Greg Murray, The Quality of Life Scale

A collaboration with a psychiatry group at UBC in Vancouver and a Sydney, Australia researcher measuring quality of life in bipolar disorders, separate from its symptoms. Murray describes how they developed a scale, now available for free clinical and individual use (click here), through a series of questionnaires and analyses. They created a useful instrument for the treatment of bipolar disorder that considers important dimensions.

Michalak, E., Murray, G. (2010). Development of the QoL.BD: a disorder-specific scale to assess quality of life in bipolar disorder Bipolar Disorders, 12 (7), 727-740 DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-5618.2010.00865.x

Click here to view with English subtitles

Mentally Ill Seek Afghan Shrines, Not Hospitals

With only 80 mental health treatment beds for an entire country of (an estimated) 29 million people (in 2009), desperation and superstition thrive in Afghanistan. An alternative “treatment” program in a religious shrine involves chaining people by the ankle for 40 days, allowing them to eat only bread, water, and black pepper, forbidding bathing, toilets, or changing clothes, wearing necklace amulets, and heavy doses of Islamic prayers. “The philosophy is, God can heal you or make you ill if he wants.” Although Afghan officials, medical personnel, and some consumers condemn the practice, devotees continue to visit the shrines to be chained up (or force their relatives to be chained), hoping for a miraculous cure. This video features the Mia Ali Sahib Shrine near Jalalabad.

The Brush, the Pen, and Recovery

A documentary about a group of artists who have schizophrenia working out of Cottage Studio, an art studio program for mental health consumers in Hamilton, ON. People discuss their past and present experiences with schizophrenia, and how creating art improves their lives. Art professionals from a nearby commercial gallery join the studio to mount an exhibit. Finally, the artists reflect on what recovery, and art, means to them. “Painting makes me feel like I don’t have to hide,” says one. Click here or on the image above to view the video.

Melanie Oldham

The winner of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance’s Facing Us Video Contest, Melanie describes what it’s like to have bipolar I disorder (with especially good descriptions of manic symptoms) and how she grew to accept the diagnosis and mental health services that keep it in check. An authentic and touching portrayal from a personal perspective, it’s a great video for someone new to bipolar. I hope Melanie’s disclosure doesn’t affect her “stressful” career, and that winning brings her rewards beyond what she may have hoped for when she entered the annual user video contest. Congratulations, Melanie!

Check out the runners-up and honorable mention video winners here as well, and share them via YouTube. Hat tip: Celebrity Psychings.

Living with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Four people describe what it’s like to have OCD, describing their symptoms and how things changed in recovery.

Dave deBronkart: Meet e-Patient Dave

Participatory medicine and patients’ access to their own health data are subjects in a powerful talk by a pioneering e-patient (empowered and engaged patient). Features an interactive transcript. Subtitles available in English, Spanish, French, Romanian, Italian and Dutch.

e-Patient Dave describes his experience with cancer and how learning about his condition online and networking with peers saved his life. Although his focus is cancer, mental health also has e-patients including here at PsychCentral, a member organization in the Society for Participatory Medicine. Personally, I’ve been an e-patient and peer advocate for over a decade, online and off. It’s encouraging to watch the movement grow, both informally and in organizations, but also a bit frustrating. I’ve noticed that while e-patients with other types of health conditions are met with growing acceptance, people living with mental health issues have met with more resistance. In my opinion this may be due to the attitude that we are incapable or unable to participate responsibly. It’s a tricky issue, since there are people whose mental health issues reduce insight into their problems (anosognosia, psychosis), but there are far more who do have the capacity and intelligence to be well-informed participants in their care, and involved in peer advocacy and research. I’m living proof, with experience as a writer, curator, forum moderator, board and advisory committee member, peer support group member, and founder of a peer information sharing suicide prevention service (@unsuicide). It’s my hope that my work and that of people like Dave deBronkart will coalesce to reduce stigma while at the same time improve care and outcomes for peers. Join us!

Brain Development & Addiction with Gabor Mate

A Vancouver, BC doctor specializing in treating chronic substance use disorders talks about the early childhood neurodevelopment and environmental conditions that lead to addictions. He suggests a compassionate approach to healing that takes social and other factors into consideration. DVD is available for purchase.

We Are All Mentally Ill

The brain and cause and changes in mental health issues, neuroplasticity, basics of brain science and psychiatric disorders in a nutshell. The impact of society on mental illness and mental illness on society. Mental health issues don’t occur in, and can’t be cured in, isolation.

Controversies Surrounding the Pediatric Bipolar Diagnosis & Treatment (Bioethics Briefs)

A research scholar at a bioethics center describes issues and controversies with children diagnosed with bipolar disorders or a newer diagnosis proposed for the DSM-V, temper dysregulation disorder with dysphoria (TDD), which would reclassify those who may have been given a bipolar label. Discusses some issues involved with changing diagnoses, and with the lack of effective treatments for either. Excellent, very informative commentary examining pros and cons.

I, Psychopath

A unique documentary sets out to find out whether a self-proclaimed psychopath meets diagnostic and neurological measures, testing him and his equally insightful partner. “No princes in white horses came to my door. I gave up love. I found Sam.”