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Right to choose
[…] We are now looking at developing our approach in other drug services and we are also considering the implications of what we have learned for people with mental health problems and for other socially disadvantaged people who may be at risk of exploitation or unplanned pregnancy with a high risk of repeat removals of children […]
Mental health-based prevention scheme for young people pilots in UK
An Australian drug prevention scheme with a focus on young people’s broader mental health and attitudes is to be piloted in 20 UK schools. The Illicit Project, which is led by Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) and funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), will pilot in 20 schools across Merseyside, […]
Missing lifelines
[…] support for alcohol issues and suicidal ideation, develops on a recurring theme from our previous work – that there are still many barriers stopping people from accessing mental health and alcohol services. We previously researched the link between suicide and alcohol in our 2022 project, Insights from experience: alcohol and suicide. There is extensive evidence […]
Body language
[…] a substance use disorder.’ The same experiment carried out among members of the public had even more pronounced differences in results, he pointed out. NHS England’s national mental health director, Claire Murdoch One definition of stigma was ‘an indelible stain or mark’, NHS England’s national mental health director, Claire Murdoch, told the conference. ‘What a […]
Insights from experience: alcohol and suicide
[…] are dependent on alcohol are approximately 2.5 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population. In England, nearly half of all patients under the care of mental health services who die by suicide have a history of alcohol use. Despite these links being well researched and documented, the Suicide Prevention Consortium found the voices and perspectives […]
Going the extra mile
It’s no wonder, when you think about it, that so many people who are street homeless suffer from poor mental health, poor physical health and an addiction to illicit substances. Not helped by the typical British summer that we have experienced this year, they are constantly trying to keep warm and dry, living in constant […]
DDN190606
[…] Dan had an assessment, and the drug worker turned round and said to him, because you’re not homeless, because you’re not stealing, and because you’ve got no mental health issues, you haven’t got a chance yet. I spoke to the man from the drug treatment agency. He was the most unhelpful patronising man I could […]
DDN1407
[…] about it for it to be meaningful. My own non-exhaustive list for the‘wellbeing and social par ticipation’ aspect of addiction recovery would consist of improved physical and mental health, improved parenting and relationships with family and friends, earning oppor tunities, educational oppor tunities, a more satisfying identity or social role, and the elimination of substance […]
Turning Point launches essay collection by experts on addressing health and care crisis
[…] issues requiring urgent government action. The writings are published by Turning Point, a social care organisation which supports over 187,000 people a year with alcohol, drug and mental health issues. Michael Linnell, who runs Greater Manchester’s Drug Information System and advises nationally on new and emerging trends, and Dr Richard Piper, chief executive at Alcohol […]
Global Forum on Nicotine 2025: Quotes and summaries – part 5
[…] is not only a good thing for this movement, but also for a way of telling stories in journalism that can appeal to different constituencies. For example, mental health, when we know that smoking rates are extremely high in that population, or homelessness and also broader drug policy reform and harm reduction, which is why […]
Healing together: the power of peer support in mental health
For Mental Health Awareness Week (12-18 May), Remi Bolhassani, psychological wellbeing practitioner at HMPS Warren Hill and Hollelesy Bay, shares her experiences of working as a wellbeing practitioner with some of the country’s most vulnerable people. The recent music hit ‘Anxiety’ by Doechii is a clear sign that mental health is reaching more areas of […]
DDN2010
[…] a range of sanctions available. ‘I am extremely concerned about the use of stronger strains of cannabis, such as skunk, and the harm they can cause to mental health,’ she said. Cannabis was reclassified to class C four years ago – a parliamentary order has now been submitted to reclassify the drug to class B […]
DDN1003
[…] not complete treatment programmes, or stay in treatment too long before re-establishing their lives, the Department of Health will look at barriers to treatment for those with mental health problems, clients from minority or under-represented groups, or those who have particular problems accessing services, such as drug users with children. An equality impact assessment attempts […]
News Focus
[…] and physical health generally. ‘Yes, we need to look at this holistically,’ he states. ‘We need to be worried about mortality again, about HIV, hep C and mental health and, in that context, equip drug services to deal with a very fast changing drug use scene and equip them to deal respectÂfully and with some […]
DDN 050502
[…] London, on young people and drugs. ‘They invade real spaces – parks, high streets, lift shafts, pop songs.’ Barnado’s dealt with the overlapping agenda of sex exploitation, mental health, and substance misuse, issues which often interrelate, said Dr Hanvey. ‘Substance misuse challenges spill out.’ Nearly 90 per cent of the 360 services that the charity […]
