mental health- How does it affect us

Mental health problems are estimated to cost the economy around £100bn a year and around 70 million working days are also lost annually.
Nearly two-thirds of patients get access to talking therapies within 28 days. So asking the NHS to ensure 95% are seen within 18 weeks does not seem a big ask. Mental Health is also a issue seen in our prisons.

If you’ve just been diagnosed with a mental health problem you might be looking for information on your diagnosis, treatment options and where to go for support. Our information pages will help you learn more.

Types of depression (3)

Stress and anxiety (5)

Sleep (2)

Suicide and self-harm (3)

Eating and body image (2)

Types of personality disorder (2)

Mania, bipolar (2)

Psychosis, hearing voices and schizophrenia (4)

Other (9)

Anxiety and panic attacks

Explains anxiety and panic attacks, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.

Bipolar disorder

These pages describe the symptoms of bipolar disorder and what treatments are available. It also suggests how you can help yourself, and what family and friends can do.

Body dysmorphic disorder

Explains Body dysmorphic disorder, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.

Borderline personality disorder

Explains borderline personality disorder (BPD), including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.

Depression

Explains depression, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.

Dissociative disorder

Explains dissociative disorders, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.

Drugs - street drugs

Explains the mental health effects of street drugs such as alcohol, cannabis or cocaine. It explains what might happen if you use street drugs and also have a mental health problem, and suggestions for where you might find support.

Eating problems

Explains eating problems, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.

Hearing voices

About voices, who hears them and how to cope if they are a problem.

Hypomania and mania

Explains hypomania and mania, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.

Loneliness

Explains loneliness, giving practical suggestions for what you can do and where you can go for support.

Mental health problems - introduction

Explains the most commonly discussed mental health problems, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

Explains obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.

Panic attacks

Brief tips about panic attacks and what might help.

Paranoia

Explains paranoia, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.

Personality disorders

Explains personality disorders, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support.

Phobia

Explains phobias, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.

Postnatal depression

Explains postnatal depression, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.

Psychotic experiences

Explains pyschotic experiences, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.

PTSD

Explains post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.

Schizoaffective disorder

For people who have been given a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder, and their friends and relatives. Explains what the disorder is, and the types of treatment and support available.

Schizophrenia

Explains schizophrenia, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.

Seasonal affective disorder

Explains seasonal affective disorder, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.

Self-esteem

Explains how to increase your self-esteem, giving practical suggestions for what you can do and where you can go for support.

Self-harm

Explains self-harm, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.

Sleep problems

Explains insomnia and other sleep problems, giving practical suggestions for what you can do and where you can go for support.

Sleep problems - tips

Brief tips on how to cope with sleep problems.

Stress

Explains what stress is, including possible causes, and how you can learn to cope, with tips on how to relax.

Stress - tips

Brief tips on how to cope with stress.

Suicidal feelings

Explains what suicidal feelings are, including possible causes and how you can learn to cope.

There is more info at CJSS.org

September unemployment and the Referendum

With the Scottish independence: referendum taking the majority of the  key focus of media interest and political debate it was easy to miss out the Unemployment figures this month
But maybe it was also a significant time to look at Scottish Unemployment and areas that re well know and seen as an issue like Glasgow



We clearly see the Unemployment issues and figures highlight the North East and Welsh areas as an issue and the Interactive map shows that most of the stats are the same in most areas.

In the near future we may look at how the areas of the Universal Credit has altered the Stats for JSA figures in those areas
The BBC no longer use the interactive map but it does make for interesting viewing

UK Migration -where is it happening?

Migration has been a political hot subject in the U.K for some time. Indeed, the figures make interesting reading that have been published today.
UKIP have long made it a political issue so these figures make an interesting comment.
When we hear that Polish Nationality and Indian Nationalities have become a large group in the area and affecting the public services we can see or at least observe the changes here.

In some areas the need to communicate in some languages may be of Benefit. Look at the map. Whilst the figures for the census are a few years ago now and the Bulgarian and Romanian communities have only recently had the same opportunities as the A8 nations it is worthy of reflection



Language is a key factor in certain areas. I observe that Boston in Lincolnshire has Polish and Lithuanian as key languages. Does your area reflect the changes that have occured?

