Kiwis Feel Abandoned by the Mental Health System
Comedian and mental health advocate Mike King has called out Health Minister Jonathan Coleman on his lack of knowledge on mental health matters.
King appeared on Maori TV programme Media Take on Tuesday night to discuss the issue, along with Shaun Robinson from the Mental Health Foundation who also voiced his disappointment.
In the episode, mental health campaigner Mike King and Mental Health Foundation CEO Shaun Robinson discuss New Zealand's current mental health issues ahead of the People's Mental Health Review results due to be released next Wednesday April 19th.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/91458500/media-take-kiwis-fee...
13 Reasons Why Prompts Warnings and New Classification Request
Mental health professionals and the chief censor are warning a US drama series depicting teenage suicide and rape could be harmful to Kiwi teenagers.
13 Reasons Why, a 13-part show about a teenage girl who commits suicide, was released in New Zealand on March 31 and has been given an adult rating by Netflix.
In addition to suicide the series includes rape, drug use and bullying. A graphic content warning precedes four of the episodes.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/91537383/13-reasons-why-prompts-war...
Depression Is Now the World’s Most Widespread Illness
In 2015, the WHO estimated 322 million people were living with depression, making it the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide.
Chances are, you or someone you know has grappled with depression. The global rate of disorder, which the World Health Organization defines as a "persistent sadness and a loss of interest in activities that people normally enjoy, accompanied by an inability to carry out daily activities for two weeks or more,” has risen by more than 18% since 2005, according to the agency.
http://fortune.com/2017/03/30/depression-rate/
Kyle MacDonald: How to Overcome Feeling Lonely and Isolated
From the very beginning, we all need other humans to survive. Babies are unable to survive without a parent. Toddlers are unable to regulate their emotions without caregivers. Solitary confinement is one of the most torturing experiences you can impose on a person, and without love the world stops going round (or something like that).
The bad news is we know becoming isolated from meaningful human connections is both a modern dilemma, and really bad for us. Some research suggests that a life of isolation (even when the person doesn't subjectively experience loneliness) can be as harmful to our long-term health outcomes as smoking.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=118...
Artificial Intelligence Is Learning to Predict and Prevent Suicide
For years, Facebook has been investing in artificial intelligence fields like machine learning and deep neural nets to build its core business—selling you things better than anyone else in the world. But earlier this month, the company began turning some of those AI tools to a more noble goal: stopping people from taking their own lives.
Artificial intelligence offers the possibility to identify suicide-prone people more accurately, creating opportunities to intervene long before thoughts turn to action.
https://www.wired.com/2017/03/artificial-intelligence-learning-predict-p...
It’s Not Just What Jono Said – it’s How He Said It.
Through tears, Jono Pryor used the final minutes of Jono and Ben last night to shine a light on mental health following the recent suicide of a friend. Jess McAllen discusses the impact of such a raw television moment.
It’s hard to express just how much it means to hear someone on prime-time live television say that “no one thinks any less of you for taking medication” as Jono Pryor did in the final moments of Jono and Ben last night. He was talking about the funeral of a close friend who had recently killed himself.
http://thespinoff.co.nz/tv/17-03-2017/its-not-just-what-jono-said-its-ho...
Comedian Mike King Receives Roaring Haka from New Plymouth Students
Students at New Plymouth Boys' High School gave Mike King a stunning send off after the Kiwi comedian delivered a moving korero about mental health on Wednesday.
Since posting footage of the incredible haka to his Facebook page, King's video has had more than 45,000 views.
Hundreds of social media users have also left messages on King's post in awe of his crusade and the NPBHS performance.
https://nz.news.yahoo.com/top-stories/a/34599256/comedian-mike-king-rece...
Mike King in Taranaki to Talk About Serious Issues.
Students at a Taranaki high school were so moved by Mike King's talk about mental health they broke into a haka to say thanks.
King, a former comedian turned mental health advocate, spoke at New Plymouth Boys' High School (NPBHS) on Wednesday.
The speech was part of a tour organised by New Plymouth West Rotary aimed at addressing youth suicide, mental health issues and teaching kids to 'break down the masks' and help each other out.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/90207079/Comedian-Mike-King-i...
Son's suicide drives mother to work in mental health
Patrice Harrex speaks up about the problems of mental health from her experiences.
A grieving mother who lost her son to suicide six years ago has become a mental health worker in the hope of saving other lives.
Patrice Harrex's son Brad Anderson died two days after he left Dunedin Hospital's emergency psychiatric services after telling them he wanted to kill himself.
But Harrex was horrified to find the lack of resources for vulnerable patients that contributed to her son's death was still affecting treatment.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/90020899/Sons-suicide-drives-mother-to-w...
Kyle MacDonald: Why are New Zealand's suicide rates so high among transgender youth?
One of the amazing things about humans is we have this ability to think about how we see ourselves. We call it our identity.
So many different things go in to making up our identity: What colour we like, what foods we prefer, whether we like pineapple on pizza, what activities, sports, careers we are good at and drawn to, who we are sexually attracted to and, perhaps most fundamental of all, what gender we consider ourselves to be.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=118...
