These are Joanne’s suggestions, and I wanted to share them with you all in the interest of offering some small reviews of books about mental health issues. As she says: ” I think everyone needs a self-care library – if you need a little inspiration for what to include in yours, here are some of…
“The vast majority of young women in contact with the criminal justice system have experienced significant trauma and disadvantage. This can be a key driver for their offending, whether that is being coerced into crime by a partner, sexually exploited or using drugs or alcohol to cope with what they have experienced.
In spite of that, when they then come into contact with the criminal justice system, too often the response does more harm than good or is retraumatising, such as the use of force, restraint or isolation.”
Under the heading of “reviews elsewhere” comes this review of a short film called “Rope”, a raw, honest depiction of online bullying.
““If you’re in your 40s or 50s and someone sends you a cruel message, you can probably brush it off, but if you’re 15 it is much more likely to affect you because you haven’t had the chance to build up that mental resilience.”
This is not great. Medication can be incredibly helpful, but it’s really not a “fix” for depression.
“Lucy Schonegevel, the deputy campaigns director at the mental health charity Rethink, said there was a “big risk of antidepressants being prescribed with no support”, adding that such medications should “go hand in hand” with therapy.
Her concerns were echoed by the mental health campaigner Natasha Devon, who said: “People are going to their GPs with symptoms of mental illness and being sent away with a bag of medication, having been put on an 18-month waiting list.””
The Commission report is, obviously, based on what was found in the UK. I have little doubt that similar realities exist in just about every country. And, just about every country can look not just at this overview, but also some of the more detailed information and recommendations from the PDF and find relevant information.
To be honest, this overview sounds a lot like what I’ve read from various sources about the US system as well, and it’s about time we started thinking about what support for mental health looks like in our own communities.
This is a resource put together specifically by the NHS for people to help deal with the COVID-19 lockdown, but I think quite a few of the articles and informational guides would be helpful for anyone this year. It’s all about looking after your mental health under trying circumstances, so even if you live in…
