Have your say about the WA Health System ….

"The Health Consumers' Council of WA is conducting a statewide community consultation during November 2003 as a part of the current health reform project. The Health Consumers' Council is an independent organisation that acts as the community voice on health.

The consultation will give you the chance to share some personal stories about the WA health system and focus on some of the key issues that are currently under review by the Health Reform Committee, like:

• How can the pathways between primary, secondary & tertiary care be made easier for patients?


• Should tertiary hospitals be ‘centres of excellence’ and stop unnecessary duplication?


• How should resources be allocated?"

See the website for more information.

Sprituality and Suicide Prevention
Following on from the SPA conference this year ABC radio has run a series of highlighting some of the papers presented at the conference.
At the Edge of the Abyss intereviews David Tacey and a number of others.

"Where does spirituality fit among the range of factors that might protect people who are feeling suicidal? What are the possibilities and risks of according spirituality some therapeutic value for those on the edge of the abyss of self-destruction? Can a person be deeply spiritual and still suicidal?"

Spirituality and Suicide Prevention
Further material from the Suicide Prevention Australia conference, including papers and links from the ABC religion web site The Sacred Site.

Mental Health Behind Bars
A recent report from ABC radio.

"A new groundbreaking study of the mental health of NSW prison inmates paints a very bleak picture indeed. But what comes first, the mental illness or the crime? This week on All in the Mind – what’s happening in the minds of people behind bars and how are their mental health needs being met?"

Access to the report: http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/areas/corrections/docs/mental_illness_among_nsw_prisoners_2003.pdf

Toward understanding youth suicide in an Australian rural community
This article appeared in a recent issue of Social Science and Medicine. The link provides access to the abstract. You will need to contact your library to access the full text of the article.

Journal of Suicide and Life Threatening Behaviour
Link to the table of contents of Volume 33 No 3

Issue 3 is now available. MCSP staff can contact Tracy to access it. Other readers should contact their local library.

All In The Mind 12/10/2003 - The Antidepressants Debate: Depressed, Bothered or Bewildered?

"In Australia, the new antidepressants have transformed the lives and suffering of many. But how much do we know about the side effects of these medications of the mind? The first of two programs from a vital public debate hosted by All in the Mind's Natasha Mitchell. Special guests include Dr David Healy, author of The Antidepressant Era and Let Them Eat Prozac; Professor Ian Hickie, Executive Director of the Brain and Mind Research Institute; Dr Grace Groom, Executive Director of the Mental Health Council of Australia, and others"

A Manual of Promising Suicide Prevention Strategies
A new resource from the Canadian Centre for Suicide Prevention is available for downloading from their site.

"What makes this manual unique?
Grounded in the best evidence available and written in a user-friendly manner, the manual recommends 17 promising youth suicide prevention strategies that have real potential to reduce suicide and suicidal behaviours amongst [Canadian] Aboriginal youth. The 17 strategies are broken into four categories: community renewal, community education, school strategies and youth/family strategies. Each strategy is described in detail, including the rationale for its use. Each strategy section includes: advice for implementation, indicators of success and ways to evaluate the program. There is a list of useful resources and organizations to help you get started as well as a real-life example of Canadian communities already using each strategy."

Suicide Among Canada's Aboriginal Peoples
The latest SIEC alert is also available, looking at the same topic.

Supported Community Living for People with Psychiatric Disability
A report by the Western Australian government into the needs of people with psychiatric disabilities living in the community.

The Draft Supported Accommodation Framework is also available from the WA Office of Mental Health.

"A proposed Supported Accommodation Framework has been developed by the Strategic Planning Branch, Office of Mental Health (OMH), to guide the development of the mental health supported accommodation services. The main purpose of the discussion paper is to provide an opportunity for you to give feedback about the direction of this development. An abbreviated version of the framework has been incorporated into the draft State Mental Health Strategic Plan."

Boosting Student Achievement: New Research on the Power of Developmental Assets
From the Search Institute:

"New studies suggest that developmental assets play a significant role in students' academic achievement across a wide range of students. In fact, developmental assets appear to have as much or more influence on student achievement as other demographic factors and school reform strategies. Thus, building developmental assets has great promise as a strategy for boosting student achievement."

Australia's Mental Health - from ABC Radio

Summary from the ABC website:

"Mental illness afflicts one in five Australians and it's often misrepresented in the media and in public discussion. Professor Rob Morrison from Flinders University in Adelaide attended a symposium which explored how mental health research dollars could be spent most cost-effectively and he talks about the quality and effectiveness of mental health research in Australia."

This story is an interesting companion piece to the Bulletin story of last week.

Dying shame : the state of Australia's mental health service

This recent article in The Bulletin magazine highlights the problems facing the mental health system in Australia. The report quotes from A Duty to Care a report featured in the Blog recently.

Put Children First

When Australian of the Year Fiona Stanley appeared on Andrew Denton's Enough Rope earlier in the year, a challenge was issued to advertising companies to create a campaign to put children and their needs on the agenda.

This site was launched to coincide with the release of the advertising campaign and has a range of material, resources and links and further development is promised. Take a look!