Engage Aotearoa

Mindfulness champion on Take It From Us Radio | 30 Sep 2014

September 29, 2014 4:15 pm ⋅

On Tuesday 30 September,  tune into Take it From Us to hear from to a young psychologist who is a champion of alternative natural therapies, especially mindfulness, to manage mental health. Special guest Vikki Baird has already done some hard yards in mental health and gained some insights as a result of working in intensive residential rehabilitation.

Listen live on 104.6FM at 12.30pm or online www.planetaudio.org.nz

OR if you missed the broadcast, listen for the next seven days: www.planetaudio.org.nz/takeitfromus

And don’t forget the Facebook page @ Facebook.com and type ‘take it from us’ in the search box; contact Sheldon.brown@framework.org.nz for any feedback and comment/suggestions for shows.

Posted in: Online Resources, Parents and Parenting, Personal Development Tools, Service-User Movement, Young People and Youth Issues ⋅ Tagged: , , , , ,

Engage Aotearoa Facebook Updates

September 10, 2014 5:22 pm ⋅

Some updates from our Facebook page:
10 Depression Myths We Need To Stop Believing
In recent weeks, the global conversation surrounding death by suicide has taken center stage

Haka4Life
This is our Haka4Life which we dedicated to our girl Jessica Nakia lost at just 14, today’s date 24.08.2014 marks 3 years without her

Stigmatising headline: “Fears for mentally ill forced to streets.”
“More mentally ill people will be on the streets as a funding shake-up forces the closure of support services.”

It’s not all about you
A growing body of research shows, chances are, others aren’t judging you as harshly as you think, if at all.

Answers in letting kids talk
Mike King believes NZ’s biggest mistake about suicide is ignoring those who have the solution.

Posted in: Engage Updates ⋅ Tagged:

The Butterfly Diaries

September 10, 2014 5:10 pm ⋅

The 10th of September was World Suicide Prevention Day. It’s common to have suicidal thoughts. Engage wants to get people talking about how to survive suicidal thoughts and safely support the people they care about. The Butterfly Diaries is part of a mission to make it okay to talk and easier to find help. Engage has a big box of books waiting to be posted out right now.

The Butterfly Diaries is a creative book project sharing stories of hope and transformation from people who have made it through the experience of being suicidal.

Visit the Butterfly Diaries Page.

Or if you want to support our work, click here to make a donation to Engage Aotearoa.

Posted in: Families/Whanau, Suicide Prevention/Support, Support ⋅ Tagged: , , ,

Taylor and Francis: New Research Article on First-episode Psychosis

September 10, 2014 2:33 pm ⋅

A fascinating new article has been published in full on the Taylor and Francis website. The full title and abstract are below. One of their conclusions is that people can use some coping strategies which are “adaptive” and some which may not be so good for us. Also they decide “growth” is important.

Recovery and adaptation after first-episode psychosis: The relevance of posttraumatic growth
Jane E. Dunkley & Glen W. Bates

This research expanded the concept of recovery following first-episode psychosis (FEP) to include the possibility of posttraumatic growth (PTG), particularly in improved relationships and views of others. Accounts of recovery and adaptation from FEP in the context of a trauma model were examined. FEP is defined as the first treated episode in an individual’s lifetime. A longitudinal qualitative study was conducted utilising a thematic analysis derived from interpretative phenomenological analysis of interview data. Ten people were interviewed three to six months following their psychotic episode and again three months after their initial interview. Analysis of interview data revealed that people actively manage their experience of FEP and utilise adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies. Both restorative and constructive processes and outcomes were relevant, with growth integral to recovery. The identification of PTG after FEP has important clinical implications.

DOI: 10.1080/17522439.2014.936027

Posted in: Research ⋅ Tagged: , , , ,

Highlights from Engage Aotearoa’s Facebook Page

August 8, 2014 4:28 pm ⋅

Here are some recent highlights from Engage Aotearoa’s Facebook page…

Word Up! 2014: supporting our finest young poets, rappers, song-writers and comedians
Word Up! provides an opportunity for 13 – 20 year old singers, poets, rappers and comedians who write their own material to develop their craft and showcase their skills.

The Butterfly Diaries | Engage Aotearoa
The Butterfly Diaries is a creative book project sharing stories of hope and transformation from people who have made it through the experience of being suicidal. True, Kiwi stories of recovery as told by established writers in a variety of different forms.

Photography as a Balm for Mental Illness
An online gallery was created to provide a supportive community for photographers affected by mental illness.

18 Things You Should Never Say To Anxious People
“Don’t freak out, but….”

DHBs accused of underfunding NGO
People from more than 40 mental health and addictions NGOs have gathered at a public meeting to address political candidates.

Survey of Over 4,000 People Reveals Top 10 Depression Treatments
Most of us assume that medication is  go-to treatment option for depression. However, over 4,000 people believe other treatment options were of help.

 

 

Posted in: Engage Updates ⋅ Tagged: , , , , ,

Te Pou HoNOS Tool: now available for Android devices!