Street supportÂ
 Sally Higgins is a mental health nurse with Forward Leeds. Her pioneering role is at the intersection of addiction, trauma, safeguarding and outreach work with women involved in street-based sex work. In a new and almost unique post, Sally provides dedicated mental health support to women alongside the sex worker outreach team at Forward […]
Deadly disparities
[…] caused by drugs, alcohol and suicide. Each often has a link to inequality and deprivation. While public discourse often blames individual people for substance use or poor mental health, environments and systems perpetuate these issues Professor Marmot noted that while public discourse often blames individual people for substance use or poor mental health, environments and […]
New year, new beginnings: embracing wellbeing and future health initiatives
[…] on some of the most pressing topics facing health and social care, each panellist wrote an essay on a variety of themes. These included the future of mental health in the UK, how to adapt to the changing drug supply and how best to get people out of long stay hospitals. We are seeking ways […]
Force for good
[…] versus 16 per cent), as well as alcohol misuse (11 per cent versus 6 per cent), according to a 2020 King’s Centre for Military Health Research study Mental health disorders and alcohol misuse among UK military veterans and the general population. In 2009 the charity PTSD Resolution was created to support the mental health of […]
NHS extends homeless outreach programme for mental health
Fourteen new specialist mental health outreach teams for areas with high rates of homelessness have been launched by NHS England. The teams will include clinical and local authority staff, and help to join up support with drug and alcohol, housing and other services. The new teams will bring the total number in operation to 37 […]
Constellations Online Festival of Harm Reduction
[…] that many pleasurable activities, including sports, carried some risk, she continued, and one way to move away from concepts of guilty and risky pleasures was to foreground mental health. ‘People are passionate about it, and it gives individuals the power to advocate for their own health. So they can say, “My experience of taking ecstasy […]
Chimes of freedom
Recovery is the process of becoming well. In terms of general health, it is often considered a return to healthy function following an illness or accident. In mental health this does not accurately reflect recovery for people who see it as an ongoing endeavour instead of an end destination. Here recovery is more ideological and […]
Sector specific
[…] Carol Black Professor Dame Carol Black DBE FRCP FMedSci chairs the boards of the Centre for Ageing Better and Think Ahead, the government’s fast-stream training programme for Mental Health Social Workers. She is expert adviser on health and work to NHS England/Improvement and Public Health England and until August 2019 was principal of Newnham College […]
DDN231006
[…] as well as to the desperate individual in need of an in-patient detox. Jane Benanti, char tered counselling psychologist and lead psychologist in substance misuse at Sandwell Mental Health NHS & Social Care Trust Please don’t let me be misunderstood With reference to John W’s letter (DDN, 25 September, page 9) nothing in my ar […]
DDN060313
[…] the first time – the vast majority feel that they have made their own decision.’ One day Courses (£95 & VAT) Introduction to Drugs Work 25 April Mental Health Awareness 28 April Working with Diversity 3 May Alcohol & Poly Drug Use 10 May Personality Disorders 8 June Working with Loss & Change 9 June […]
DDN260307
[…] which clients have a higher chance of relating to. Facilitators also adapt their methods to ser vice users’ var ying learning needs, ethnic and cultural considerations, and mental health needs. Like us, many teams offer relapse prevention, and have debated individual versus group approaches. Group inter ventions have a cost benefit: clients can be treated […]
DDN010609
[…] drug rehab and took to it like a duck to water,’ she says. ‘I also lost a brother to an overdose in the ‘80s. He had severe mental health and substance misuse problems and the services then were pretty under developed – particularly in the North East and particularly for people with schizophrenia. That motivated […]
DDN 050502
[…] London, on young people and drugs. ‘They invade real spaces – parks, high streets, lift shafts, pop songs.’ Barnado’s dealt with the overlapping agenda of sex exploitation, mental health, and substance misuse, issues which often interrelate, said Dr Hanvey. ‘Substance misuse challenges spill out.’ Nearly 90 per cent of the 360 services that the charity […]
A place to connect: Addaction’s two-day conference
[…] value of shared experience, as DDN reports. ‘Learn, share, connect and celebrate,’ urged David Badcock, Addaction’s head of events, opening the charity’s two-day conference on addiction and mental health. The need to connect soon became a strong theme. ‘I always felt so different from everyone else at school,’ said mental health campaigner Jonny Benjamin – […]
Disruptive force
[…] reduction with some cautious optimism.’ His colleagues were used to difficult issues – they worked in drugs harm reduction, HIV and AIDS, the criminal justice system, homelessness, mental health – but they hadn’t estimated the extreme challenges of working in the area of tobacco control and reduction. Failure to lead Realising the overnight revolution wasn’t […]
Mental health is biggest chemsex-related concern