Support through Benefits2work.com

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• and much much more

We work on an individual basis as well as a contracted service

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A Sanction-where the money is stopped

The number of sanctions applied are staggering

The DWP sanctions have been Published
Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) was introduced in 2008 to replace incapacity benefit.

In the first three months of 2014, there were 15,955 sanctions on ESA claimants, compared with 3,574 in the same period last year.

Only ESA claimants in the work-related activity group, where an adviser assists them with training and skills, can be subject to sanctions, which are handed out for failing to attend a mandatory interview or failing to take part in a work-related activity.

There are 552,000 benefit claimants in the ESA work-related activity group and they receive up to £101.15 a week, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said.

Matt Downie, director of policy and external affairs at Crisis, said: "This is a shocking escalation in the use of sanctions and we are deeply concerned about the impact on people's lives.

"Sanctions are cruel and can leave people utterly destitute - without money even for food and at severe risk of homelessness. It is difficult to see how they are meant to help people prepare for work.

"Our own research has shown that many homeless people face unfair and inappropriate sanctions, often handed out due to errors on the part of the job centre or work programme provider.

"We want the government to commit to an urgent, wide-ranging review looking at the appropriateness and effectiveness of sanctions, especially for people at risk of or experiencing homelessness."

I have looked at the Stats and here are some of the figures

The figures make for interesting reading

We feature the Birmingham figures here

			Decision to apply a sanction (adverse) 3		Other decisions taken:
					Decision not to apply a sanction (non-adverse) 4	Reserved decisions5	Cancelled referrals6
GREAT BRITAIN			1,282,497		714,408	134,775	681,192
CENTRAL ENGLAND			280,437		163,554	26,031	128,974
	Birmingham and Solihull		40,256		25,605	3,158	16,340
		Birmingham - Airport	-		-	-	-
		Birmingham - Aston	-		-	-	-
		Birmingham - Centennial House	1,934		1,374	139	741
		Birmingham - Chelmsley Wood	2,250		1,435	211	932
		Birmingham - Five Ways	-		-	-	-
		Birmingham - Harbone Lane	2,840		1,889	244	1,342
		Birmingham - High Street	-		-	-	-
		Birmingham - Holyhead Road	-		-	-	-
		Birmingham - Kings Heath	2,980		1,877	189	1,263
		Birmingham - Ladywood	3,015		1,673	170	1,019
		Birmingham - Meridian House	3,096		2,208	200	985
		Birmingham - Northfield	3,436		2,688	295	1,622
		Birmingham - Ravenhurst	-		-	-	-
		Birmingham - Small Heath	-		-	-	-
		Birmingham - Soho Road	4,219		1,982	258	1,544
		Birmingham - Sparkhill	4,862		3,737	473	2,046
		Birmingham - Sutton New Road	3,049		2,027	277	1,325
		Birmingham - Washwood Heath	3,729		1,946	339	1,876
		Birmingham - Yardley	1,471		1,074	91	535
		Solihull - Park House	2,369		1,124	192	764

prosperous areas

	Harrogate - Victoria Avenue	1,514		1,227	137	463
	Hessle - The Weir	826		435	76	275

I have highlighted Burminham Ladywood as it used to have the Highest

Other challenged area shows lower figures

Hull - Britannia House

8,470

4,110

499

3,261

Rotherham - Chantry House

6,991

3,574

728

3,848

Liverpool - Toxteth

1,448

1,428

131

1,344

Unemployment Stats with Explanations

Although we do not see the Benefit situation DWP have kindly poduced a link on Youtube
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lms/labour-market-statistics/august-2014/zero-hours-contracts.html
This is usefull as it also provides those looking at the argument of the Zero hour contract.
For many this is a new area as the zero hour means you can be technically in employment but not having hours of work


Here are the ONS

Analysis of zero-hours contracts

Looking at the type of people who report that they are employed on a zero-hours contract, compared with other people in employment who are not on a zero-hours contract, shows that there are differences in their characteristics. For April to June 2014:

