11 November 2009

MENTAL HEALTH

Report from the Ministerial Summit on Dementia Research (5th November 2009)
One of the commitments made in the National Dementia Strategy was to hold a Ministerial Summit on Dementia Research. This took place on 21 July 2009. The independent report of the event is now available.
Report

A civilised society: Mental health provision for refugees and asylum seekers in England and Wales (5th November 2009)
Every year thousands of people arrive in the UK seeking sanctuary, fleeing conflict, political upheaval and persecution. Once here their problems are often far from over. They face the uphill battle of gaining leave to stay, racism, isolation, separation from friends and family, and, for many, poverty and destitution.

The combined impact of these experiences on the mental health and wellbeing of refugees and asylum-seekers can be devastating. Mind spent a year talking to 150 refugee community groups in England and with service providers across England and Wales to find out the mental health needs of refugees and asylum seekers. They asked how services are helping or failing them and how they can surmount the cultural and language barriers that prevent them from seeking or receiving effective support.
Report


Improving mental health support for refugee communities - an advocacy approach (5th November 2009)
The Refugee and asylum-seeker mental health advocacy project was developed to build a better understanding of the mental health concerns of refugees and asylum-seekers in England and to use these data to improve their ability to find pathways to appropriate mental health support.

The core approach was to work with advocates from refugee community organisations to develop a robust form of mental health advocacy. This form of advocacy includes not only focused support for individuals, but also advocacy for the community as a whole.

In the community function the aim was to create a dialogue with the community on issues of mental health (including stigma) and to engage with primary care trusts and other provider agencies to develop community-focused services.
Report

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