Here's a selection of recent research and projects about men's health, with a focus on mental health and addiction. Read more in-depth articles about specific topics in the summer 2010 issue of CrossCurrents.
In keeping with the latest CrossCurrents theme on stigma and discrimination by health care providers, I'm posting a report from a recent stigma-busting forum held in northern Ontario written by Suzanne Witt-Foley, a program consultant at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).
The last two issues of CrossCurrents focused on the Internet in clinical care and stigma and discrimination by health care providers. This blog post I stumbled across nicely ties in to topics we addressed in those two issues. It provides practical tips -- from simple to more involved -- for how you can use the Internet to fight stigma and discrimination around mental illness and addiction "one post and tweet at a time" -- both within the health care sector and beyond.
Do you want to have a say in what the new DSM will look like?
You have until April 20.
Publication of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) is a hugely anticipated event in the mental health and addiction field. The final document, which has already been 10 years in the making, is expected to be released in 2013. As part of the development process, the preliminary draft revisions to the current diagnostic criteria for psychiatric diagnoses are available for public review and comment. The proposed draft will be available for public comment until April 20 at www.dsm5.org/
In a 2005 article in Canadian Public Policy, Dr. Heather Stuart from the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, provides 10 tips for developing an effective campaign against stigma and discrimination. Her main conclusion is that generic campaigns are ineffective, and that programs must focus on select groups. Fortunately, this is exactly what the Mental Health Commission of Canada is doing with its Opening Minds campaign.
Welcome to the CrossCurrents editor's blog. In the course of researching stories for the print edition of CrossCurrents, I come across more interesting ideas, developments and resources than we can cram into an issue. This blog will deal with some of that overflow. It's also a chance to fill you in weekly about what's going on in the mental health and addiction field -- and for you to give us feedback.
