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.

In this issue:

Ongoing BC-Wide Family Resources | Back to School Resources and Information for Parents | New Visions Journal Edition | Research Studies/Programs looking for Participants

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
• BC Schizophrenia Society – family info/services
• Kelty Resource Centre – child/youth mental health
• The FORCE For Kids Mental Health – kids mental health
• Here to Help – mental health and substance use information

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

Back to School Resources and Information for Parents

While September is often a time of excitement and new beginnings, for many youth and their families it is a time of anxiety, stress and mental health issues. This month we present a number of resources that may help you at this time.

Test Anxiety Booklet
The intent of this booklet from AnxietyBC is to help students and parents better understand test anxiety, and to provide methods to help students cope with test anxiety and ultimately be successful in their courses. Students should read this booklet carefully, consider which aspects of test anxiety apply to them, and then identify coping strategies that may help address the anxiety. Ideally, parents would read this booklet with their student and participate in the resulting discussion and identification of coping strategies. Remember that support from family members is always positive, and will ultimately help students deal with their anxiety. To download a copy of the booklet, go to Test Anxiety Booklet

Helping Your Anxious Child or Teen
Does any of this sound like your child or teen?
* clinging, crying, and/or tantrums when you separate
* excessive shyness, avoiding social situations
* constant worry
* avoiding situations or places because of fears
* complaints of frequent stomachaches or headaches
* experiencing sudden and frequent panic attacksIf so, your child may be experiencing anxiety. This website can help.
Here, you will find practical strategies and tools to help you manage your child’s anxiety, whether your child is just beginning to show symptoms, or has been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.

Back to School: Tips for Parents of Teens

The Canadian Mental Health Association has produced an informative article on what parents can do to help their teen handle the stress of school. Topics include performance stress, sleep, peer pressure, and the transition to high school.

To read the complete article, go to Tips for Parents of Teens. For a PDF version of this article, or for tips for parents of young kids, go here.

Individual Education Plan (IEP) Model for Bipolar Children
At Bipolarchild.com, special education advocate, Anne Marie Smith, M. Ed., from Agawam, Massachusetts, presents an IEP that might provide guidelines for educating a middle school student throughout the school year.

New Factsheets Posted in Traditional and Simplified Chinese
Thanks to the Provincial Language Service, of the Provincial Health Services Authority, 9 new fact sheets are now available in both traditional and simplified Chinese! These fact sheets cover topics on child and youth mental health, such as Healthy Thinking for Younger Children and Mental Disorders in Children and Youth. See our Other Languages section to find fact sheets about mental health and addiction in nearly a dozen languages.

Other Resources

HereToHelp has released a new edition of Visions Journal: BC’s Mental Health and Addictions Journal on Cannabis (Marijuana) which may be of interest. For a table of contents and links to articles, please visit this link.

Research Studies/Projects looking for Participants

BCCPD Looking for People Living With HIV/AIDS and Mental Illness
The BC Coalition of People With Disabilities is creating its first Health Education, Advocacy and Leadership (HEAL) project, and is looking for people living with HIV/AIDS and mental illness. The project, a series of five HEAL guides for people living with HIV/AIDS, will include the experiences and knowledge from people living with HIV/AIDS and depression, bipolar disorder, substance abuse/harm reduction, stigma or episodic disability. Participation is confidential and you may use a pseudonym. For more information, contact Shelley at the BCCPD at 604-875-0188 or wdi@bccpd.bc.ca, or visit www.bccpd.bc.ca.

Management strategies for bipolar disorder
Dr. Erin Michalak from the University of British Columbia is conducting a ‘qualitative’ study (using interviews or focus groups) of the strategies people with BD type I or II use to manage their disorder. She and her research team are looking for people with bipolar disorder I or II who feel they require ongoing support and services.
* Eligibility Criteria: If you are aged 19-65, have a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, and feel you require ongoing support and services
* Time Commitment: 1.5 hours interview or focus group, 1 hour mood assessment, and self-administered questionnaires
* Compensation: We will provide an honorarium of $50 to cover transportation costs
* Location of Research: University of British Columbia
* Risks & Benefits: No risks
* Contact Details:
Annie Kuan
Institutional / Department Affiliation: UBC, Psychiatry
Phone: 604-822-7247
Fax:604-822-7922
Email: anniek@interchange.ubc.ca

AnxietyBC – Free Psychological Treatment for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
The UBC Department of Psychiatry is offering free psychological treatment to people who have posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This treatment is part of a controlled study currently being conducted at UBC. For more information go to PTSD Program at UBC

AnxietyBC – OCD Study at UBC
The UBC Department of Psychiatry is currently seeking individuals with a diagnosis or suspected diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) to participate in a study focused on identifying the cognitive underpinnings of OCD. See Cognitive Contributions to OCD

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