News
Healthy Mind
Local: New law enables Wales to lead the way in better mental health services,
Wales Online, 7 March 2011.
IN MY first column, in December, I told you how excited I felt about the Mental Health (Wales) Measure – the first new Welsh mental health law to be passed since the 10th...
National: One in 10 take medication for a good night's sleep,
BBC News, 4 March 2011.
One in 10 people in the UK take medication to help them sleep, research has suggested. Analysis of the sleeping habits of 14,000 households by the University of Surrey also...
National: One in ten Britons 'taking pills to get to sleep',
Telegraph, 4 March 2011.
One in ten people is taking pills to get to sleep at least three times a week, according to research that suggests a lack of rest is storing up serious health risks for millions of Britons...
National: Happiness 'helps you live longer', review of 160 studies concludes,
Telegraph, 3 March 2011.
People who are happy and positive about life live longer, scientists have concluded after reviewing dozens of studies about longevity. Researchers found "clear and compelling...
National: Baby loss depression 'lasts years',
BBC News, 3 March 2011.
The psychological impact of losing an unborn baby can last for several years, a British and US study has found. Mothers may still suffer depression or anxiety long after going on to have...
National: Education reduces blood pressure,
BBC News, 28 February 2011.
Despite exam stress, a long stint in education is good for people's blood pressure, according to researchers in the US. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is linked to heart attacks,...
National: Children given sweets when they are good are the most likely to end up fat and unhappy,
Telegraph, 27 February 2011.
A poll of more than 2,000 people has found those given edible treats in childhood for behaving well had a higher chance of becoming heavily overweight, or of developing an...
Local: Board games used to teach about mental health,
Wales Online, 26 February 2011.
SPECIAL “board games” are being used to teach nursing and social care students about serious mental health conditions. Experts at the University of Glamorgan are testing this...
National: Fertility treatment 'unaffected' by stress,
NHS Choices, 25 February 2011.
"Stress and tension does not prevent women undergoing infertility treatment from becoming pregnant," reported The Daily Telegraph. This news story is based on a review of previous...
National: Most locked-in patients 'happy',
BBC News, 24 February 2011.
The majority of people with locked-in syndrome are happy, a small French study suggests. The disease "traps" people in their own body, able to think, but incapable of moving or...
Local: Depression - the last taboo?,
Wales Online, 23 February 2011.
With one in six people experiencing it at some point in their lives, depression is one of the UK’s most common illnesses, yet it is often misunderstood. Clare Hutchinson asked the...
Local: Research shows how sleep helps youngsters,
Wales Online, 21 February 2011.
RESEARCH has already highlighted that poor sleep quality has a negative impact on health for adults. But a new study shows this applies to children too. The US research found children...
Local: How to stick to your new year fitness resolutions,
Wales Online, 21 February 2011.
THIS is the time of year when many of our new year resolutions may be put to the test. Do we stick with them or do we give up and lapse back to our old behaviour? Resolution...
National: Scottish researchers to seek cure for forgetfulness,
BBC News, 21 February 2011.
Scottish academics have launched a study in a bid to find a cure for forgetfulness. Doctors at CPS Research said people were becoming increasingly forgetful as a result of modern hectic...
National: Drug relapse brain region found in rats,
BBC News, 20 February 2011.
Scientists in the US have identified an area of the brain which makes heroin-addicted rats relapse. The study, published in Nature Neuroscience, showed that part of the medial...
National: Therapies 'moderately improve' CFS,
NHS Choices, 18 February 2011.
The Daily Telegraph reported that "exercise and therapy can help ME sufferers". Several other news sources reported on research which has shown that behavioural therapy and...
National: Brain and body training treats ME, UK study says,
BBC News, 18 February 2011.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, also known as ME, should be treated with a form of behavioural therapy or exercise, say British scientists. Writing in The Lancet, they argue that the...
National: Negative experiences can stop painkillers working,
BBC News, 16 February 2011.
A patient's belief that a drug will not work can become a self fulfilling prophecy, according to researchers. They showed the benefits of painkillers could be boosted or completely wiped...
Local: Much still to be done to deliver the mental health services Wales needs,
Wales Online, 14 February 2011.
