The tragedy in Isla Vista, California last weekend has raised a number of issues and of course has turned attention onto mental health and mental healthcare. However, as Globe and Mail author Leah McLaren reports in the must read article "The Elliot Rodger Case: It’s Time to Listen To Concerned Parents About Mental Illness", the case of Elliot Rodgers more importantly highlights the key role that families and especially parents play in managing and identifying mental illness. "The case of Elliot Rodgers highlights a central problem in the system, and that is the historic failure of authorities (be they mental health professionals or police) to listen, respond and be prepared to intervene based on the information supplied by the family and friends of young people suffering from mental illness." The mental health professionals interviewed in this article also stress how essential it is that we begin to listen to family members who often have more insight into their child's mental well-being, as well as encourage families to seek help early on when changes begin to arise, and help ensure psychiatry institutions and interventions are more family focused. Although a fictional novel, Addiction on Trial was written by Dr. Steven Kassels who is an emergency medicine physician who has also received certification in addiction medicine. Though the novel is an intriguing and gripping medical murder mystery/legal thriller, Dr. Steven Kassels is able to weave in his clinical experiences with medicine, and more specifically addictions, in a way that not only gives insight into some of the current drug problems our cities face, but also leads readers to contemplate current societal views on addiction, and even challenges us to reformulate our ideas of addictions that are more in line with how chronic diseases are perceived and managed. Recommended For: Those interested in a good summer read, those who enjoy mysteries/thrillers, or those interested in law or addictions. In follow up to yesterday's post about Michael Stewart, who was found not criminally responsible for the death of his mother whom he had killed during a psychotic episode, Canadian filmmaker John Kastner speaks out about forensic psychiatry patients, including what happens to those like Michael who commit a crime while suffering from a mental illness. In the article, "Forensic Psychiatry Patients Are Ill Not Evil - And We Should Stop Hiding Them", Kastner shares his experiences within the field of forensic psychiatry and argues that the way the media portrays these individuals and the way in which they are kept hidden from society only perpetuates stigma and fear. Kastner has made a number of documentaries, but in the last few years he has been focusing mostly on the Canadian justice system and mental illness. In 2013, his film "NCR: Not Criminally Responsible was released, which looked at the "personal impact of the mental disorder defence in Canada" and showcased the story of Sean Clifton, a man who repeatedly stabbed a woman in a shopping mall while in a delusional state. This May, another of Kastner's documentaries called "Out of Mind, Out of Sight", which follows "the cases of four patients at Brockville [Psychiatric Hospital] who committed violent acts" including Michael Stewart, will also be released. More info about Kastner's two documentaries on forensic psychiatry can be found here:
"What Michael Did" is a powerful and moving story about Michael Stewart, a Canadian man with schizophrenia, who back in 2002 when he was just 23 killed his mother during a psychotic episode. In the article, readers are given an intimate look into one family's experience with schizophrenia, as well as the confusing and scary time in which they witnessed the smart and witty Michael they used to know transform into someone else almost entirely ... someone who was paranoid, agitated, lost, and suffering from delusions and hallucinations, including believing that others could read his mind. Though a heartbreaking tragedy, the story manages to also be inspiring by demonstrating the immense resilience of the Stewart family, and shedding light into how they coped with the loss of one family member and forgiving another who had committed the act. A must read! |
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Supporting and enhancing students' and health professionals' knowledge and understanding of mental health and psychiatry
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