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Work and pensions secretary attacks system of dealing with minor mental health problems as PM takes aim at ‘sicknote culture’Nearly everyone who gets signed off work for feeling “a little bit depressed” is classified as incapable of work, according to a senior government minister, as Rishi Sunak prepares to announce a new drive to get sick people back into employment.Mel Stride, the work and...

More than 50 clinics will offer tests to about 5,000 people who are worried about their memory in five-year trialThousands of people across the UK who are worried about their memory will receive blood tests for dementia in two trials that doctors hope will help to revolutionise the low diagnosis rate.Teams from the University of Oxford and University College London will lead the trials...

Yearly cost to people, business and public sector found to be twice as big as NHS England’s annual budgetMental illness costs England £300bn a year, equivalent to nearly double its NHS budget, according to research.Researchers for the Centre for Mental Health thinktank analysed the economic, health and care impact of mental ill health, as well as human costs from reduced quality of life and...

Shooting of 15-year-old ‘beautiful soul’ in California revives scrutiny on law enforcement abuse of youth with disabilitiesWhen Ryan Gainer was diagnosed with autism as a toddler, he was nonverbal, and his family all learned sign language to communicate with him. But after the southern California boy learned how to speak at around age four, he was a “ball of energy” who never stopped talking,...

Workers receiving payments beyond two-and-a-half years to undergo another impairment test under changes expected to pass parliamentFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastWorkers’ compensation for mental health injuries such as stress and burnout will be limited after the Victorian government struck a deal to push through contentious changes to the...

Makalie Watts-Owens, a 24-year-old Tagalaka, Kukatja and Worimi woman, voluntarily admitted herself to St Vincent’s before her death• WARNING: this story contains distressing contentThe family and friends of a young Aboriginal woman who took her own life in a Melbourne hospital within hours of presenting seeking psychiatric help are calling for a full investigation into her treatment.Makalie Watts-Owens, a 24-year-old Tagalaka, Kukatja and Worimi...

Charity set up by Martin Lewis says up to 1.3m people forced to cut back on food, energy and even medicineHomeowners with mental health problems are more likely to have cut back on food and energy to keep on top of their mortgage payments, a charity set up by the consumer finance champion Martin Lewis has warned.The Money and Mental Health Policy Institute said...

The country has been fighting since 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea and many people are battling mental health issuesSerhii Dovbysh was defending his home in Chernihiv when something inside him snapped. The Russians were a few kilometres away. Enemy planes bombed the city. Shells landed among its gold-domed cathedrals. And young soldiers under his command were dying in battle. Dovbysh, a major in Ukraine’s...

Exclusive: Review ordered by police commissioner Karen Webb after string of fatalities last year is more than two months overdueNew South Wales police have failed to hand a promised review of the way they respond to mental health crises to the government, as pressure again mounts on the force to enact reforms after the fatal shooting of a mentally unwell man.Alexander Stuart Pinnock died...

Experts say being discharged prematurely can be ‘disastrous’, setting back chances of full recoveryThousands of patients are being readmitted to NHS mental health units in England every year soon after being discharged, raising concerns about poor care, bed shortages and increased risk of suicide.Experts say being discharged prematurely can be upsetting, set back the patient’s chances of making a full recovery and be “disastrous”...

Long-term UK study adds to body of research associating pollutants with declining brain health UK researchers have been looking at how air pollution contributes to dementia and brain ill-health.Stroke is the second-leading cause of death globally, accounting for about 11% of deaths. About 50 million people live with dementia, and the figure is expected to rise to about 150 million by 2050. Continue reading...