‘Public Health’ at Psychology, Philosophy and Real Life, Page 4

First it was a problem supposedly only for gay men, drug users, and the promiscuous, then for Eastern Europeans and Africans, and now it is women who are said to bear the brunt of the virus and be the ones who should empower themselves and stop the virus in its tracks. Women taking responsibility for men’s behaviour. Sound familiar?

In response to the recent publication of World Health Organisation research into depression in The Lancet, the UK’s Mental Health Foundation calls attention to the cost to the economy of mental health problems: some 30 billion pounds in direct costs, and nearly 100 billion pounds when other social and health factors are included.

British MPs today begin debating what some have described as a truly draconian Mental Health Bill. Once hailed for its potential to pave the way for a more modern approach to mental health in the United Kingdom, the bill — some 9 years in the making — is now strongly opposed by the Mental Health Alliance, a coalition of 80 organisations representing doctors, nurses, social workers, people with mental illness and their families.

On Monday 9 April, G4 star Ben Thapa will begin an online auction of sports, music and showbiz goodies to raise money for charity. Prizes include VIP tickets to meet the team at any Bolton Wanderers premiership match, tickets to meet G4 on their forthcoming tour, and a signed Manchester United football. Ben has organised the auction, which is being held on eBay to raise money for the Mental Health Foundation.

Not enough is known about the potential dangers associated with antidepressant medications, according to the UK’s Mental Health Foundation. The group has responded to the controversy about the GlaxoSmithKline Seroxat case covered in an expose by the Panorama programme.