Welcome to this issue of family and supporter resources, produced by the BC Schizophrenia Society, in partnership with the BC Partners for Mental Health and Addictions Information.

Ongoing BC-Wide Family Resources

• Reaching Families Calendar - support and education events.
• Family Support Groups - relatives & friends of persons with a mental illness
• Online Facilitated Family Support Groups - relatives & friends of persons with a mental illness
• Kelty Resource Centre - child/youth mental health
• BC Schizophrenia Society - family info/services
• The FORCE For Kids Mental Health - kids mental health
• Here to Help - information

If this e-resource has been forwarded to you by a friend, you can sign up for your own copy

Welcome to summer. News is slowing down like everything else in the heat, so this newsletter has less news for you than usual. However, many of the family support groups are continuing over the summer, and there are some summer events as well.

 Visions Journal - Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgendered Issue Call for Contributors

Visions Journal is a magazine about mental health and addictions that comes out four times a year. http://www.heretohelp.bc.ca/publications/visions Back issues are available on the site and include topics such as:Workplaces, Schools, Aboriginal Peoples, Campuses, Medications, Housing and Homelessness, Tobacco, Trauma and Victimizations, First Responders for Young People, Treatments for Young People, Alcohol, Criminal Justice, Stigma and Discrimination…

As you can see, it changes topic or population in each edition. The next one is on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and two-spirited people (LGBT).

The issue will look at how mental health and addictions issues affect LGTB people. This includes issues such as how discrimination (or double-discrimination) is bad for people’s mental health and exploring some of the specialized services and strategies for LGBT people. 

As part of this edition, Visions Journal is looking for family members (please interpret ‘family’ to include friends, supporters, current or ex partners and any family of choice) or persons with a mental health, mental illness, or addictions issue to write a short (1.5 page) piece on their own experiences as a gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered or two-spirited person in connection with mental health or addictions issues or services. If you’re interested, please contact  onlinesupport@bcss.org or sarah.hamidbalma@cmha.bc.ca It’s best to make contact before writing. Writers chosen for publication will receive an honorarium of $75 and stories will need to be completed by the middle of August. You don’t have to use your real name if you don’t want to.

Survey on Child and Youth Mental Health

Today’s Parent Magazine is inviting parents from across the country to take their online survey on child and youth mental health.  The survey is in collaboration with the Child and Youth Advisory Committee of the Mental Health Commission of Canada, where the results will be presented.  Please forward the survey to any parents or networks who would be interested in completing it.

Visit the Today’s Parent online survey here.

Covenant House Formalizes Inner City Youth Mental Health Program

In 2007 Covenant House launched a pilot program that would link psychiatrists from St. Paul’s Hospital with youth at their downtown shelter, and the program became finalized this year. Doctors from St. Paul’s now spend 4 days a week coming to the different Covenant House sites to engage the youth where they’re most comfortable.

Donald MacPherson, drug policy co-ordinator with the City of Vancouver, says that the program “is a really good example of bringing highly specialized medical knowledge to the front line.” At one residence downtown, ambulance calls and drug dealing has decreased, whereas visits to support groups have increased since the program’s inception. The program has assessed about 140 youth, of which 1 in 3 males and 1 in 5 females showed signs of psychosis. About 15% of children and youth in BC have a mental illness. [excerpted from First Call Weekly Announcements]

Read more about the program in this Globe and Mail article, or visit the Covenant House website.

Studies looking for Participants

Genetic counseling study:

We are investigating the potential benefits to someone with a mental illness of receiving more information about the causes of their illness through a process called genetic counselling. We are interested in hearing the thoughts and opinions of people with mental illness about the genetic counselling process, including input on how

it could better meet their needs.

Both men and women with a history of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or schizoaffective disorder are being recruited to participate in the study. The study involves one or two meetings with a researcher and completing questionnaires at home. The meetings with the researcher will take place at Children and Womens Hospital. Reimbursement for travel expenses will be provided.

If you are interested in participating, please contact Andrea Ringrose at 604 875 2000 x.4733, or by email at mental.illness@ubc.ca PLEASE NOTE: WE ALSO HAVE AN IDENTICAL, PARALLEL STUDY IN WHICH PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT PERSONALLY AFFECTED CAN PARTICIPATE - IT IS OPEN TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE AN AFFECTED BROTHER, SISTER, PARENT OR CHILD.

