotation he joined the psychiatric unit at Royal Doncaster Infirmary where he worked for six months.
Once he completed his medical studies he started working in the Yorkshire region, and the settings of General practice allowed him to become involved in psychotherapy with the Mindfields College.
After completing the course in Human Givens therapy he got his qualifications in psychotherapy in 2007 and the same year he achieved the prestigious postgraduate diploma of the Mindfields College.
He is the only Human Givens therapist working in New Zealand and will speak at the:
12th International Mental Health Conference
Radisson Resort, Gold Coast - Wednesday 24th August – Friday 26th August 2011.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Mental Health and Family Law
Mental Health clinicians are frequently called upon to make assessments for the Family Court. Often issues regarding parental responsibility or custody arrangements hinge upon the assessments of care giver mental health and the resources required to ensure mental health maintenance.
This paper will use a case vignette approach to illustrate the need for longitudinal assessment and case formulation over more traditional cross sectional approaches. recomendations for both clinician training and further research will be made by the presenters;
Dr. Mitchell Byrne is an endorsed Clinical and Forensic Psychologist with over 25 years experience. His research profile includes adherence to treatment, secondary traumatic stress, risk assessment and, more recently, the assessment of parenting skills.
Ms. Cinzia Gagliardi is an endorsed Clinical and Forensic Psychologist and Director of Gagliardi, Byrne and Associates, a Forensic Assessment and Treatment service. Ms. Gaglairdi is NSW State Chair of the Australian Psychological Society and is frequently called upon to provide expert evidence in the Family Court.
The 12th International Mental Health Conference 2011
Radisson Resort, Gold Coast - Wednesday 24th August – Friday 26th August 2011.
This paper will use a case vignette approach to illustrate the need for longitudinal assessment and case formulation over more traditional cross sectional approaches. recomendations for both clinician training and further research will be made by the presenters;
Dr. Mitchell Byrne is an endorsed Clinical and Forensic Psychologist with over 25 years experience. His research profile includes adherence to treatment, secondary traumatic stress, risk assessment and, more recently, the assessment of parenting skills.
Ms. Cinzia Gagliardi is an endorsed Clinical and Forensic Psychologist and Director of Gagliardi, Byrne and Associates, a Forensic Assessment and Treatment service. Ms. Gaglairdi is NSW State Chair of the Australian Psychological Society and is frequently called upon to provide expert evidence in the Family Court.
The 12th International Mental Health Conference 2011
Radisson Resort, Gold Coast - Wednesday 24th August – Friday 26th August 2011.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Making Sense of Complex Presentations - The Black Dog Institute's online Mood Assessment Program (online MAP)
Workshop at the The 12th International Mental Health Conference 2011Radisson Resort, Gold Coast - Wednesday 24th August – Friday 26th August 2011.
Increasingly the burden of management of patients with mood and personality disorders has fallen onto general practitioners. Even in large cities there are not enough psychiatrists to adequately care for the number of mentally ill in the community. Nor is it necessarily appropriate for all the depressed and anxious people in the population to be seeing a specialist.
General practitioners as a group, rural GPs in particular, express significant uncertainty around the management of mental health problems, especially the complex ones. Psychiatric second opinions are not always easily available
The Black Dog Institute’s online Mood Assessment Program (MAP) provides GPs and psychologists with a way of accessing a second opinion quickly and easily. It can assist in treatment planning for patients with mood disorders and help tease out the contribution of personality style to their illness. The online MAP is a suite of well validated psychological instruments which, in conjunction with their own clinical assessment, provides the practitioner with guidance based on the Black Dog Subtyping Model of Depression. MAP diagnoses, once confirmed clinically, have clear treatment implications.
A MAP report provides an indication of the subtype of depression the patient is suffering from, the likelihood of bipolar disorder, the presence of anxiety disorders and the presence of both personality vulnerability and dysfunctionality.
The online MAP is easy for patients to access by logging on to a secure website with an access code provided by a registered referrer. Reports, though not available immediately, reach most referrers well within a week. Patients find the online MAP easy to complete, usually in less than an hour. Practitioners find the reports helpful either in reinforcing and supporting their own diagnosis or in clarifying muddy diagnostic waters.
