Back in November 2012, the Schizophrenia Commission reported that people with schizophrenia are being badly let down by the health and social care system and by the employment market. The final report of the commission (I blogged about it here) concluded that people with schizophrenia face a lifespan 15-20 years shorter than the general population and [read the full story…]
Cognitive deficits, depression and education level all predict worklessness in bipolar disorder, says systematic review
People with bipolar disorder have high levels of post 16 years education, but it’s estimated that only half of those living in Europe with the condition are in paid employment. This is a real concern because the illness typically affects young and middle-aged people who would normally be active in the workforce. Of course, living [read the full story…]
MoodGym no better than informational websites, according to new workplace RCT
In these times of austerity, there is a lot of interest in computerised cognitive behavioural therapy (cCBT) as a treatment for people with depression and anxiety. It is hoped that this cheap and easy to deliver intervention can help to reduce the long waiting lists for face-to-face talking treatments. I’ve regularly blogged about cCBT over [read the full story…]
Making workplace adjustments for people with mental health problems: new guidance from the Department of Health
There’s a growing body of evidence that shows how relatively minor adjustments in the workplace can have a huge impact on supporting people with mental health problems and help them stay in work. The Department of Health has published guidance that will help employers think through the changes that they can make in the workplace [read the full story…]
Strong association between unemployment and suicide shown in new BMJ study
How is the economic downturn affecting the health of the nation? It seems obvious to many of us that the mental wellbeing of people who are going through very tough personal and financial circumstances is likely to be seriously affected. Of course the ultimate price that people pay is with their lives and there has [read the full story…]
Women who work long hours are at risk of depression and anxiety
It seems logical that people who work long hours and have a stressful job are more likely to suffer from depression, yet epidemiological studies that have investigated the links between long working hours and depression have reported inconsistent findings. The Whitehall II prospective cohort study followed nearly 3,000 British staff from across 20 civil service [read the full story…]
One third of adults using secondary mental health services are not living in settled accommodation
Those of you who like nothing more than to pour over spreadsheets full of social care and mental health statistics (you know who you are) may shed a tear today, as it sees the final publication of the Social Care and Mental Health Indicators from the National Indicator set, which is soon to be replaced [read the full story…]
Stress is now the biggest cause of long-term sickness absence in the UK, according to a CIPD survey
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised by some of the recent coverage in the press and on TV about mental illness at work. TV adverts have highlighted the difference individuals can make by talking openly about mental health in the workplace and there are a number of destigmatising campaigns underway by [read the full story…]
More people with learning disabilities in England live in their own homes but still face inequalities in health and employment
Learning Disability Partnership Boards were established as a result of the Valuing People White Paper to work within the overall framework of local strategic partnerships to oversee inter-agency planning and service development. Crucial to the success of partnership boards was that the membership should be multi stakeholder, to include service users, carers, senior representatives from [read the full story…]
New employment relationships between with learning disabilities and their paid supporters still to be explored in the literature
Modernisation of social care and the move towards personalisation have opened up opportunities for people with learning disabilities to take control of their supports through using individual budgets to employ supports. This study set out to look at the impact of this policy change on people with learning disabilities and their families employing their own [read the full story…]