close window
Out of sight - young people in prision
Angela Neustatter
This article is based on the 18 months the author spent visiting six young offender institutions (YOIs), where she interviewed more than 60 inmates, staff, campaigners and policy makers. She found that bullying is endemic and self-harming rife. It includes a discussion about the high level of mental health problems in young prisoners, and how prisons can’t cope with this level of need.
Battle fatigue
Philippa Newton
The author describes how her 14-year-old daughter developed Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and how the family tried to support her. Plus, she describes the unsympathetic treatment they received from the NHS and the school system.
Happy days - an English childhood
Diana Athill
This is an extract from the Diana Athill’s memoir of a privileged and love-filled childhood on a large country estate in Norfolk.
Listen and learn
Cathy Street and Jenny Svanberg
This article builds on an earlier YoungMinds study ‘Whose Crisis?’, which looked at emergency provision. It outlines some of the common themes that had emerged after the first year of a new two year project into the provision and use of in-patient services for young people.
Mission possible 2 - looking after mental health
Cathy James
This is the latest article on the work of the 24 CAMHS Innovation Projects. It focuses on the 12 projects working to improve the mental health of looked after children. The author outlines the policy context behind the development of the services. She also briefly describes the services and discusses how they are being evaluated.
Paedophiles and the law
Terry Philpot
This author discusses why calls for a Sarah’s law in Britain are fundamentally misguided and would deter offenders from registering. He states that there is a need for a discussion about ways to protect children, and treat those who commit offences against them. He also states that children who abuse need to be offered skilled help rather than punishment.
Opinion: Prisoners are people
Simon Lawton-Smith
The author highlights the problems that young offenders have in their lives, and their high level of mental health need. He also mentions the various initiatives that have been set up to help them and illustrates how young people are still falling through the gaps.
Review: A beautiful mind, and The son's room
Andrea Sabbadini
A Beautiful Mind focuses on the psychosis experienced by a brilliant mathematician at an American university. The Son’s Room looks at the bereavement and breakdown of family life of a psychoanalyst for his son, who died in a driving accident.
Review: A Yorkshire boyhood
Cathering Gough
Roy Hattersley’s autobiography of growing up in Yorkshire in the 1950’s.
Review: Border Crossing
Richard Reynolds
The core of this novel is the relationship between Tom Seymour, child psychologist, and Danny Miller now in his twenties who is on parole having, as a child, been found guilty of murdering an elderly woman.
Review: Bully
Peter Wilson
The film is based on a true story about a group of American teenagers, one of who is a bully. A couple of the kids in the gang murder him, and the film documents how the group cope with the aftermath.
Review: Child mental health in primary care
Dr Cheryl Bailey
This book sets out to help professionals working in the primary care setting to assess, manage and refer children who present with mental health problems. It is easy to read and well structured. As well as up to date information and advice on common mental health problems in children, there is information on the tiered model of child and adolescent mental health services, and a chapter on the legal issues that surround consent and confidentiality.
Review: Martin Parr and Nick Danziger
Claire Usiskin
Review: Quarterlife crisis
Tom Jewitt
This American book refers to ‘twentysomethings’ – the period in young people’s lives when they have left university and are finding it tough to find their bearings in the world. The book has lots of chapters from people going through this experience. The authors hope that those suffering the quarterlife crisis in isolation will become aware their feelings are not unique and gain comfort through those who have been though it.
Review: Reducing child maltreatment
Richard Shircore
Explores the United States’ response to physical child abuse and neglect. (There is nothing on sexual abuse). It starts with the question of why parents neglect their children’s needs, and proposes an ‘ecobehavioural model’ that postulates that behaviour is contextually based. Questions of morality are set aside. The authors are researchers as well as practitioners and the US funding system means that funding and personnel can be directed long term to particular problems, in contrast to the UK.
Review: Supervision in the mental health professions
Helen Beinart
This book about clinical supervision is original in that it places supervision very clearly within a learning context and provides a helpful discussion about adult learning, personal learning styles and experiential learning theory.
Review: The lion children
Matt Seaton
This book is a biography by children who went to live in Africa to study lions with their mother following the breakdown of their parents' marriage.
Review: The myth of maturity, Confident teens, and Stress in young people
Elizabeth Hartley-Brewer
This is a review of three books on adolescence. The Myth of Maturity focuses on the end period of adolescence, between the ages of 18 and 24. Stress in Young People is aimed at offering tips to professionals so they can advise parents on ‘shoring up teenagers when they wobble.’ Confident Teens is full of practical advice for parents who want to build teenagers confidence.
Review: The water-breather
Tom Whyte
Jean-Pio is 8 years old and the central character in this novel. He has headaches with no physical cause. He doesn’t tell anyone that it’s his violent thoughts that precede the headaches, which started after the drowning of his grandfather. The book is about how grief primarily affects the boy, but also the rest of the family too.
Review: There's a boy in the girls' bathroom, and Georgie
Ekai Makoni
There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom is a novel for children aged 10-14. Bradley Chalkers is a troublemaker; a liar and a bully. With the help of the school counsellor Bradley begins to change to a caring, generous popular boy. However, the counsellor is made to leave the school by parents who feel threatened by change – will Bradley be able to keep being the Bradley she’s helped him turn into? Georgie is a novel, aimed at young people aged over 12. Georgie is an angry unhappy boy who lives in residential care, and refuses to communicate with anyone or let anyone close to him. He has to come to terms with his past before he can start making a change for the better.
Review: Tourette's syndrome
Stephen Kingsbury
Informs North American parents about finding answers and getting help regarding Tourette’s syndrome. The book is enthusiastic about the use of less standard medication that might cause anxiety to readers in the UK. The book's strengths include chapters on diagnoses, medical care, medication and complementary and alternative therapies.
Webwatch: Over here
Paula Lavis
This column looks at on-line information about various projects and services aimed at mental health promotion, early interventions, and support for children and young people with mental health problems.
Print page
Email
page
Email
us
Donate