Some recommended reading...

Very interesting piece here in the Times today by writer Francesca Okeke about growing up with a mentally ill parent.

While we're on the subject, also worth a look is Horizon's 'How Mad Are You?' on Channel 4 at the moment. Taking a 'reality TV' approach to mental illness, the first episode last Tuesday pulled in nearly 2 million viewers.

The documentary makers put five people with mental illnesses alongside five "normal" people in a house, and challenged experts to identify which was which.

The second part of the investigation is to be aired tomorrow (Tuesday 18th Nov). The first part is available on 4OD online.

Breakthrough HIV vaccine does not work

The clinical trial of a HIV vaccine in the US has found that it does not lower the risk of acquiring HIV, and in some cases may actually increase the risk of contracting the infection.

Researchers have analysed blood samples of the trial’s 2677 participants to try to assess why the vaccine was not effective.

The results, which were published online by the Lancet this week, show that the vaccine did not prevent infection in those not previously infected with HIV, nor did it reduce the amount of virus in participants who became infected with HIV through exposure from an infected person while taking part in the trial.

In fact, people given the vaccine had a slightly higher risk of HIV infection. However, this increased risk was only seen in men who received the vaccine who were uncircumcised or had pre-existing immunity to adenovirus type 5, the cold virus used as a carrier for the vaccine, compared to those that received placebo.

The reasons for this increased risk are now being investigated. The researchers have stressed in their report that the vaccine itself cannot cause HIV.

Health officials, however, are remaining positive about the outcome of the study.

Larry Corey, principal investigator of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) said in a statement: “This trial stands as a landmark clinical HIV vaccine investigation that has profoundly informed the entire HIV vaccine research field.”

Peter Kim, President of Merck Research Laboratories, who developed the vaccine said: “As disappointing as the outcome of the study was, we will continue to follow the study participants and conduct additional analyses as part of Merck's commitment to a comprehensive approach to address the complex challenges of the AIDS pandemic.”

The 'last taboo'

Writing about mental health can cause lots of problems for journalists. There are so many stereotypes to bypass; myths, misconceptions, misinformation. The language you use to report them is crucial, and the points you make need to be clear enough to communicate with the vast majority of people who believe that those with mental health problems are dangerous or unpredictable.

Yet, it’s such an important area to report on. So much of the stigma surrounding psychological problems could arguable be traced back to lack of information, or perpetuated negative stereotypes, both of which the media can have a huge influence over.

As a journalism student and freelance journalist, mental health has always been a primary area of interest for me. A key principle for journalists is to look for the human interest in a story – and stories relating to mental health have that in abundance. The prevalence of these problems in modern society means we all know someone who has struggled with depression, anxiety, or even more serious conditions such as schizophrenia and obsessive compulsive disorder. The more unlucky amongst us have experienced them first hand. But an experience I’ve had all too frequently is pitching stories related to these issues to tutors or editors, and having them rejected, because ‘mental health just isn’t sexy’, ‘it’s too morose’, ‘too depressing’ or whatever reason they care to throw at me.

Whatever you think, the stats speak for themselves. 1 in 4 people will suffer from a mental health problem during their lifetime. That means one out of every four people who pick up your publication could be dealing with these problems – and journalists have a responsibility to address them.

National papers are full of examples of stories related to mental health, both good and bad. The overwhelming majority of those we see in the popular press leave something to be desired in terms of good reporting. ‘Amy Madhouse!’ and ‘Bonkers Britney!’ are the sort of headlines we are used to seeing in the tabloids. The terms ‘schizo’, ‘nutter’ and ‘basket case’ are bandied about, without any real consideration for the people they describe, or what it is like to be on the receiving end of these terms. If anyone desperately needs to be treated with sensitivity and empathy, it’s a person who is struggling with a mental health condition. The treatment they receive from other people could make a huge difference to their recovery and to how they cope with their condition.

The papers seem to fixate particularly on suicide. It’s easy enough to understand why this is newsworthy: it’s usually a violent act, horrific and shocking. As they say: bad news sells. But journalists need to be very careful with this. However contrived it seems, copycat suicides can and do happen. One study found that following reports of a suicide in which anti-freeze was mixed with lemonade and drunk in a field, the following month there were nine cases of deliberate anti-freeze self-poisoning (compared to an average of two per month). And back in March of this year, we saw a spate of young people commit suicides in the town of Bridgend- 17 in total between January and March. The local MP Madeleine Moon has been outspoken about the fact that she believes media coverage is, at least, partially to blame. The situation is so grave that the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) has added a new clause which stipulates that journalists must take care to avoid providing excessive detail about the method used in a suicide.

So the point to be made is this: journalists need to pay more attention to mental health stories, and they should never avoid reporting them, however unpalatable or uncomfortable they may be to hear. But how they report them is key. They need to use sensitive and appropriate language, to choose where to provide detail and when not to, and to source real life case studies instead of relying on ‘experts’ for all quotes. Mental health problems cost the UK economy over £77bn a year. Surely there must be something we as journalists can do to break down the stigma and offer support and advice to the people that really need it, and still write great stories at the same time?

First post

Welcome to my new health blog!