• Women make up a greater proportion of those reporting working on zero-hours contracts (54%); compared with those employed who are not on zero-hours contracts (46%).
• People who report being on a zero-hours contract are more likely to be younger. 37% of people on zero-hours contracts are aged 16 to 24, compared with 12% for those employed who are not on zero-hours contracts.
• 64% of people on zero-hours contracts reported that they worked part time, compared with just over a quarter (27%) of those employed who are not on zero-hours contracts.
• People who report being on a zero-hours contract are more likely to be working in Accommodation & Food Services or Health & Social Work. Relatively few work in Financial, Insurance and Professional, Scientific & Technical Activities and Production (including Agriculture).
• The average actual weekly hours worked by people in employment who report being on a zero-hours contract is 22 hours compared with 32 hours for all workers. The average usual

Analysis of zero-hours contracts
Looking at the type of people who report that they are employed on a zero-hours contract, compared with other people in employment who are not on a zero-hours contract, shows that there are differences in their characteristics. For April to June 2014:

Women make up a greater proportion of those reporting working on zero-hours contracts (54%); compared with those employed who are not on zero-hours contracts (46%).

People who report being on a zero-hours contract are more likely to be younger. 37% of people on zero-hours contracts are aged 16 to 24, compared with 12% for those employed who are not on zero-hours contracts.

64% of people on zero-hours contracts reported that they worked part time, compared with just over a quarter (27%) of those employed who are not on zero-hours contracts.

People who report being on a zero-hours contract are more likely to be working in Accommodation & Food Services or Health & Social Work. Relatively few work in Financial, Insurance and Professional, Scientific & Technical Activities and Production (including Agriculture).

The average actual weekly hours worked by people in employment who report being on a zero-hours contract is 22 hours compared with 32 hours for all workers. The average usual weekly hours is higher at 24 hours (37 hours for all workers).
Alomg with the Claiment count theClaiment count by age and duration is also published by age and duration
Interesting as well the Vacancies are published by Sectors or industries making for interestingn reading

All vacancies1

Mining & quarrying

Manu- facturing

Electricity, gas, steam & air conditioning supply2

Water supply, sewerage, waste & remediation activities2

Construc-tion

Wholesale & retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles

Transport & storage

Accomoda-tion & food service activities

Information & communica-tion

Financial & insurance activities

Real estate activities2

Professional scientific & technical activities

Administra-tive & support service activities

Public admin & defence; compulsory social security

Education

Human health & social work activities2

Arts, entertainment & recreation2

Other service activities

Total services

Motor Trades

Wholesale

Retail

Should you wish to find out the size of the Business thats interesting as well
What about the Regions you ask?

• The employment rate in Great Britain was highest in the South East (76.7%) and lowest in Wales (69.1%).
• The unemployment rate in Great Britain was highest in the North East (9.4%) and lowest in the South East (4.4%).
• The inactivity rate in Great Britain was highest in Wales (25.7%) and lowest in the East of England (19.3%).
• The Claimant Count rate in Great Britain was highest in the North East (5.0%) and lowest in the South East (1.7%

Well this information is also available today. Showing the need for improvement and support in the North East because of the 9.4 % unemployment but as expected the South East is the Boom area
An indication where the investment is needed -The North East


Here are the terms that ONS use that fits the video above in case you didnt understand the activity or inactive aspects of the stats
The Stats are normally produced with a focus on the JSA as you can see from th other information on this sheet
However many job seekers are on ESA Employment Support Allowance and this has to be factored into the overall equation along with the Universal Credit aspect.



Graphic by Office for National Statistics (ONS)

Youth Unemployment

The skills Gap is something I have written about before so reading the article again by BBC and a report thats out means in my opinion and yes its only my opinion so much training is a waste

The think tank the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) says a full-blown economic recovery will not fix the UK's youth unemployment problem.

The IPPR highlights a striking mismatch between what young people are training for and the types of jobs available.

For example, it says, 94,000 people were trained in beauty and hair for just 18,000 jobs, while only 123,000 were trained in the construction and engineering sectors for an advertised 275,000 jobs.

Further more

Although the youth unemployment rate has fallen sharply from 20.9% a year ago to 17.8%, the IPPR says there are still 868,000 young people aged 16 to 24 unemployed and 247,000 of them have been looking for work for over a year.

Thats just under 250.000 1/4 of a million. in the NEET group. The highest group also to be taking up Universal Credit incidently.

"A strong workplace-based vocational education and training system, with high employer involvement, contributes more to a smoother transition from education to work and a low rate of youth unemployment than anything else

This means that there is a need to look at promoting more use of the UK Apprentice system where the work is focussed around a need.