Veronica German explains why Wales needs a mental health strategy and an anti-stigma campaign. We all want to be physically healthy but, from time to time, we will experience...
National: Watching your injection 'eases the pain',
NHS Choices, 11 February 2011.
"Injections are less painful if you don't look away," The Daily Telegraph reported. The news is based on a study that tested pain responses in 18 people by applying heat probes to...
National: Cash incentives for weight loss studied,
NHS Choices, 10 February 2011.
Obese people are "more motivated to shed pounds if they're paid", reported the Daily Mail. However, "the weight might creep back on once the monetary carrot is gone." The story...
Local: Plea to log army stress in medical records to help PTSD,
BBC News, 9 February 2011.
The Welsh Assembly Government's health committee says service records need to be shared with GPs so they can diagnose post-traumatic stress disorder
Continue reading the main...
Local: Dementia 'not normal part of ageing' say scientists,
Telegraph, 10 February 2011.
Experts claim they are close to developing effective treatments for the degenerative conditions that will soon affect a million people in Britain. They want to dismiss the idea...
National: Pain reduced by changing what you look at,
BBC News, 10 February 2011.
What you look at can influence how much pain you feel, a study has revealed. Contrary to many people's compulsion to look away during a painful event such as an injection...
Local: Say goodnight to sleeping problems,
Wales Online, 9 February 2011.
Most of us have little trouble sleeping but for the one in four of us who do, life can become a bit of a nightmare. Clare Hutchinson asks the experts for their advice. Have you ever...
Local: Charter sets out rights of mental health patients,
Wales Online, 9 February 2011.
A PATIENTS’ charter outlining what people with mental health problems can expect from services in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan will be launched today. The document...
Local: Military records ‘should be available to doctors’,
Wales Online, 9 February 2011.
DOCTORS should have access to the military record of veterans as well as their medical history, an influential committee of AMs has reported. Such a move would help diagnose...
Local: Welsh scientists press for dementia research funding,
Wales Online, 9 February 2011.
SCIENTISTS will today call for more funding for research into dementia. A charity will also claim dementia research is the poor relation to other diseases, even though it costs...
Local: Post-traumatic stress awareness concern,
BBC News, 9 February 2011.
Gaps in the medical notes of army veterans are leading to a lack of awareness of post-traumatic stress disorder, it is claimed. The Welsh Assembly Government's health...
National: School singing 'can boost children's well-being',
BBC News, 9 February 2011.
Singing in school can make children feel more positive about themselves and build a sense of community, research based on 10,000 children suggests. An evaluation by the Institute...
National: Personality disorders are 'widespread', say experts,
BBC News, 9 February 2011.
We need to be more aware of personality disorders - which are more prevalent than people realise, say experts. Prof Eddie Kane, of the Institute of Mental Health, said 4% of people...
National: Botox 'little help' for migraines,
BBC News, 9 February 2011.
There is "limited evidence" for using botox to treat migraine, say experts. The anti-wrinkle jab, which costs about £276 per injection, has been licensed in the UK and US as a...
National: Sleep and heart risk link is uncertain,
NHS Choices, 9 February 2011.
"Lack of sleep is a 'ticking time bomb'," The Independent reported. The newspaper said that people who regularly sleep less than six hours a night "have a 48 per cent greater chance...
National: Sleepwalking 'linked to chromosome fault',
BBC News, 8 February 2011.
Scientists believe they have discovered the genetic code that makes some people sleepwalk. By studying four generations of a family of sleepwalkers they traced the fault to a section...
National: Sleepwalking 'linked to genes',
NHS Choices, 8 February 2011.
"Sleepwalking is in sufferers' DNA," reported The Daily Telegraph. It said research has found that people who sleepwalk have a faulty chromosome and that scientists believe this latest...
National: Too many late nights causes health 'ticking time bomb',
Telegraph, 8 February 2011.
The growing trend for burning the candle at both ends and sleeping too little at night is causing a "ticking time bomb" of health problems, heart doctors have warned. While the...
National: Warwick scientists say lack of sleep 'bad for health',
BBC News, 8 February 2011.
The risk of developing heart disease can increase by as much as 48% if a person does not get enough sleep, University of Warwick scientists say. A long period of sleep shortage...
