Monday 11 July 2005

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Health Report 29 min 2 speakers 8 chapters transcribed 2 days ago

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Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

What is the focus of the Health Report episode and who are the main guests?

Unknown 0:00

You're listening to ABC Radio National's MP three and podcasts of the Health Report. Find out more go to abc.net.au slash RN

Norman Swann 0:14

Hello, I'm Norman Swann and this is the Health Report. Tonight the differences between men and women when it comes to fear, what lights up in the brain and do the findings explain higher levels of anxiety disorders in women? We'll hear about what goes on in your head when you might be thinking of suicide and practical ways of fighting those thoughts from someone who knows. A fascinating intergenerational study of depression, plus a survey of young people in Melbourne which has found some disturbing things about their attitudes and beliefs about mental illness. Things like depression and psychosis, which can lead to schizophrenia, are among the more serious problems young people face, and are much better found and treated early, especially psychosis.

Norman Swann 0:57

But as you'll hear, there are some roadblocks in the way. Anyway, test yourself on the vignettes presented to a group of twelve to twenty five year olds. They got one or the other. Anne Marie Wright is at the Origin Research Center at the University of Melbourne.

Anne Marie Wright 1:12

The first one was John or Mary, people were randomized to get either one. Is a young person who has been feeling unusually sad and miserable for the last few weeks. He's tired all the time and has trouble sleeping at night. John doesn't feel like eating and has lost weight. He can't keep his mind on his studies, and his grades have dropped. He puts off making any decisions, and even day to day tasks seem too much for him. His parents and teachers are very concerned about him. The other vignette? John or and again Mary is a young person who lives at home with his parents. He has had a few temporary jobs since finishing school but is now unemployed. Over the last six months he has stopped seeing his friends and has begun locking himself in his bedroom and refusing to eat with his family or to have a bath.

Anne Marie Wright 1:57

His parents also hear him walking about in his bedroom at night while they are in bed. Even though they know he's alone, they have heard him shouting and arguing as if someone else is there. When they try to encourage him to do more things, he whispers that he won't leave home because he is being spied upon by the neighbour. They realise he is not taking drugs because he never sees anyone or goes anywhere.

Norman Swann 2:18

And what questions did you ask in association with those vignettes?

Anne Marie Wright 2:22

And we asked them what if anything do you think is wrong with the person in the vignette? What do you think would be the best help for them? And then we ask them to rate the helpfulness of a range of people, medications and activities and then ask them if that person in in the vignette received the help that they thought best, whether they thought they would recover or not.

Norman Swann 2:47

And before we get to the results, this is really with the idea that your peer group at that age is really important and if you see these problems or indeed recognise them in yourself, where would you go for help? Would you advise somebody to go for help? That sort of thing.

Anne Marie Wright 2:59

Absolutely.

Norman Swann 3:00

And the first one is depression and the second one is the first onset, if you like, of psychosis of delusional behaviour.

Anne Marie Wright 3:08

That's right.

Norman Swann 3:09

Did it make a difference to the responses whether or not it was John or Mary that they were presented with?

Anne Marie Wright 3:14

When the vignette was a male person, depression was more easily picked up by the young person slightly. So what were the results? Almost half of the young people were able to recognise depression and only a quarter were able to recognise psychosis. And certainly in the younger age group recognition was less than in the older age group. So younger people twelve to seventeen were less able to recognise compared to older people eighteen to twenty five year olds. And young people most commonly stated that the best forms of help would be a counsellor or psychologist or family and friends. GPs and psychiatrists were also a response, but nowhere near as commonly.

Norman Swann 3:50

And for the ones who recognized psychosis, did they recognise that as a more serious condition?