The Black Dog Institute provides the online MAP free of charge Australia-wide as a community service.
Dr Jan Orman, GP Sevices Consultant, Black Dog Institute
General practitioners as a group, rural GPs in particular, express significant uncertainty around the management of mental health problems, especially the complex ones. Psychiatric second opinions are not always easily available
The Black Dog Institute’s online Mood Assessment Program (MAP) provides GPs and psychologists with a way of accessing a second opinion quickly and easily. It can assist in treatment planning for patients with mood disorders and help tease out the contribution of personality style to their illness. The online MAP is a suite of well validated psychological instruments which, in conjunction with their own clinical assessment, provides the practitioner with guidance based on the Black Dog Subtyping Model of Depression. MAP diagnoses, once confirmed clinically, have clear treatment implications.
A MAP report provides an indication of the subtype of depression the patient is suffering from, the likelihood of bipolar disorder, the presence of anxiety disorders and the presence of both personality vulnerability and dysfunctionality.
The online MAP is easy for patients to access by logging on to a secure website with an access code provided by a registered referrer. Reports, though not available immediately, reach most referrers well within a week. Patients find the online MAP easy to complete, usually in less than an hour. Practitioners find the reports helpful either in reinforcing and supporting their own diagnosis or in clarifying muddy diagnostic waters.
The Black Dog Institute provides the online MAP free of charge Australia-wide as a community service.
Dr Jan Orman, GP Sevices Consultant, Black Dog Institute
The HESTA Primary Health Care Awards
The HESTA Primary Health Care Awards is an initiative of HESTA Super Fund – your health and community services industry fund and the Australian General Practice Network (AGPN). ME Bank is also a proud supporter of the awards.
The first awards will be hosted in 2011 by HESTA in conjunction with AGPN and will form part of the 2011 AGPN National Forum, to be held in Melbourne in November.
There are three categories which cover the wide range of professions and skills that Australia’s primary health care personnel exhibit, sometimes in trying circumstances and environments. If you know outstanding contributors to primary health care, recognise their innovation and leadership by nominating them for one of three awards: Young Leader, Individual Distinction, or Team Excellence.
For more information or to access the nomination forms follow this link
The first awards will be hosted in 2011 by HESTA in conjunction with AGPN and will form part of the 2011 AGPN National Forum, to be held in Melbourne in November.
There are three categories which cover the wide range of professions and skills that Australia’s primary health care personnel exhibit, sometimes in trying circumstances and environments. If you know outstanding contributors to primary health care, recognise their innovation and leadership by nominating them for one of three awards: Young Leader, Individual Distinction, or Team Excellence.
For more information or to access the nomination forms follow this link
Friday, May 27, 2011
Six Month Follow-Up on Risk Factors for Suicidal Ideation among College Students: A Longitudinal Examination
Study to be discussed at the 12th International Mental Health Conference on the Gold Coast in August 2011
This study was a six month follow-up in a longitudinal study examining the following in adolescents and young adults attending college: 1) the level of suicidal ideation, prevalence of comorbid psychiatric disorders (Major Depressive Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder), degree of peer victimization, and 2) the association of suicidal ideation with: socio demographics, Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), level of depressive symptomatology, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, level of anxiety symptomatology, total degree of peer victimization.
Questionnaires were completed by each participant remaining in the follow up group. In wave II, the sample included 95 adolescents and young adults out of the original 493 students who participated in wave I. Thirteen percent (13%) of the sample had clinically significant levels of suicidal ideation, 3.2% met the criteria for dysthmia and 15.8% and 17.9% met the DSM-IV criteria for a diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder, respectfully. In addition, 9.5% met the diagnostic criteria for alcohol dependence and 16.8% met the diagnostic criteria for drug abuse.
In wave I, overall, 33% of the variance was explained in suicidal ideation, with depression and anxiety factors accounting for 23% of the variance. A final trimmed model of hierarchical linear regression indicated that the presence of social support moderated levels of suicidal ideation with regard to age, marital status, sexual orientation, and anxiety symptoms.
