Mental health professionals and members of the public who are affected by Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) will get together on Saturday 22nd November for the 2008 OCD Conference at Imperial College London.

The Conference is organised by OCD Action and has been designed to educate and inspire participants, and provide an opportunity to share personal experiences. It is estimated that OCD affects approximately 1.8 million people in the UK and it is listed as one of the top 10 disabling conditions in the world by the World Health Organisation.

The day will include workshops, presentations and short films designed to help those attending. OCD Action Chairman, Peter Jennings, said: “This day of action will have internationally-respected experts deconstruct this complex disorder to show people that these intrusive thoughts and compulsive rituals are purely symptoms of OCD; symptoms which can be managed through therapy, medication and the determination to say No to OCD”.

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An article over on Times Online recently highlighted the mass anxiety that is sweeping through Britain, causing raised blood pressure, increasing stress-hormone levels and rash economic actions. The credit crisis, bank failures and unpredictable stock prices have apparently sent record numbers seeking therapy.

According to Philip Corr, a professor of psychology, uncertainty causes severe unease: “If you are faced with higher interest rates, large fuel bills, rising food costs and the worry of what is going to happen in the next few months - that can have a catastrophic effect on people.”

Worry ripples through a crowd, like a virus, in a manner called “emotional contagion” and things can rapidly spiral into mass anxiety. However studies show that the fear can be forestalled. Developing resilience skills, such as getting physical, staying curious, keeping a gratitude journal and getting involved with your community can all help to promote a sense of calm during these more difficult times.

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According to an article over on the Guardian, mental health services are being ignored by the NHS.

The Healthcare Commission reported in its annual review that the NHS is performing better than ever. However not all waiting times are measured: the report ignored the lack of access to areas of care in mental health, with some referrals for psychological ‘talking’ therapies taking up to two years.

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence has been recommending psychological therapies for people with a range of mental illnesses for years, however according to Rethink, 68% of people with schizophrenia are not getting this treatment.

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According to a recent article in the Guardian, mentally ill children are still receiving inappropriate treatment on adult wards. The children’s commissioner for England, Sir Al Aynsley-Green, led a study that found only 15% of NHS trusts are treating children on appropriate wards, and warned that “much still needs to be done to ensure young people placed on adult wards have the appropriate level of care and support they need.”

A spokesman for the Department of Health said: “Spending on mental health services increased by 31%, or £1.2bn, in the past five years, allowing the NHS to invest in the services and staff needed to transform mental health provision. This has included a commitment that, by November this year, no under-16 will be treated on an adult psychiatric ward and that by April 2010 all under-18s will be treated in an age-appropriate environment in hospital.”

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The credit crunch is already affecting most of us, and for those in debt crisis who are struggling with debts and meeting repayments, this can be a scary time. Free, personal help is extremely important and the sooner help is sought, the better. But where do you go to get the right help?

Non-profit debt counselling with someone who is paid to help you on a one-on-one basis is often the first place to start if you’re in debt crisis. CCCS, National Debtline and Citizens Advice Bureau all offer free advice and they’ll be able to show you how to prioritise the most important debts and may even set you up on a debt management plan.

Unfortunately it can sometimes take a while to get an appointment so using the information on their website can help while you wait. There are also local debt counselling charities such as Christians Against Poverty that may be able to help.

For those who are not in debt crisis, but would like to talk to someone about their financial situation, there are debt counsellors who will charge an hourly fee to set up a debt management plan (they will also be able to deal with stress, anxiety and depression which financial problems can often cause).

Find out more from Money Saving Expert …

According to a new report, expenditure on NHS Stop Smoking Services has risen by nearly £10 million to £61 million in 2007/08.

The report also shows that over 680,000 people set a date to give up smoking through the NHS Stop Smoking Services in 2007/08, up 13% from the previous year. Of these, 52% managed to stay off cigarettes at the time of their four week follow-up.

The majority of people who tried to give up smoking used nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), while 14% received the smoking cessation drug varenicline (Champix).

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According to an article on the Guardian, the number of people admitted to hospital in England with mental illnesses linked to use of illegal drugs has doubled in the past decade. Figures show that 38,170 adults and children were admitted with drug-related mental and behavioural disorders in 2006-2007, an increase of 101% since 1996-1997.

Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of the mental health charity Sane, said: “More than twice as many young men were admitted as young women, which suggests men may be more likely to self-medicate with illicit drugs to manage their emotional distress.”

The figures show that men accounted for 79% of the 1,573 deaths from illicit drug use in England and Wales in 2006.

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According to a survey, conducted by the charity Rethink, of more than 3000 mental health service users, 87% reported the negative impact of stigma on their lives. Research found that nearly 9 out of 10 people with mental health problems have been affected by stigma and discrimination, with two thirds saying they have stopped doing things because of the stigma they face.

