“ Are you better yet? Society is becoming more receptive and understanding of mental health issues. And yet, the question above continues to undermine any sense of progress. Mental health recovery is a journey of many ups and downs, happening over a significant period of time. I speak from personal experience, a person for whom…
Inquest into death of Averil Hart finds extensive failures
A Huntingdon inquest into the death of 19-year old Averil Hart has described extensive failures in the national support services for sufferers of anorexia. Miss Hart, from Newton in Suffolk, died in December 2012 whilst studying creative writing at the University of East Anglia. She was admitted to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH)…
The media should do more to protect the mental health of the stars upon whose lives their jobs depend
Professional sportspeople’s elite ability is such that they operate within the top 1% globally of their respective disciplines. However, despite this jaw-dropping talent, for many years the media have targeted them with news stories whenever their form drops. These publications can be seriously damaging to an individual’s mental health, causing even the most dedicated sportsperson…
Norfolk and Suffolk Health Trust update
A regional mental health trust has admitted the removal of more than 300 young people from its waiting list was a deliberate decision and not due to “human error.” The Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust (NSFT) sent out the letter in May informing people their appointments had been cancelled and that their referrals had been…
You control what?
Eating disorders live within and amongst us. Most have encountered it in some form, knowing friends and family with a history of disordered eating. This feels like a ‘make or break’ period for those facing psychiatric impediment. Recovery without the occasional step backwards is to be expected, and few health journeys are quick. No recovery…
Students now able to opt-in to new UEA mental health initiative
From today students at UEA are now able to opt-in to a mental health initiative allowing the University to inform a person of the student’s choice about significant concerns over a student’s welfare via e:Vision. In a statement the University said: “The opt-in contact scheme is another way in which the University has implemented a…
Concerns over mental health during Italy’s lockdown
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease, has proven to be a highly infectious and deadly pathogen. But there’s another hidden crisis spreading alongside the virus, the psychological toll of government lockdowns. Social distancing measures, usually in the form of a lockdown, have been essential to controlling the spread of this virus. Italy was…
With care cut short, the struggle is real
It is April 2020. The supermarket aisles of rice, grains and pulses have been emptied, and people wear masks as if dreading your very presence. We yearn for the day when our favourite foods emerge again in abundance, when our virus spreading concerns are finally laid to rest. And this new home bound reality poses…
‘Judge me by my actions’ on mental health, says Vice Chancellor
UEA Vice Chancellor Prof David Richardson told students to “judge me by my actions” at a joint mental health Q&A with Student Services and Uea(su). Prof Richardson said: “Why should people believe and trust in me? Judge me by my actions. A year or so ago I said I would put in place a Vice…
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