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Mental health is just as important as physical health – so one organisation is educating society on how to recognise the symptoms and signs of common mental health issues and help in a moment of need.

Based on the first aid model – the first responders to physical injury – Mental Health First Aid England (MHFA) is the mental health equivalent.

Through Mental Health First Aid training classes, a MHFA certification teaches people how to “effectively guide a person towards the right support, be that self-help or professional services.”

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One in five children at risk of mental health issues, study suggests

Poppy Jaman, CEO and co-founder of MHFA, told The Independent: “We teach people how to talk about mental health issues. What we call mental health literacy.”

The organisation, founded in 2000 in Australia, has grown exponentially since it first reached England in 2007.

To date, MHFA has trained just under 300,000 people in mental health first aid and three million globally. But they have a long way to go before they reach their goal of one in 10 people of the English population or five million people.

According to Jaman, the goal number is based on the tipping point theory – when you educate enough people on a subject to the point that it tips society over to normalising whatever the issue is.

In this case, Jaman wants “society to be, when I say ‘health,’ everyone understands mental and physical and not just physical.

“Mental health being a normal part of every day, every family, every community.”

MHFA offers training for armed forces, youth, corporate, and adult (Stock)

To normalise and educate people about how to deal with their own stress and mental health, and how to have a conversation about the topic with others, MHFA offers two-day, one-day, or half-day courses.

In these courses, participants learn five main components that can then help them change and influence the conversation about mental health, and ultimately change the world.

First, Jaman told us: “The number one thing you learn is that a mental health first aid course will not teach you to be a therapist.”

Second: “Anybody is capable of having a compassionate positive conversation about mental health.”

Third, and importantly, the courses teach participants “how to have the conversation.” This includes the structure of an open conversation about mental health.

Participants then learn “how to take that conversation and explore whether somebody is having thoughts of suicide.”

“We teach people how to have a confident conversation about suicide,” Jaman told us. “How to have a really empathetic conversation when people are experiencing great distress.”

And finally: “Self-care and all we can do to prevent ourselves getting unwell in the first place,” which can include the same things we do for physical health – “eating healthy, exercising regularly, but also giving time to things that are meaningful in our life, volunteering, spending time with friends and projects that are close to our heart, medication, walking, sitting and reading.

“It is recognising that all of those things are important parts of a balanced life,” Jaman said.

This dedication to education around mental health, as well as a changing conversation about mental health issues, has made a big impact on the prevalence of the topic in society and everyday life.

The changing conversation is partly due to the fact that “high profile people, celebrities, and average people are all coming out and talking about their stories.”

This means people are seeing others openly discuss mental health, which opens the conversation up for a more accepting discourse.

Of this shift in society, Jaman said: “Society has woken up to the fact that discrimination can no longer be.”

For Mental Health Awareness Week, May 14 to 20, MHFA has launched a campaign, #addressyourstress,” which teaches people about stress and the most common sources, as well as self-care techniques they can use to deal with stress.

Because “one in six adults in Britain will experience depression, anxiety or problems related to stress at any one time,” MHFA is taking action to help people manage their stress levels.

As for the ultimate goal, Jaman told us: “We want to not have to hide any health-related issues we might be having.

“We are looking to create a more compassionate world and a more compassionate society.”

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Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~

A Chief from Canadian Fleet Pacific says everyone should undergo first aid training after he used his expertise to save the life of a Nanaimo man in cardiac arrest in March.

Chief Petty Officer Second Class Paul McCoy, 52, is in the 32nd year of his career with the Royal Canadian Navy and currently works in his unit’s Underwater Warfare branch as a Coastal Advisor on Sonar Operations.

But he also works a part-time job as a First Aid instructor for the St. John Ambulance training centre in his hometown of Duncan. On March 10, one of his students, 66-year-old Earl Morris, suffered a cardiac arrest during his class.

“It happened to Earl in the right place at the right time,” said CPO2 McCoy. “If you are going to have a heart attack, have it in a first aid class where there are people fully trained and willing to help.”

The incident occurred as the class was taking a break and Chief McCoy was in the hallway. A student rushed to him to say Morris had collapsed in his chair, was unresponsive and not breathing. CPO2 McCoy, with the help of another instructor and student, sprang into action and used their training and equipment to save the heart attack victim’s life.

CPO2 McCoy, who is certified as an Occupational First Aid Level 3 and Advanced Medical First Responder, assessed Morris’ condition and then moved him to the ground. He performed CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) while the other instructor administered oxygen.