National: Children warned over dangers of 'sexting',
BBC News, 8 February 2011.
Children and young people are being warned about sending sexually explicit images of themselves to others. A 10-minute film showing the problems of "sexting" has been...
Local: Simple ways to reduce the levels of stress in your life,
Wales Online, 7 February 2011.
Some 400,000 people in the UK believe they are suffering from work-place stress. Chris Lovell examines what we mean by stress and how to combat it. In today’s world we talk...
National: The perils of the £30 paternity test,
Telegraph, 5 February 2011.
The decision by Boots to stock a DNA testing kit has been labelled irresponsible by ethical commentators who argue that family bonds are too fragile and complex to be bought off...
Local: Mental health conference comes at critical time,
News Wales, 2 February 2011.
The fourth annual conference of the All Wales Mental Health Promotion Network was held on the theme of Maintaining Mental Health and Wellbeing in Adversity. Public Health Wales...
Local: Poor pupils go hungry rather than face shame of free school meals, report warns,
Daily Post, 2 February 2011.
POVERTY-hit pupils revealed how they went hungry rather than face the shame of handing over a token for their free school meal when classmates pay with cash. Young people also...
National: Early help 'key to tackling mental health problems',
BBC News, 2 February 2011.
More focus will be placed on dealing with mental health problems at an early stage under government plans. The new mental health strategy for England promises an extra £400m...
National: Mental health and well-being,
Department of Health, 2 February 2011.
At any one time around one adult in six is experiencing symptoms of mental illness and one in four will experience mental illness during their lifetime. Mental illness is the largest single cause...
National: Worries over plan to fix young mental health problems,
BBC Newsbeat, 2 February 2011.
The Government has pledged £400m to help young people in England who have mental health problems get the right care. One in 10 between the ages of five and 16...
National: Loneliness is 'hidden killer' of elderly,
BBC News, 1 February 2011.
Loneliness is the "hidden killer" of elderly people, says a campaign group, which is calling for greater recognition of the link between isolation and ill-health. A group of charities is...
National: Home DNA kits to test paternity go on sale in shops,
BBC News, 1 February 2011.
Until now, the paternity packs have only been available online and in a few independent pharmacies. The chemist says it is the first High Street shop to sell the kits, which let...
Local: Media’s key role in tackling mental health discrimination,
Wales Online, 31 January 2011.
THE Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) held a workshop for journalists earlier this month. It was organised in light of the commission’s recent Not Just Another Statistic...
National: Nicotine addiction: all in the head?,
NHS Choices, 31 January 2011.
"Chain smokers battling in vain to quit may be able to blame it on their miswired brains," reported The Sun. It said that scientists have revealed that the problem lies in a gene...
National: Easing pain for burns victims using virtual reality,
BBC News, 31 January 2011.
Burn patients in the US are being helped to escape the pain of burn injuries by immersing them in the virtual reality of a computer game during treatment. Agony from severe burns...
National: Sleep problems in the UK highlighted,
NHS Choices, 27 January 2011.
"Nearly a third of the population are suffering from insomnia which is affecting their health," reported the Daily Mirror. It said that a survey of the nation's sleep habits found that 30%...
National: Insomnia damages relationships, according to study,
BBC News, 27 January 2011.
Lack of sleep needs to be treated as a major health issue, according to a report published by the Mental Health Foundation. The report, Sleep Matters, suggests a link between...
National: How insomnia hits our health and happiness,
BBC News, 27 January 2011.
POOR sleep can impact on almost every aspect of life, the largest study of its kind today reveals. Researchers believe people who suffer from insomnia – whether mild or severe...
Local: Better treatment for depressives,
News Wales, 24 January 2011.
Depression is a common and disabling condition that affects one in four people at some point in their lives. It is the most common mental health problem and can lead to unhappiness...
National: Depression: conventional treatments,
Telegraph, 25 January 2011.
There are two traditional treatments for depression - psychological therapies such as counselling and antidepressant medicines. Counselling often involves one-to-one sessions...
National: Keeping a lid on stress reduces heart attacks,
Telegraph, 25 January 2011.
