Although most Musculoskeletal Elves lead very physically active lives there are a small minority of Elves who are office based. Occasionally I hear them complain of episodes of low back pain and they have enquired of me as to what contributed to its onset. Although I felt I had a reasonable idea as to the main [read the full story…]
In these times of austerity, there is a lot of interest in computerised cognitive behavioural therapy (cCBT) as a treatment for people with depression and anxiety. It is hoped that this cheap and easy to deliver intervention can help to reduce the long waiting lists for face-to-face talking treatments. I’ve regularly blogged about cCBT over [read the full story…]
There’s a growing body of evidence that shows how relatively minor adjustments in the workplace can have a huge impact on supporting people with mental health problems and help them stay in work. The Department of Health has published guidance that will help employers think through the changes that they can make in the workplace [read the full story…]
As teachers across the UK have been recharging their batteries over the summer break are they also taking the opportunity to rest their weary bodies? Musculoskeletal disorders have a huge impact on work related absences. For example in the UK, in 2007/2008, on average, each person suffering from an upper-limb disorder took an estimated 13.3 [read the full story…]
The Ministerial Working Group on Homelessness has published a new report on preventing and tackling homelessness, which builds on the plan that was announced back in July 2011. The new report aims to make sure that every contact local agencies make with vulnerable people and families really counts. It brings together government commitments to: Tackle troubled [read the full story…]
How is the economic downturn affecting the health of the nation? It seems obvious to many of us that the mental wellbeing of people who are going through very tough personal and financial circumstances is likely to be seriously affected. Of course the ultimate price that people pay is with their lives and there has [read the full story…]
It seems logical that people who work long hours and have a stressful job are more likely to suffer from depression, yet epidemiological studies that have investigated the links between long working hours and depression have reported inconsistent findings. The Whitehall II prospective cohort study followed nearly 3,000 British staff from across 20 civil service [read the full story…]
Studies have suggested that people with learning disabilities have poorer oral health than those in the general population, and often have untreated caries and high prevalence of gingivitis and other periodontal diseases. The researchers in this study were interested in the oral health status and behaviour of people with learning disabilities who were employed as [read the full story…]
Those of you who like nothing more than to pour over spreadsheets full of social care and mental health statistics (you know who you are) may shed a tear today, as it sees the final publication of the Social Care and Mental Health Indicators from the National Indicator set, which is soon to be replaced [read the full story…]
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised by some of the recent coverage in the press and on TV about mental illness at work. TV adverts have highlighted the difference individuals can make by talking openly about mental health in the workplace and there are a number of destigmatising campaigns underway by [read the full story…]