CPO2 McCoy used a defibrillator to keep him alive while his student and the other instructor continued to perform CPR until paramedics arrived. Paramedics then used their defibrillators approximately six times before Morris was stable enough to be transported to hospital. He has since recovered.

McCoy is quick to downplay the hero moniker bestowed on him by Cowichan Training Centre’s supervisor Anne Saele, and fellow students and instructors.

“I don’t see myself as a hero. I was just a guy who was there, but it’s definitely one in the win column for me and Mr. Morris,” he said.

CPO2 McCoy received his First Aid Instructor certification while serving in HMCS Calgary in 2007. Over the course of his life he has used his first aid training to save the lives of others. Those include severely injured accident victims of a head-on-collision on the Malahat Pass, and two pedestrians who were struck by a vehicle in Sooke.

He recommends first aid training and refresher training to everyone.

“The training gives you the tools and confidence to properly perform first aid,” he said.  “It could be you or someone you love lying there next time. If you know what to do, you will be able to jump in and help. Everyone should have this training.”

Check out our first aid course in Canberra held at the Parklands Hotel in Dickson. www.canberrafirstaid.com

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Having a severe allergic reaction without an EpiPen on hand is a life-compromising nightmare: Without immediate medical attention, a person suffering from a nut allergy or a bee sting or some other intense intolerance could go into anaphylactic shock—which occurs in 1 in 50 Americans and could lead to death in as few as 15 minutes. That’s why one research team decided to create an app that would potentially put the epinephrine-injecting, life-saving tool into someone’s hand far quicker than an ambulance can arrive on the scene.

Researchers at Bar-Ilan University in Israel created EpiMada, an app that uses the same algorithms as ride-sharing services to match a person with someone nearby who carries an EpiPen, according to Mental Floss. Here’s how it the service is intended to work: Let’s say your allergy is triggered, you don’t have an EpiPen on you, and a medical team won’t arrive on the scene in time to help before you go into anaphylactic shock (typically 3 to 30 minutes after exposure, so act fast). Using EpiMada, a total stranger could jump in and rescue you with their personal EpiPen—the infamously prohibitively expensive adrenaline-dispensing device 3.6 million Americans were reportedly were prescribed in 2015 alone. But regarding that high cost, app co-creator Michal Gaziel Yablowitz, a doctoral student, says in a press release that “preliminary research results show that allergy patients are highly motivated to give their personal EpiPen to patient-peers in immediate need.”

“With hundreds of allergy sufferers signed on and more to follow, we hope that this initiative helps save crucial minutes to first epinephrine use.” —app co-creator Dr. David G. Schwartz

For safety reasons, each user with a current epinephrine prescription will be individually accepted into the app—and to use the service, you have to apply to join the community, which is reportedly growing. “The potential of leveraging patients carrying the same medication to respond in emergencies is enormous,” EpiMada co-creator David G. Schwartz, PhD, says. “With hundreds of allergy sufferers signed on and more to follow, we hope that this initiative helps save crucial minutes to first epinephrine use.”

Unfortunately, the app is currently only available in Israel, but the researchers are working on similar services around the world: One in Philadelphia is currently using the same concept as EpiMada but with naloxone, a drug that can reverse opioid overdoses.

This is yet another example that illustrates how technology can be used to improve people’s access to health care.

Should you be worried about the allergy version of seasonal affective disorder? Also, here are five allergy-fighting foods.

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MOTORISTS are now required to follow a new road rule when passing cyclists and could face a hefty $330 fine if they break it.

‘Die-in’ Staged in Protest of Road Safety for Brisbane Cyclists

NSW motorists will have to leave minimum gaps when passing cyclists or face fines and loss of demerit points following a successful two-year trial.

This month the Minimum Passing Distance rule was retained as a permanent NSW road rule after an evaluation of the trial.

The rule requires drivers passing a cyclist travelling in the same direction to leave a minimum gap one metre between the car and bike when the speed limit is 60km/h or less.

That distance bumps up to 1.5 metres when it is higher than 60km/h.

An independent review of the two-year trial estimated a 15 per cent reduction in bicycle-to-vehicle crashes, Minister for Roads Melinda Pavey said on Wednesday.

Drivers who break the law face a penalty of $330 and two demerit points.

If the speed limit is under 60km/h then a gap of one metre applies. Picture: Transport NSW/YouTubeSource:YouTube

This new law should be relatively easy to remember unlike some obscure road rules catching out hundreds of Aussie drivers and cyclists.

