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What is the answer to the impressive number of children with mental health problems?
Investment in mental health services for children and adolescents? An incentive to recruit more professionals in the psychology and psychiatry of the child?
No, apparently, the answer is smartphones.
The heartbreaking story in this week's Mail of Molly Russell, a 14-year-old girl who committed suicide in November 2017, should certainly make us extremely hesitant to encourage young people to spend more time on the phone.
In an effort to reduce long wait times for people with mental health problems from ages 5 to 18, the NHS announced this week that it will offer treatment for children with depression through an application mobile phone rather than having them wait face-to-face. facial therapy.
It's total madness. The heartbreaking story in this week's Mail of Molly Russell, a 14-year-old girl who committed suicide in November 2017, should certainly make us extremely hesitant to encourage young people to spend more time on the phone.
Speaking publicly for the first time of his death, Molly's father, Ian, emphasized the role that social media has played.
In order to reduce costs, we unfortunately can not deal with the most vulnerable and the most disadvantaged. The fate of poor Molly Russell, aged 14 (pictured above in 2009) is a tragic reminder of the dangerousness that can result.
He said he had "no doubt" an Instagram photo-sharing site – where she could see hundreds of thousands of images of people hurting themselves and talking about suicide – had "helped kill my daughter" .
An account she followed had the image of a blindfolded girl, apparently with bleeding eyes, hugging a teddy bear. Below was the legend: "This world is so cruel, and I do not want to see it anymore."
Regardless of the troubling nature of the material, the fact is that social media isolates users from the outside world, preventing them from talking about their difficulties.
When it comes to mental health, human interaction is vital. We should encourage our children to look up from their screens. Report after report warns parents to reduce the time young people spend on their screens.
So why do NHS officials go against the evidence and think that it is a good idea to encourage the young people who are suffering to spend even more time on their cell phone?
I am not a Luddite: I am not afraid to adopt technological solutions to the problems of the NHS. But there are times when technology is not the answer. The vital clues about the possible cause of mental health of these young people will be missed if the NHS relies on telephone applications.
It's true that some become depressed for no apparent reason. A child can have a stable and loving home life without tension or undue pressure at school – yet his mind is still harbaded by a dark cloud of anxiety.
Speaking publicly for the first time of his death, Molly's father, Ian, emphasized the role that social media has played.
But the fact is that for the majority, this is not the case. Having worked in the field of children's mental health, my experience is that their problems are usually the result of external factors beyond their control. Conflict, bereavement, bullying, learning difficulties – all this can cause depression among young people.
Mental health problems are often a symptom of a problem in a child's family. This is why it is essential to badess the family situation from the start.
Sometimes there is a gap between the emotional and psychological needs of a child and the parenting style of their mother and father. And no one is to blame for the child to collapse because these needs are simply not satisfied.
It's incredibly complex and it often takes a lot of time to get to the bottom of things and find out how to help them. How can an application be anything but an obstacle or even an obstacle when trying to tackle such difficult problems?
As for the idea of treating five-year-olds by means of these smartphone apps, it should be anathema to any sensible practitioner. If a child so young is depressed, something is wrong in his life and an urgent and appropriate badessment is needed.
I fear that these applications are being seized by stressed and overworked GPs with only ten minutes per patient. Families in urgent need of help will be hunted.
In order to reduce costs, we unfortunately can not deal with the most vulnerable and the most disadvantaged. The fate of 14-year-old Molly Russell reminds us tragically how dangerous it can be.
Please do not give to beggars
When it is cold, it is especially difficult to see homeless people huddled under blankets in the streets and it is tempting to give them money or buy food or a hot drink.
Please do not do any of these things. Having worked as a homeless doctor, I can tell you that it does not help at all. On the contrary.
If they receive food or money, they become self-reliant – which means they are less likely to seek the help of official bodies such as community centers. and soup kitchens where problems and diseases can be spotted.
Giving beggars to the street is not really a matter of problem solving: it's about getting the person giving to feel better with themselves. [File photo]
This means that when they feel bad, they rise to a hopelessly overworked state. This is corroborated by the numbers showing that the number of homeless people visiting A & E has tripled since 2011.
Cash donations provide a steady income to drug addicts and addicts, while providing them with food and hot drinks, which means that beggars can keep a larger share of their money, which they could then be tempted to spend on drugs and alcohol.
The truth is that benefactors constantly thwart the excellent services that are desperately trying to help these people.
If you want to help, donate to a charity. The reason people do not do this is because when you donate to a charity, you do not receive the same instant relief as when you give to a beggar who is right in front of you .
But that's the problem. Giving beggars to the street is not really a matter of problem solving: it's about getting the person giving to feel better with themselves.
How families can chew their worries
My greetings to Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer for England.
I do not always agree with her way of killing, her way of being a nanny – for example, advising women whenever they take a glbad of wine to ask themselves, "Is do I want my glbad of wine or do I want to increase my risk of bad cancer? ? & # 39;
But this week, she defended the family's meals, a subject that is particularly close to my heart.
![Now, too many children have too much to eat, it's a take-away meal or a microwave oven heated in a hurry, while half of the family is stuck to his phone and the other half to the TV screen - often not even in the same room [File photo]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/01/25/23/9002144-6633953-image-m-10_1548460427102.jpg)
At present, too many children often see meals in a hasty take-out or microwave oven, while half of the family is stuck to their phone and the other half to the family. TV screen – often even in the same room [File photo]
Before, at least once a day, the whole family sat down together to eat. But as families become fragmented and our lives become more frenetic, family meals are almost a thing of the past in many homes.
I deplore this loss, because such occasions fulfill a vital psychological and social function. Family meals are an opportunity to express problems or concerns, to register with each other, to reconnect.
Previously, they helped identify difficult times when young people struggled. It was a chance to intervene, stifle things in the bud and mobilize the rest of the family to support them.
At present, too many children often see meals in a hasty take-out or microwave oven, while half of the family is stuck to their phone and the other half to the family. TV screen – often not even in the same room.
And we wonder why children today have so many problems.
Today, we are in the ideal position to eradicate HIV through a combination of drugs called PrEP – Prophylaxis Before Exposure. Taken daily, it effectively immunizes the user against HIV.
He was hailed as a miracle drug. Yet, although it is available on the NHS in Scotland and Wales for high-risk people, it is not available for free in England.
It is currently only available to people who are testing a drug, which means that thousands of them are missing.
NHS England agreed to consider increasing the number of trial places last week – but that's not enough. PrEP is a triumph of science. Anyone exposed to the virus should have access to it.
Dr. Max prescribes …
Rosehip extract to relieve joint pain
A disturbing report released this week, Joint Health of the Nation, showed the strong correlation between musculoskeletal health and mental health.
Research has shown that over 60% of people with osteoarthritis have difficulty walking and that 20% have depressive illness. My mother has had terrible problems with her knee osteoarthritis in recent years, so I know how miserable this can be.
I started it with GOPO Joint Health capsules with rose hip extract because tests have shown that it can help reduce pain and stiffness.
In addition, there is evidence that the anti-inflammatory properties of rose hip may help the cartilage of the joint to regenerate.
If osteoarthritis spoils your life, then it is worth it to try.
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