In wave II, overall, 23% of the variance was explained in suicidal ideation with depressive symptoms, presence of anxiety and high relational victimization scores accounting for 15% of the variance.
Oren Shtayermman, PhD, MSW
Chairperson, Department of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences
Mental Health Counseling Program Director
School of Health Professions - NEW YORK
The 12th International Mental Health Conference 2011 - "Personality Disorders - Out of the Darkness"
Radisson Resort, Gold Coast - Wednesday 24th August – Friday 26th August 2011.
 |
| Oren Shtayermman, PhD |
Questionnaires were completed by each participant remaining in the follow up group. In wave II, the sample included 95 adolescents and young adults out of the original 493 students who participated in wave I. Thirteen percent (13%) of the sample had clinically significant levels of suicidal ideation, 3.2% met the criteria for dysthmia and 15.8% and 17.9% met the DSM-IV criteria for a diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder, respectfully. In addition, 9.5% met the diagnostic criteria for alcohol dependence and 16.8% met the diagnostic criteria for drug abuse.
In wave I, overall, 33% of the variance was explained in suicidal ideation, with depression and anxiety factors accounting for 23% of the variance. A final trimmed model of hierarchical linear regression indicated that the presence of social support moderated levels of suicidal ideation with regard to age, marital status, sexual orientation, and anxiety symptoms.
In wave II, overall, 23% of the variance was explained in suicidal ideation with depressive symptoms, presence of anxiety and high relational victimization scores accounting for 15% of the variance.
Oren Shtayermman, PhD, MSW
Chairperson, Department of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences
Mental Health Counseling Program Director
School of Health Professions - NEW YORK
The 12th International Mental Health Conference 2011 - "Personality Disorders - Out of the Darkness"
Radisson Resort, Gold Coast - Wednesday 24th August – Friday 26th August 2011.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Membership Survey Results Narcotics Anonymous Australia
Narcotics Anonymous sprang from the Alcoholics Anonymous Program of the late 1940s, with meetings first emerging in California in the early 1950s. The NA program has grown into one of the world's oldest and largest organizations of its type, with 58,000 registered weekly meetings in 131 countries worldwide. Narcotics Anonymous books and information pamphlets are currently available in 34 languages, with translations in process for 16 languages. There are around 400 weekly meetings in Australia, including on the Gold Coast.
In 2009 Narcotics Anonymous conducted an Australia-wide survey of 1,029 of its members. The results provide a demographic profile of survey respondents, their drug use history, their pathway to and engagement with Narcotics Anonymous, and their quality of life improvements. These include significant improvements in the ability to remain drug free, and in employment and educational outcomes and family relationships.
NA has presented the membership survey results to the Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD), members of the NSW State Parliament, senior police, and health professionals.
Ms Victoria Stephen is the chairperson of the Australian Regional Service Committee of Narcotics Anonymous
The 12th International Mental Health Conference "Personality Disorders: Out of the Darkness"
Radisson Resort, Gold Coast - Wednesday 24th August – Friday 26th August 2011.
Get Better by Surfing the Web?
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| Prof Helen Christensen |
The groundbreaking e-health portal Beacon aims to be a guiding light by providing information and expert ratings on a variety of online interventions and mobile apps for mental and physical health disorders.
Developed by the Centre for Mental Health Research at the Australian National University, Beacon reviews online health applications for people of all ages and is designed to have a wide appeal, providing information for both the general public and for health professionals.
Sites and mobile apps are categorised, reviewed, and their effectiveness is rated by an independent panel of health experts. Ratings are made based on an evaluation of the published scientific research evidence about each intervention. These ratings are presented in the form of smiley faces, serving as a simple and intuitive guide to the effectiveness of each site.
Along with these ratings, Beacon provides a brief site overview, the link to the site, and details of any published research evidence. There are currently around 170 rated sites in 34 categories including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, phobias, smoking, alcohol use, diabetes, stress, tinnitus, physical activity, and many more. New sites, apps and categories are continually being added, so check back regularly for the latest reviews. We encourage you to visit Beacon and submit your own comments about the sites, which may then be included on the portal.
Beacon can be accessed free of charge at http://www.beacon.anu.edu.au./
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