Some of the seemingly innocuous offences drivers have been stung for in the past year include hanging an arm or leg outside of a vehicle window or sitting your pet on your lap.

The RACQ data shows that 400 motorists, in Queensland alone, copped fines for having part of their person’s body outside a window or door — an offence which you can be fined up to $126 for committing.

If the speed limit is over 60km/h then a 1.5 metre gap applies. Picture: Transport NSW/YouTubeSource:YouTube

Additionally, 170 drivers had been fined for having an animal on their lap — an offence which can earn you a fine of up to $294 — and 113 pedestrians had obstructed a vehicle during a 12-month period in the Sunshine State.

Cyclists were also stung by lesser-known rules as 66 riders were issued an infringement notice for riding a bike without a bell in the same period and 52 drivers received a fine for improperly honking their horn.

Cycling Deathsin Australia

select a state for more statistics

668

Nationwide since 2000

“Obviously, there are many motorists copping fines for breaking rules they may not be aware of,” said RACQ spokeswoman Lauren Ritchie.

“These road rules may seem insignificant to some but they’re in place to keep all road users safe.”

There is one particular law that varies from state to state that can have a very costly surprise if you are caught not following it.

Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia chief executive Robert Barwick took to the group’s Facebook page to alert travellers after a member of the club was stung by the obscure new rule.

It involves having to slow down dramatically when passing emergency vehicles in South Australia — 25km/h to be precise. The unaware member who was caught out claims she was fined $1007 and disqualified from driving for six months.

“A member, on their way to Adelaide, drove past two police cars parked well off the side of the road (approximately 12 metres) with their lights flashing. They appeared to be talking to a motorist.

“The member states that she was driving approximately 85km/h at the time (the speed limit was 110km/h). She continued driving and not long after she saw lights of a police car flashing behind her, requesting her to pull over — which she did.

“The police officer asked her speed, which she said was about 85km/h. He said she had been travelling at 83km/h and asked her if she was aware that the speed limit when driving by an emergency vehicle flashing their lights is 25km/h in South Australia?

“She was not aware of this. She tried to explain her case, but to no avail she was issued with an infringement notice — $1007 fine and an immediate six-month driving disqualification. As a single traveller with a 49 year unblemished driving record, she was dumbfounded and confused with what had just happened.”

Not slowing down while passing an emergency vehicle cost a driver dearly.Source:Supplied

Similar laws in Victoria and Western Australia require motorists to drop their speed to 40km/h.

Canberra is set to introduce the rule and it will be trialled in NSW this year.

Police are urging the Queensland government to consider similar laws in the Sunshine State.

Mr Barwick told news.com.au that while the rule is fine, it’s confusing to have laws that vary across states.

“I do think it is a good rule but motorists need to know about it. What I cannot understand how it varies in different states,” he said. “Generally it’s 40km/h but in South Australia (it’s less).”

He reinforced that it’s a broader issue that this one rule.

“National registration and national licensing should be brought in,” he said. “If your vehicle is registered in one state and needs an inspection you need to go back to that state to have it done, prior to registration.

“For example if you are holidaying in Western Australia in your RV and you are from Queensland, you need to undertake the inspection in that state. A national system would ensure it would be easier. However I don’t believe the states will agree because they will lose out on the revenue stream attached to registration and licensing.”

—With AAP

Hopefully this limits accidents on our roads with cyclists. If you would like to learn in a fun and friendly first aid course in Canberra contact us at www.canberrafirstaid.com

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THE actions of the those who keep our beaches safe were honoured at a memorial service yesterday.

Surf lifesavers have been raising the red and yellow flags every weekend and public holiday since September, and will now take a well-earned rest over the winter months before the next season kicks off towards the end of this year.

During this time, volunteers from across the Wide Bay Capricorn region have watched over more than 118,300 beachgoers and combined to perform 7897 preventative actions to help proactively protect swimmers in and around the water.

In addition, volunteers treated 553 first aid patients and, most importantly, directly saved the lives of 23 beachgoers through in-water rescues.

SLSQ regional operations manager Craig Holden said local lifesavers had performed a wonderful job over the season.

“Our volunteer surf lifesavers have performed an outstanding job this season, and there’s no doubt they’ve earned a chance to put their feet up and relax over the next few months,” he said.

“A lot of people don’t realise how much work it takes to protect our beaches – it’s not just patrols any more, there’s a lot of training, fundraising, operations, and club activities that go on behind the scenes to make sure our volunteers are ready and able to perform their roles.”

