According to the Global Health Survey 2011, almost a quarter of Irish people have experience of mental illness or suicide in their peer group; although this figure is said to be amongst the lowest of those Western countries included.

Finland report that 46% of people have personal experience of mental illness or suicide; whilst the UK reports that 43% of people have. However, International Research Institutes who commissioned the research say that some countries were much slower to admit experience of mental illness and suicide.

This claim is support by some 78% of Irish people, who believe that mental illness within the country is widespread – higher than the global average of 68%.

Within the report it states: “The difference between the perceived prevalence and the direct experience of mental illness may be explicable by stigma in relation to mental illness, or may be a factor of reluctance to recognise manifestations of it in certain cultures.”

[html]
[/html]

Findings published in the medical journal PLoS One suggest that a new drug candidate may be the first that’s capable of halting Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers administered the drug, known as J147, to mice with Alzheimer’s disease and observed an associated improvement in memory and prevention in brain damage.

The drug was developed by scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, and lead scientist David Schubert believes that it could be trialled as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease in humans in the near future, saying: “J147 enhances memory in both normal and Alzheimer’s mice and also protects the brain from the loss of synaptic connections. No drugs on the market for Alzheimer’s have both of these properties.”

Although the new compound’s efficacy and safety in humans has not yet been established, researchers say the results indicate that the drug could become a potential treatment in people with Alzheimer’s.

Marguerite Prior, a research associate in Schubert’s lab, explained:
“Alzheimer’s is a complex disease, but most drug development in the pharmaceutical world has focused on a single aspect of the disease – the amyloid pathway.

“In contrast, by testing these compounds in living cell cultures, we can determine what they do against a range of age-related problems and select the best candidate that addresses multiple aspects of the disease, not just one.”

A team of researchers in a new centre at the University College London (UCL) are looking into the possibility of spotting – and treating – dementia before any of the symptoms begin.

Currently dementia affects an estimated 750,000 people – a number which is expected to rise by 2021 – and many affected by the disease have to move into residential care. Dementia is also said to be the sixth biggest killer in the UK.

The researchers are now looking at neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease, by carrying out brain scans to see if any of the recognised early changes are seen. Further scan will then be carried out to check if anything changes.

Professor Nick Fox of the UCL’s Institute of Neurology is one of the experts involved and he says: “The highest priority for patients with neurodegenerative diseases is to find treatments that slow or halt disease progression.

“These treatments must then be offered as early as possible, when the minimum of irretrievable neuronal loss has occurred, in order to have maximum impact on loss of cognitive and neurological function”.

Adding: “One in four 75-year-olds already have evidence of Alzheimer’s proteins in their brain, even though there’s nothing wrong with them.

“And it’s known that the signs appear 10-15 years before the symptoms.”

The researchers will also be able to collaborate on looking into treatments in a way that hasn’t been possible before, allowing them to see what neurodegenerative diseases have in common.

Sir Robert Naylor, chief executive of University College London Hospitals, said: “This will allow us to work at the leading edge of translating scientific discovery into routine patient treatments.”

[html]
[/html]

In a heated Prime Ministers Questions discussion this week, Anne McGuire MP raised concerns that the Government were reducing benefits for families disabled children; echoing points raised earlier in the week in a House of Lords debate.

Anne McGuire raised the concerns that families of disabled children are to lose over £1,300 as a result of the Government’s benefit reforms. However, Prime Minister David Cameron, denied the claims, saying: “We are not cutting benefits for disabled children and actually we are upgrading.

“We are upgrading by 5.2% all of those benefits so that people will see an increase in the benefits they receive next year.”

The aspect of disabled benefits under question by Anne McGuire and also Baroness Grey-Thompson, who moved an amendment to the Welfare Reform Bill, are those offered to families already receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA) as a means of enhancing the amount of help they receive.

Currently, a family receiving DLA can apply for additional Child Tax Credit, which is given out in one of two forms: ‘standard’ for “disabled children”; and ‘enhanced’ for “severely disabled” children.

Families eligible under the standard package receive £2,800 a year, or £53.85 per week; whilst those eligible under the enhanced package receive £3,930 a year, or £75.58 per week, according to figures released by HMRC.

However, under the Government’s proposals, these figures are supposedly set to change into disability additions under the ‘Universal Credit’ and peers at the House of Lords debate this week, along with campaign groups, have claimed that the new tiers of benefits under the Universal Credit leave families under the standard (lower) package worse off to the tune of some £1,400 a year.

According to findings from a charity, con-artists are dealing another body blow to the most vulnerable in society, who need more protection.

The Alzheimer’s Society have estimated that 15% of people with dementia have been victims of financial abuse, including cold-calling, scam mail and mis-selling.

A new report by the charity found that almost two-thirds of carers said the person they look after had been approached by unexpected salespeople on their doorstep, whilst 70% were regularly targeted by telephone sellers.

The charity who estimate that the financial cost of the abuse amounts to more than £100million, are now calling on Trading Standards and banks to do more to help dementia suffers, saying they should appoint “dementia champions” to help increase awareness about the condition.
Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive of the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “We are merely scratching the surface of the frightening hidden depths of financial abuse. Too often con artists are dealing another body blow to people who already face high care costs and a society that fails to understand their needs.
“It’s only by working together with banks, local authorities, and of course the general public that we can turn this around and start the new year with new hope.”
The study, conducted on 104 carers and 47 people with dementia, also found that three-quarters of patients have encountered difficulties when managing their money; and the charity have said the best way for sufferers to deal with money management is to talk to family about finances, set up a lasting power of attorney, meet with local bank managers, and put a “no cold callers” sign on their front doors along with signing up to the Mailing Preference Service and the Telephone Preference Service register.

Patients who have both diabetes and comorbid depression have an increased risk of the development of dementia, according to results of a study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry last week.

Researchers examined more than 20,000 patient histories and observed those who had both type 2 diabetes and depression were show to have their chance of developing dementia within five years of the initial screening doubled; compared to diabetic patients who weren’t depressed.

Wayne Katon, who led the study, said: “We’ve known for years that diabetes is a risk factor for dementia. In fact, having diabetes itself probably doubles the risk for dementia.

“We’ve also known that a very common accompanying condition with diabetes is depression. Some 20 percent of diabetics have depression.

“Now our data suggests that if you do have depression in addition to diabetes, it actually doubles again the already increased risk for dementia that diabetic patients face.”

Doctors hope the work can lead to new methods of diagnosing dementia earlier being developed, which could help improve the quality of life of many sufferers.

People living with Alzheimer’s disease may face major changes in local support under new cost-cutting moves by a national care organisation.

The Alzheimer’s Society, who support people with dementia, their families and carers; but new budget constraints could see the number of services they provide cut. The society has announced it is to revise and reconsider available services, and possibly use voluntary sector organisations to help provide care.

The society’s area manager for Yorkshire, Nicki Dyson, said: “Numerous options are now being considered which could possibly lead to changes in home-care services in their current form.

“We are reviewing our provision and consulting widely on the sort of services we will be able to provide in the future; and we’re working with North Yorkshire County Council and North Yorkshire & York PCT to support people affected by these changes, talking to them about the types of service that they would like see and reviewing their needs.

“This may mean a change in the type of service they receive as we move to more person-centred support.”