It is commonplace in the UK and elsewhere for mental health service users to start working alongside mental health professionals in what is known as a ‘consumer-provider’ role.  This can include a number of different skills and responsibilities such as peer support, advocacy, outreach and crisis support.

A new systematic review from the Cochrane Consumers and Communication Group has just been published that assesses the “effects of employing current or past adult consumers of mental…

The McPin Foundation exists to transform mental health research by putting the lived experience of people affected by mental health problems at the heart of research methods and the research agenda. 

It works in three main ways:

• Through conducting user focused mental health research. 
• Through building the capacity of others to conduct user focused mental health research.  
• Through seeking to influence methods, practice and decision…

Centre for Mental Health Social Research

The Centre for Mental Health Social Research is a collaborative centre bringing together researchers at the University of York undertaking social science research into mental health and well-being. Based in the Department of Social Policy and Social Work, the Centre's research focuses on social perspectives in mental health through the life course from childhood to old age. The Centre meets a need for research into the social, economic and…

The Reader Organisation is calling for a new language to talk about mental health, with senior health professionals, readers and writers discussing the idea in the opening session of the charity’s annual conference, ‘Shared Reading for Healthy Communities’ at the British Library on 16th May 2013.

Unlike the growing number of ‘Books on Prescription’ and ‘Bibliotherapy’ schemes, The Reader Organisation, which is commissioned by health services across the UK, has chosen not to limit the…

I am attaching a link to a newsletter produced at the University of Bradford on student mental health.  This is distributed amongst staff and students.

headivalmag2.docx

This may be of interest.

Kate

Exhibition at the Wellcome Collection. The 46 artists represented in the show are residents and day attendees at social welfare institutions across Japan. The wonderfully diverse collection comprises ceramics, textiles, paintings, sculpture and drawings.

'Souzou' has no direct translation in English but a dual meaning in Japanese: written one way, it means creation, and in another it means imagination. Both meanings allude to a force by which new ideas are born and take shape in the…

BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL FILM - Caldera (2012)

from Evan Viera PLUS



https://vimeo.com/62596239



orchidanimation.com | facebook.com/evanvieraanimation

AWARDS

Prix Ars Electronica Award of Distinction

Award of Innovation - Seattle International Film Festival

Best Animated Film - Rome Independent Film…

The Mental Health Foundation is undertaking a major Inquiry into the future of mental health services across the UK, looking 20-30 years ahead at what sort of mental health care and support we will need, and how we might ensure it is achieved. The Inquiry is co-chaired by Lord Carlile of Berriew and Professor Dinesh Bhugra. It expects to report this autumn.

You can find out more about the Inquiry …

Universities can support disadvantaged communities by providing access to opportunities and facilities, resources and expertise.  This study shows how universities are successfully engaging with these communities, and highlights the potential for universities to do more and to do it better. It found that:

• Universities could do more to support disadvantaged communities by using their distinctive position as leading local institutions, and by recognising the role they can play as…

This one-day conference, supported by the British Sociological Association’s Education Study Group, will showcase the diverse and innovative range of research that is currently being conducted within the Sociology of Education.  

Conference Organisers: Rachel Brooks (University of Surrey), Kalwant Bhopal…

Closing Date - 12 noon Friday 3rd May 2013

The Higher Education Academy (HEA), Health and Social Care Cluster (HSSC) encourages students to share their experiences of service user engagement and Patient & Public Involvement (PPI) in higher education in a number of ways via writing for publication, abstracts for posters at our conference, workshops and by becoming a member of a network for those with a special interest in PPI; the Lived Experience Network (LEN).

To encourage…

The Royal College of Psychiatrists produces an informative monthly e-newsletter.  See here for the latest issue.

This recent report may be of interest.

An Avalanche is Coming sets out vividly the challenges ahead for higher education, not just in the US or UK but around the world. Just as we’ve seen the forces of technology and globalisation transform sectors such as media and communications or banking and finance over the last two decades, these forces may now transform higher education. The solid classical buildings of great universities may look permanent but the storms of change now threaten…

[Reblogged from my blog.  Thanks for the suggestion, Julie!]

As readers know, I’ve been fuming for the last several days about the latest Philosophy, Psychiatry & Psychology issue–specifically the near total exclusion/marginalization of service users (not to mention women and ethnic racial minorities).  I decided to take a look at PPP’s…

Dear Readers

At the Centre for Women's Mental Health in the University of Manchester, we are offering a FREE half day workshop for female mental health service users who wish to improve their knowledge about sexual and reproductive health matters

and their interaction with mental health. Participants will be introduced to an innovative online resource (…

Cast of Characters:  Nev, Professor K (editor of prominent philosophy of psychiatry journal), Chorus (only heard by audience)

N: So, Professor, I’ve noticed that there are virtually no articles or responses in your journal written by individuals–academically or non-academically trained–with lived experience…?

PK:  Well, yes, you did realize that it’s a philosophy journal, didn’t you?

Chorus to…