August 8, 2014 4:19 pm ⋅

Te Pou has created a new utility for mental-health professionals. The HoNOS tool assists clinicians to use the HoNOS suite of outcome measures.

The dashboard gives you a deeper understanding of your caseload with snapshot statistics – input your entire caseload to get the full benefit of features such as number of cases, severity, ethnicity, gender profile and more. The HoNOS tool keeps track of who is due or overdue to be rated.

The tool is also available as a web version and will be launched for iOS devices in the coming months. Your data will sync across devices so you can use your computer, phone and tablet – whatever suits you best. Download the app from Google Play for use on your tablet or smartphone. Or open Google Play on your android device and search ‘HoNOS’.

For more information link here.

Posted in: Employment / Work, Online Resources ⋅ Tagged: , , ,

Fair Funding: unfair funding practices must change

August 8, 2014 4:00 pm ⋅

Fair Funding aims to re-establish an equitable funding system and stop the decline of the NGO system of community care. This follows exhaustive attempts to resolve these issues over successive years but with no meaningful response from DHBs. They continue to ignore the situation.

New Zealand must see a return to fair funding practices for NGOs to be at their best and fully responsive to community needs. Every year many DHBs compromise this and as a result are placing great strain on a previously effective working partnership with the NGO sector.

Unless DHBs take immediate corrective action, New Zealand faces a future without sufficient community-based mental health and addiction care. This would see a return to days gone by when people couldn’t access services in a timely way, resulting in them and their families in distress, and crisis and emergency services overrun with people desperate for help.

Link here for more information and to add your support.

Posted in: Grants & Funding, Human Rights and Legal Issues, Online Resources, Politics and Policy, Service-User Movement ⋅ Tagged: , , , ,

New Study: no such thing as chemical imbalance?

August 8, 2014 3:32 pm ⋅

A recent study looked at the “Effects of a chemical imbalance causal explanation on individuals’ perceptions of their depressive symptoms.”

A group of participants was given “a bogus but credible biological test demonstrating their depressive symptoms to be caused, or not caused, by a chemical imbalance in the brain”.

“Results showed that chemical imbalance test feedback failed to reduce self-blame, elicited worse prognostic pessimism and negative mood regulation expectancies, and led participants to view pharmacotherapy as more credible and effective than psychotherapy. The present findings add to a growing literature highlighting the unhelpful and potentially iatrogenic effects of attributing depressive symptoms to a chemical imbalance.”

In short, it might be harmful to believe that you have a chemical imbalance. A diagnosis of “depression caused by chemical imbalance” might cause depression.

Study authors:

Joshua J. Kempa, James J. Lickelb, Brett J. Deacona

Link here.

 

 

 

Posted in: Online Resources, Psychiatric Medication, Research ⋅ Tagged: , , , , ,

Highlights from Engage Aotearoa’s Facebook Page

July 5, 2014 3:34 am ⋅

Here are some recent highlights from Engage Aotearoa’s Facebook page…

Attitudes In Reverse | Start THE Conversation, Reverse an Attitude, Save a Life!
In just over three years, Attitudes In Reverse Heroes have visited with schools in three states, and have presented to over 14,000 students. They have saved young lives through education. They will go anywhere they are invited, as long as they have the funding to go.
Demons Inside: Teens at Risk Can Hide Mental Illness – NBC News
Tricia Baker knows there aren’t any easy answers to the question of how best to help children with mental illness.
Those of us with dementia need a little help from our friends | Terry Pratchett
Terry Pratchett: The hundreds of thousands of us living with this condition need support and kindness, not stigma and isolation.
NZ’s first BPD support group forms
A new borderline personality disorder support group tackles a leading cause of suicide for women.
The Space Between Self-Esteem and Self Compassion: Kristin Neff at TEDxCentennialParkWomen
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together.

 

Posted in: Engage Updates ⋅ Tagged: , , , , ,

Fair Funding for the Future of Mental Health

July 5, 2014 3:22 am ⋅

In order for mental health to have a future, we need government and DHBs to change their funding practices. The Fair Funding campaign is calling on the Government and DHBs to do just that.

For more information and to show your support for us, please visit: www.fairfunding.org.nz

Please support us by:

  • Sending an email to MPs and the Chairs and CEOs of the 20 DHBs (an automated email system is set up here: http://www.fairfunding.org.nz/support/thanks)
  • Sharing the campaign details on Facebook
  • Telling as many people as you can about the issue and asking them to show their support by visiting the website, sharing the information and emailing MPs and DHBs about the issue.

There will also be a political debate on the topic at 7pm on Monday the 28th of July at One Tree Hill College in Auckland. Further details to come.

Many thanks for your time and support on this crucial issue,

Laura

Laura Ashton (MSocP (1st class hons), PGDip, BA)
Business Services Manager
Mind and Body Consultants
Ph: (64 9) 630 5909 ext 801
Mob: (027) 212 9225
Fax: (64 9) 630 5944
www.mindandbody.co.nz

Posted in: Grants & Funding, Politics and Policy, Service-User Movement ⋅ Tagged: , , , , ,