Mental health issues such as trauma, loneliness and isolation are the biggest chemsex-related concerns for LGBTQ+ people in London, according to a report from London Friend and LGBT HERO. There are also significant barriers to accessing help, says Examining the drug, alcohol, and chemsex experiences of LGBTQ+ people and the healthcare staff supporting them, […]
Bet your life
[…] same way that someone may seek higher doses of a drug to experience the same high. Gambling disorder is a recognised diagnosis in the DSM-5-TR classification of mental health disorders, while the other tool used to help people identify if they have a gambling disorder is the PGSI score. This is a standardised measure of […]
Full to bursting
[…] to legislate for a ‘presumption against prison sentences of less than 12 months’ – to be replaced by community sentences, alongside better access to drug treatment and mental health services. However the government also intends to ‘put the worst offenders away for longer’ – as part of an overall strategy to make the best use […]
Dame Carol Black welcomes new approach to mental health and substance use treatment
A new initiative to support people with both mental health and drug and alcohol issues, led by Humankind and Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, has been welcomed by Dame Carol Black. Dame Carol visited Staffordshire to find out more about our new ICoN (Integrated Co-occurring Needs) initiative, which brings together local authority, NHS, voluntary and […]
K Check v3
[…] or back passage (as applicable)? Are you concerns about HIV or other STIs? Do you have access to condoms? Do you know how to use them? 7. Mental health: Have you ever had dissociative experiences on ketamine (k-holes) that have scared you or your friends? What impact does ketamine have on your memory? How would […]
K Check article
[…] or back passage (as applicable)? Are you concerns about HIV or other STIs? Do you have access to condoms? Do you know how to use them? 7. Mental health: Have you ever had dissociative experiences on ketamine (k-holes) that have scared you or your friends? What impact does ketamine have on your memory? How would […]
A Fair Exchange
Creating an informed and inclusive dialogue is our only chance of crushing stigma, heard the NHS APA conference. DDN reports. ‘My addiction, my mental health, the stigma that I was going through and my family was living through – it was unbearable, and the despair that was associated with it was deeply painful, but I […]
DDN060116
[…] grown louder, about what constitutes treatment and about the diagnosis and constitution of the user. In other areas of health – such as relating to HIV and mental health – change wasn’t just ‘top led’. It came through patients’ advocacy movements, in response to pressure from people and communities who found themselves at the receiving […]
DDN060409
[…] is important but it seems to me more rigorous scrutiny should take place before allowing people to write articles promoting their wares. N Scott, substance use and mental health worker, Staffordshire O n first entering government in 1997, Tony Blair was quick to declare that drug use would be a policy priority for his government. […]
Extending our REACH
[…] homelessness were temporarily housed. It has been well established that homelessness is not a single issue, with many people experiencing a variety of complex needs – including mental health, substance misuse, physical health, adverse childhood experiences, neurological difficulties and self-harm, all of which impact on a person’s stability, health and wellbeing. It has been well […]
Campaigners criticise NHS plan’s lack of focus on alcohol
[…] Point welcomed the plan’s commitment to increased outreach – which would hopefully improve services for people with complex needs – as well as its proposed expansion of mental health A&Es, but agreed that the inclusion of measures like MUP would have helped the government go further in its commitment to prevention. Collective Voice, meanwhile, called […]
No half measures
[…] on the matter. Understandably, this was an incredibly distressing experience, leaving Q feeling that he would be unable to access meaningful support due to his physical and mental health comorbidities. He then decided that he would try to reduce his OST in the community whilst continuing to try to access help for his other conditions. […]
Market forces
[…] George was one of many who needlessly died of a heroin overdose in 2016. Social status and education do not protect from drug use and dependence, and mental health problems. I was a medical director of an acute NHS trust at the time, and he had just graduated from university. The multiple system failures which […]
Do the right thing
[…] disadvantage is a term used to describe people who have experienced or are experiencing multiple difficulties, including repeat street homelessness, trauma, substance misuse, physical health difficulties and mental health problems. These challenges often – and understandably – impact on people’s engagement with services, psychological wellbeing, physical safety, and sense of connection with society. People faced […]
Caring and compassionate
[…] there is no externally recognised addictions accreditation. Nursing gives the opportunity to work in a variety of roles within services including providing specialist interventions in physical and mental health, leading on harm reduction initiatives for bloodborne viruses, needle exchange, provision of naloxone, and support with detoxification from alcohol and/or other drugs. Some nurses choose to […]
A fine balance