To mark the final weekend of patrols, surf lifesavers gathered at Bundaberg SLSC for a special memorial day service to pay their respects to those who have lost their lives in the ocean this season and those from within the surf family who have passed, including Bundaberg’s Gemma Henricksen, who lost her battle with cancer last month.

The ceremony saw surf lifesavers in full patrol uniform lay a red and yellow wreath of flowers as a mark of respect.

There have been five drownings on Queensland beaches this season: three on the Sunshine Coast, one at Herron Island, and one at Emu Park.

All drownings occurred at either unpatrolled locations or outside patrol times and Mr Holden said it was a reminder to put safety first.

“Unfortunately, we’ve seen five people drown on Queensland beaches across the season and, as far as we’re concerned, that’s obviously five too many,” he said.

“It’s a heartbreaking reminder about the need to respect the ocean at all times and swim only at patrolled locations and during designated patrol times,

With the volunteer season coming to a close, beaches across the Wide Bay Capricorn region will continue to be patrolled by SLSQ’s professional lifeguards.

Meanwhile, SLSQ will remain active across the winter months through its 24/7 emergency response groups, which are now active in all regions across the state.

BY THE NUMBERS

First aid treatments

Wide Bay Capricorn: 553

Queensland-wide: 10,839

Preventative actions

Wide Bay Capricorn: 7897

Queensland-wide: 65,924

Beach attendance

Wide Bay Capricorn: 119,165

Queensland-wide: 3,015,744

Rescues

Wide Bay Capricorn: 23

Queensland-wide: 863

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PARTS of Australia have been relishing in warm sunny weather, but that’s about to change. Fast. Rain, damaging winds and snow are forecast.

Debra Killalea@DebKillalea

news.com.auMAY 3, 20183:10PM

RUG up — our warm weather is about to take a turn for the chilly worst.

Extreme weather is already hitting many parts of the country’s southeast and temperatures are set to dip again tomorrow with heavy rain, damaging winds and possible snow set to fall.

Sky News Weather chief meteorologist Tom Saunders said the chilly conditions are caused by a cold front in the southeast.

“We have near record high May temperatures in NSW and the ACT and much-needed rain over southern Australia with the risk of damaging winds,” he said.

Mr Saunders said April was the second hottest on record for Australia on average across the whole country, but that has now come to an end.

“Much of the southeast recorded their hottest April on record, including Canberra and Sydney,” Mr Saunders said.

“It was also the driest April in 21 years with a countrywide average of only 10.2mm.”

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) warned rain and possible thunderstorms will hit parts of South Australia today and tomorrow.

The cold front has arrived. Picture: Bureau of MeteorologySource:Supplied

Winds of up to 90km/h and heavy rain are forecast to hit Adelaide, Mount Lofty Ranges, Lower Eyre Peninsula, Eastern Eyre Peninsula, Yorke Peninsula, Mid North and Kangaroo Island.

Murraylands, Upper South East, Lower South East and parts of West Coast and Riverland districts are also expected to be hit by strong gusts.

The BOM has also issued severe weather warnings for damaging winds across Central, South West and North Central districts of Victoria with wind gusts of 90km/h expected.

Winds of up to 110km/h could hit Alpine regions.

View image on Twitter

Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria

✔@BOM_Vic

Red sky in the morning…Severe Weather Warning! Winds are expected to turn gusty and potentially damaging around the #Melbourne area late afternoon/evening, keep up to date with the latest warning: http://ow.ly/P1xG30jNWcn 

8:44 AM – May 3, 2018

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Mr Saunders said rain and storms could hit later today with Adelaide and South Australia already receiving a heap of rain.

“Adelaide’s heaviest rain should be through the morning and the city could receive its heaviest fall so far this year,” Mr Saunders said.

“Already this morning the Eyre Peninsula has received about 10 to 20mm of rain — the heaviest so far this year. There is also the risk of damaging wind gusts across SA this morning.”

Adelaide is due to hit lows of 11-13C over the next few days. The city will hit a high of 20C today with showers, 18C tomorrow and 21C on Saturday with showers easing.

Mr Saunders said the rainband will then spread across southern NSW, Victoria, and Tasmania later today and early Friday.

“The best falls will be along the coast and ranges with over 25mm for some areas,” Mr Saunders said.

“Generally less than 10mm will fall across most of the Murray Basin but it has been so dry this year that could still be the heaviest fall this year.

“For example Mildura’s wettest day so far this year has only brought 3.2mm and the city has received less than 10mm for the entire year.”