Rethink reported: “Stigma stops people with mental health problems from doing everyday things such as applying for jobs, making new friends, and going out to pubs and shops. It can even prevent people from reporting a crime”.

An article on the Guardian highlighted this with reference to employment: “One-third of people with mental health problems report having been dismissed or forced to resign, and, according to a report published in 2004 by the Social Exclusion Unit, just 24% of people with long-term mental health problems are in employment, despite them having the highest “want to work” rate of any group.”

According to the charity Rethink, the message service users want to convey, is: “We are people. See me, not the illness.” It is stigma that makes this difficult.

Mental health charity Mind has recently announced Dr Liz Miller as Mind Champion of the Year 2008. The award honours those who have made a significant contribution to challenging discrimination against people with mental health problems. Liz is a practising GP in London and suffers from bipolar disorder. She has written and spoken about her own experience, and co-founded the Doctors’ Support Network, a self-help group for doctors experiencing mental health problems.

Liz is also a founding trustee of Stand to Reason, a UK organisation committed to fighting discrimination and changing attitudes to mental illness, led by people who have experienced mental illness and based on research.

Liz said: “I’m very touched to receive the award. It’s really important that we change attitudes about mental health, and a good starting point is changing attitudes within the medical profession”.

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According to research, every year over 13 million working days are lost in the UK due to stress and stress-related symptoms, and experts believe it affects everyone at least every two weeks. Frances Ive, founder of the website Healthy Soul, has written the book Stress - The Essential Guide (due out in September) to tackle this issue head on.

Frances said: “Everyone suffers with some form of stress at least once in his or her life; it’s a natural part of life. The important thing is knowing what to do about it when it happens. This essential guide gives you that knowledge in an easily digestible format so action can be taken and control regained”.

The book offers readers advice on what to do in extreme circumstances of stress, how to minimise the pressure and where to get further help and support. Available from Need2Know.

According to an article in The Independent, Doctors have called for graphic images of diseased livers to be displayed on wine and spirits bottles and beer cans to warn of the dangers of binge-drinking. They also called for soft drinks to be made significantly cheaper than alcohol, and for labels showing alcohol units to be a mandatory requirement on bar taps and bottles.

Dr Raj Nirula, a urologist at the Princess of Wales Hospital, said “alcohol consumption has doubled since 1960, leading to more hospital admissions and associated crime. It is becoming an epidemic. The images should be in pubs and on bottles, on every single drink.”

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According to official figures for England and Wales, the number of abortions among girls aged 16 increased by 10% in 2007 to 4,376. According to an article on the BBC, the number of abortions in the under 16s has risen by 27% in the past decade.

Gill Frances, chair of the Teenage Pregnancy Independent Advisory Group, said “We need high quality sex and relationships education at school and at home and effective contraception.”

Health Minister Dawn Primarolo said “Contraception plays a vital role in preventing teenage pregnancy and earlier this year I announced a further investment of £26.8m to improve women’s access to contraception and help reduce the number of abortions, repeat abortions and teenage pregnancies”.

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According to The National Association for Premenstrual Syndrome (NAPS), the UK charity for people with PMT, there’s been a rise in the number of young women being told they’ve got depression when their symptoms are actually linked to their periods and don’t last all month. Those being misdiagnosed as clinically depressed may be prescribed anti-depressants by their GP, which can be strong and addictive.

Jackie Howe, who runs the charity, admitted that it can be hard for women to recognise that their symptoms are linked to their menstrual cycle, and women’s health spokesperson Sarah Jarvis agreed that a diagnosis can be difficult, saying: “The psychological symptoms of PMT and depression are very similar and so yes there can be a temptation to offer them anti-depressant drugs, because they can work for both”.

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A new study has recently found that drinking or smoking heavily may accelerate the development of Alzheimer’s disease. According to the results, drinkers may develop the disease nearly five years earlier, while heavy smokers may develop it two years earlier. The study was conducted on 938 people aged 60 or more who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

Ranjan Duara, of the Mount Sinai Medical Centre in Miami Beach, said the results were significant “because it’s possible that if we can reduce or eliminate heavy smoking and drinking, we could substantially delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease for people and reduce the number of people who have Alzheimer’s at any point in time”.

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Recent findings published by the Guardian suggest that individuals with mental health problems are three times more likely to have debt problems. Experts warn that financial troubles can result in depression, anxiety and even suicide.

Those suffering with bipolar disorder are likely to be more affected than most, as experts believe over-spending is often part of the condition. A report published by the mental health charity Mind has found that debt is leaving tens of thousands of people struggling to live.

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