Stigma study: Family members of people with mental illness

Stigma can have serious negative effects on people with mental illness and their family members.

We are developing a questionnaire to assess internalized stigma in first-degree family members (parents, brothers, sisters, and children) of people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or schizoaffective disorder.

The questionnaire will gather information about stigma in family members of people with mental illness and aim to improve coping and the overall well being of the family network.

If you have a first-degree family member with mental illness and would like more information about participating please contact Emily Morris at mental.illness@ubc.ca or by phone 604 875 2000 (ext. 4733). Please note, you CAN participate if you have a mental illness yourself, as long as you also have an affected first degree family member too .

Mental health and pregnancy study:

We are also conducting a research study that aims to understand why some women develop postpartum depression or psychosis and others do not. The research is designed to test the idea that a genetic variation together with folate levels in a woman’s blood can influence her risk for postpartum depression. The aim of the research is to find ways to help to reduce womens risk for postpartum depression by using nutritional supplements. Women who are pregnant (at any stage of pregnancy) and who have a history of mental health problems are being recruited to participate in the study. The study involves a participant meeting with a researcher 4 times: once during the pregnancy, and 3 times over the first 3 months of the postpartum period. The researchers can cover costs of travel for women to participate in the research at either St. Paul’s \ or Children’s and Women’s Hospitals. Alternatively, study visits can

be conducted at participants’ homes or by email/phone. If you are interested in participating, please contact Jennifer Sloan at: 604 875 2000 X4733 or by email at mental.illness@ubc.ca

COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY FOR TREATING FIRST EPISODE OF PSYCHOTIC SYMPTOMS

Studies have already demonstrated the efficacy of cognitive behavioural therapy to alleviate psychotic symptoms.

Dr. Tania Lecomte, in association with the department of psychiatry at UBC, and along with the mental health team in the Fraser Health region, including Dr. William MacEwan, M.D. from the Schizophrenia Research Division and the EPI Program, Fraser Health Authority, is conducting a study to investigate the specific effects of this approach on young adults between the ages of 19 and 35 who are experiencing symptoms such as hallucinations or delusions (i.e., psychotic symptoms). The project will also examine the impact of providing information sessions to family and friends about managing stress involved with a first episode of experiencing these types of symptoms.

If you :

• are aged between 19 and 35;
• suffer or have suffered from time to time from symptoms such as hallucinations or delusions (i.e., psychotic symptoms);
• have had those symptoms for two years or less;
• would like to meet other young people like you, sharing similar problems;
• would like to learn coping techniques and ways to lessen your symptoms in order to avoid future relapses.

We invite you to participate in our research project

Your participation in this project will include attending group therapy sessions. There will be 24 meetings (2 meetings per week for 3 months). There are also 3 individual evaluation meetings in which you will answer questionnaires and be interviewed about specific impacts of the therapy on your well being. These evaluation sessions will be held once before starting the groups, one 3 months later, and a final one 6 months after that.

1 or 2 family and/or friends are also invited to participate. They will be following their own specific group sessions at the same time as yours. They are also asked to complete 3 short evaluation meetings, following the same time schedule as yours.

If you are interested in this project, we invite you to contact us for more detailed information. You can leave your phone number so we can reach you, or call us at the following number:

Caroline Greaves, Research Coordinator, UBC

Ph: 604-875-4111, Ext. 61728 or Cell: 778-908-5194

fMRI Study of Psychosis

• Study Description: Researchers at UBC are interested in developing a better understanding of the brain systems associated with the symptoms of psychosis. Specifically, this study seeks to better understand what is happening in one’s brain when they are experiencing the symptoms of psychosis by using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) technology to view the brain function of individuals with and without psychosis while hearing and seeing words.
• Eligibility Criteria: If you are between the ages of 19 to 55, fluent in English, with a history of psychosis, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, schizophreniform disorder, bipolar disorder OR without a history of a mental illness and are interested in contributing to brain research using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to scan your brain, we invite you to participate in our study!
• Time Commitment: A total of 8-12 hours over 2 or more days.
• Location of Research: University of British Columbia, Department of Psychiatry
• Contact Details:

o Name: Sarah Flann

o Institutional / Department Affiliation: UBC Department of Psychiatry and BCMHAS Department of Research

o Phone: 604-524-7672

o Fax: 604-524-7141

o Email: brainstudy@gmail.com

o Website: http://www3.telus.net/Todd_S_Woodward