Controlling anger, anxiety or other sources of stress in patients with heart disease all help reduce the chance of an attack. Scientists said stress management programmes can help...
Local: Two key questions to identify patients with depression,
Wales Online, 24 January 2011.
Dr Alan Willson explains how the 1,000 Lives Plus programme will help to spot patients who are suffering from depression. Depression is a common and disabling condition that affects...
National: Does typing make learning harder?,
NHS Choices, 21 January 2011.
"Children who write by hand 'learn better than those who type'," reported the Daily Mail. The newspaper is referring to a scientific paper discussing the theory that the physical...
National: Fear of dentists and needles needs sympathetic ear,
BBC News, 15 January 2011.
Nobody enjoys going to the dentist. But for some people their feelings of anxiety can turn into fear and even a fully-blown phobia. Dentophobia is an extremely common affliction...
National: Melatonin production falls if the lights are on,
BBC News, 14 January 2011.
Having the lights on before bedtime could result in a worse night's sleep, according to a study to be published in the Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism. The research...
Local: Course to help with mental health issues,
Wales Online, 13 January 2011.
A COURSE for people who experience mental ill health will soon start in Rhondda Cynon Taff. Routes to Recovery is a 17-week programme that is being delivered by mental health...
National: Who, What, Why: How do you overcome a stammer?,
BBC News, 11 January 2011.
King George VI's battle to overcome his stammer is the focus of a major film. How do modern-day stammerers tackle the condition? It has won the praise of critics and earned...
Local: Half of Welsh women report mental health problems,
BBC News, 11 January 2011.
A women's charity has called for a review of the treatment women with poor mental health in Wales receive. Research by Platform 51 revealed 53% of Welsh women are suffering...
Local: Stephen Fry backs Cardiff University,
Guardian Cardiff, 10 January 2011.
Stephen Fry has shown his support for Cardiff University today as he became a patron of its research into mental health disease. The tweeting British actor, writer and all-round...
Local: Celebrities to champion cutting-edge Welsh research,
Wales Online, 10 January 2011.
Stephen Fry and Griff Rhys Jones and billionaire businessman Sir Terry Matthews have been named patrons of three new research institutes in Wales. The multi-million...
National: Hidden male victims of domestic abuse,
BBC News, 10 January 2011.
As many as four percent of men have been victims of domestic abuse according to crime statistics for England and Wales, and charities say an increasing number of victims are...
National: Music that makes you feel good,
NHS Choices, 10 January 2011.
Our "favourite music evokes the same feelings as good food or drugs" reported The Guardian. It said that scientists have found that our brains release the "rewards chemical"...
Local: Better medical service will improve prisoners’ health and management,
Wales Online, 10 January 2011.
Lucy Merredy explains why a comprehensive forensic medical service in Wales will mean a better service for prisoners and benefit the wider society. IN the increasingly complex...
National: Device 'cancels out the sound of the dentist's drill',
BBC News, 10 January 2011.
An invention which cancels out the noise of a dentist's drill could help people overcome their fear of a check-up, researchers say. For many, the sound of the drill is a big cause of...
National: Device ends whine of dentist's drill,
Telegraph, 9 January 2011.
Studies have shown that for many people it is the sound of the drill that causes the most anxiety about visiting the dentist, and the team from Kings College, Brunel University and...
National: Music 'releases mood-enhancing chemical in the brain',
BBC News, 9 January 2011.
Music releases a chemical in the brain that has a key role in setting good moods, a study has suggested. The study, reported in Nature Neuroscience, found that the chemical was...
National: Obesity linked to money insecurity in affluent nations,
BBC News, 8 January 2011.
People in wealthy countries with "free market" economies are more likely to become obese, an Oxford University study says. Money stresses in countries like the UK and US could...
National: Early periods and depression studied, NHS Choices, 4 January 2011.
"Girls who go through puberty early are more likely to suffer mental health problems in their teenage years," The Daily Telegraph reported. The newspaper suggested that these...
National: Psychological tricks to keep you on your New Year diet,
BBC News, 4 January 2011.
As the calendar clicked over into 2011 last weekend, millions will have made New Year's resolutions. But research shows whatever the goal - only around 10% of us stick with it...