[…] Inequities in these communities are often entrenched; the chronic relapsing nature of drug and or alcohol dependence is frequently associated with instability, which can be compounded by mental health issues, transience and high mobility, unstable accommodation, involvement in crime and risky sex work, pending legal issues and time spent in custodial settings. At the same […]
Another record year for England and Wales drug deaths
[…] and additional funding coming into services is helping to turn the tide but there is a way to go. We need sustained and coordinated action across health including mental health, housing and social care services in order to reduce the harm caused by drugs to individuals, families and communities. The government must continue to invest in these life-saving […]
New psychoactive drug deaths double
[…] increase the dose with sometimes fatal results.’ Meanwhile, the use of psychedelic drugs like LSD, peyote and psilocybin mushrooms does not increase a person’s risk of developing mental health problems, according to a study of 130,000 people by researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. The study’s authors also claim ‘some significant associations’ […]
Tracey McMahon is a Delphi nurse
Tracey McMahon is a Delphi nurse who has developed her interest in mental health by working in a prison environment. Read Tracey’s story in DDN Magazine Nursing will throw many challenges at you, but the positives outweigh any negatives and it’s such a rewarding job. As a child travelling on the train with my mum, […]
More than £550m needed to save treatment system, says Black report
[…] in our communities. The focus on trauma-informed service delivery is crucial and we are pleased to see recognition of the interconnected nature of problematic drug use and mental health issues.’ While the document could ‘signal a long overdue turning point’ it needed the government to commit to ‘major financial and political investment and a truly […]
Vital Links
[…] for high calibre clinical skills and expertise were recently highlighted by two eminent leaders in the field – professors Colin Drummond and Sir John Strang in the Mental Health Times and BMJ respectively. Professor Drummond stated: ‘Without proper care there are serious risks including epileptic fits and hallucinations, brain damage, suicide and risk of overdose. […]
Make or break time?
[…] into the trap of considering substance misuse services as somehow separate from the wider public health agenda. With nearly three-quarters of substance misuse service users also experiencing a mental health condition, recent interest in mental health has been welcome, but mental health is only one of the many issues that can affect those with complex needs. […]
The main man
[…] stuff. Obviously all of that – targets, performance management – became deeply unfashionable, and I think it’s very interesting that Nick Clegg is now saying he’s taking mental health seriously because he’s imposing targets on the system. The Lib Dems and the Tories spent years castigating the previous Labour government for too much focus on […]
Challenging the narrative
Assistant psychologists can play a vital role in developing stigma-free services for people with dual diagnosis, say Edward Loveless, James Streatfield and Dr Stephen Donaldson. Stigma surrounding mental health and the use of substances is a persistent and pervasive issue, particularly for people with a dual diagnosis. A system that’s strained and stretched by lack […]
Cranstoun Social Justice Conference 2024
 The World Health Organisation recognises World Mental Health Day on 10 October every year. This year’s theme set by the World Federation for Mental Health is ‘mental health for all’. Website: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/world-mental-health-day Email: supporter@mentalhealth.org.uk
DDN 050404
[…] came up, and we were all involved in the charge for the chocolate cake at lunch. I had seen Ron Pepponis from NIMHE (the National Institute for Mental Health in England) do the same speech at the National Drug Treatment Conference the other week – but how different it sounded from the floor, with interruptions, […]
Catching the wave
[…] describes eloquently in his book The Globalization of Addiction: A study in poverty of the spirit, 2008), levels of unhealthy dependency – drugs being just one among many – and mental distress are rising dramatically. Needs are rising and resources are dwindling. Hanlon contends that currentinterventions are failing to address societal issues because they are grounded in an […]
SWIM Supported Housing Manager
[…] Manager Job Description and Person Specification Who We Are. Support When It Matters Enterprise CIC (SWIM) is an African/Caribbean led Hackney -based social enterprise focused on improving mental health and wellbeing and criminal justice outcomes for African/Caribbean and other minoritised communities. Our expertise is in delivering culturally informed psycho -social interventions to individuals and groups […]
White House targets harm reduction funding
[…] remove rough sleepers from US streets The US health secretary will take ‘appropriate action’ to ensure that the discretionary grants issued by the country’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) do not fund programmes ‘that fail to achieve adequate outcomes’, according to a new executive order from president Donald Trump. These include ‘so-called […]
The connection between substance use and mental health
Substance use and mental health are deeply intertwined. For many, turning to drugs or alcohol isn’t about chasing a high – it’s a way to cope with emotional pain. But why does this happen? How does substance use begin as a form of relief and turn into a deeper struggle? In this blog, we’ll explore […]