Tomorrow is looking equally as chilly.

“Friday will be colder over the southeast and again windy with showers and even some Alpine snow,” Mr Saunders said.

“The weather will ease over the southeast during the weekend.”

However Mr Saunders said while freezing weather was set to hit some parts of the southeast, other areas were basking in warmer conditions.

“Ahead of the rainband, near record high maximum temperatures are developing over NSW, the ACT and central/eastern Victoria,” Mr Saunders said.

He said maximum temperatures today for parts of NSW were actually a May record with Canberra due to hit 24-24.5C, Albury 28-27.6C, Wagga Wagga 28-31.1C, Orbost 28-28.9C and Griffith 29-28.6C.

Sydney can expect lows of 13-19C over the next few days.

The city will hit a top of 26C today, 26C tomorrow and 22C on Saturday.

Melbourne will reach lows of 11-12C over the next few days and a high of 25C today with heavy showers. The city will hit a high of 18C tomorrow and 20C on Saturday with showers easing.

If you think that’s cold, spare a thought for those in Hobart. The Tasmanian capital will experience lows of 9-10C over the coming days, with a high of 22C today dropping to 18C and showers tomorrow and Saturday.

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A female US Army soldier went into anaphylactic shock caused by a combination of dinner, drinks and dancing at a wedding, despite not having any known allergies.

Researchers at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center delved into the unidentified 32-year-old’s unprecedented case in a new report published Thursday.

At the wedding, the woman hit the dance floor after having eaten a steak, vegetables and crab cakes, which she washed down with one cocktail and one glass of red wine.

The report says she was dancing ‘vigorously’ when a rash began to develop on her shoulder, spreading rapidly to her chest, arms, neck and face, one of the first signs of an allergic reaction.

Her throat then became itchy, tongue started to swell to the point that she couldn’t breathe.

Emergency personnel identified the symptoms as anaphylactic shock and treated her with allergic medicines before bringing her to the hospital, where her symptoms disappeared within four hours.

Weeks later her allergist diagnosed her with food dependent exercise-induced allergy to crab, a rare and potentially fatal condition.

A 32-year-old US Army soldier went into anaphylactic shock as a result of ‘vigorous’ dancing after consuming steak, crab cakes, a cocktail and wine at a wedding (stock image)

Food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (FDEIAn) occurs when a person exercises within a few hours of eating a certain food that they are hypersensitive to, triggering an allergic reaction.

Eating the same food without exercise, however, would not cause a reaction.

FDEIAn is a rare subset of anaphylaxis, a potentially-fatal type of allergy that affects less than one percent of the population.

Lifetime prevalence for the FDEIAn is estimated to be less than one quarter of a percent.

Doctors have struggled to identify exactly how the condition occurs, in part because there have been so few reported cases of it.

The diagnosis process can also be very complicated because modern processed foods make it difficult to pinpoint specific trigger ingredients.

Another challenge comes from the fact that it’s impossible to recreate the effects of known co-factors such as alcohol and anti-inflammatory medications when testing for triggers.

According to the case report from Walter Reed, the 32-year-old soldier’s case is especially unique.

The woman had never before experienced any type of allergic reaction, despite the high level of physical activity demanded by her job and the fact that she runs regularly.

 The woman was found to have a food dependent exercise-induced allergy to crab, meaning that she is only allergic to crab when she exercises within hours of eating it (stock image)

In a consultation with an allergist after the wedding, she underwent skin-prick testing for the foods she had consumed that night, but they came back negative.

Next she did a food challenge that involved eating increasing portions of crab over a 30 minute period while being monitored for signs of allergy, which she passed.

An hour later she was asked to run on a treadmill at a moderate pace for 15 minutes, but no symptoms appeared.

Again an hour later she ran on the treadmill again, at which point she developed urticaria, the same rash she had experienced while dancing at the wedding.

As a result doctors diagnosed the woman with the FDEIAn to crab.

Her treatment plan is simple: avoid exercise for at least four to six hours after eating crab.

The report revealed that since the allergic reaction she has moved to Hawaii and is successfully sticking to that plan.

The researchers concluded that soldier’s case highlights the importance of thorough testing for the condition because it’s very possible for tests to come back as false-negatives.

Interesting information around anaphylaxis that should be coupled with a first aid course.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-5609131/Woman-diagnosed-rare-exercise-induced-allergy-died-dancing-wedding.html#ixzz5E6PVTqj4
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Researchers have discovered a genetic link to devastating epilepsies, which could help families prevent having a second child with the disease.