Spookers - school holiday fun for the kids?

For several years I had promised my son a visit to Spookers, a horror-themed park in Karaka in the grounds of the former Kingseat Psychiatric Hospital.

Moreover, I had wanted to research Spookers for stigma associated with “mental illness”.  The occasion came for both when he and his friends arranged a 16th birthday event there.

I tried not to be the killjoy that they were expecting. I even bought the giant hypodermic needle in the souvenir shop, and the hypodermic-needle pen to show my participation in the theatre of it all. But I’m a little ashamed of my part in perpetuating stigmatising myths. All I can do is try to debate the ethics of the place.

Immediately, the link between the old asylum and “mental patient” is obvious, the context of the former institution makes this inevitable. The site entrance increases the tension with its uncannily familiar long driveway and tree-lined avenue, and the villas on either side. Decades of images of institutions are well-known to us through popular culture.

The entrance further evokes the monolithic institution. Here a dishevelled man sits muttering and looking threateningly at people queuing for tickets, his brain-surgery scar visible on his shaved head. He shuffles on his haunches and sits menacingly close, mumbling, drooling, and crouching with an ape-like, skulking demeanour. He shouts and pounces when people forget he is there.

Very large actors (I think they were actors) splattered with blood and ripped clothing chase and shriek at you through claustrophobic, paint-peeling concrete hallways. The labyrinth of corridors and doors, and wider “communal areas” all communicate institutions, hospitals, prisons, and asylums.

This visit confirmed for me that stigma associated with “mental illness” is re-emerging, alongside a dominant bio-medical approach to mental health. This parallels the resurrection of the “escaped mental patient” storyline in media and popular culture. 

These images both exacerbate and confirm ideas of “genetic fault” and work to corroborate “evidence” of dangerous sickness, crime and malingering.

Does Spookers reflect society’s fears and prejudices, or does it add to them?

The “escaped mental patient” character threatens unpredictable violence and cruelty, and is represented here in living colour and volume. This adds to, and derives from, the “monster” public enemy in media, movies, and television.  Spookers further affirms proposed links between violent crime and mental illness. Never mind proof to the contrary.

So did I enjoy myself? You bet; I love Gothic horror and have studied its stylistics and codings, in art and literature for the last 15 years. Spookers was fun in a “camp”, theatrical way; this is my dilemma.

I was saddened by the associations the old Kingseat Hospital affords, and that the attraction trades on people’s misfortunes. It abuses Kingseat’s notorious past and infamous history. I feel for the suffering and loss these places cause. If it were in an industrial area or other large commercial building on the fringe of town, Spookers would be less offensive to the memory of those who lived and died in Kingseat.

On the flipside, Spookers does serve the function, as Halloween horror often does, of laughing in the face of death, to make mock of our superstitions and irrational fears, to whistle in the dark of our unconscious fears. Right now, it serves the primal need to find scapegoats for a new generation who are ignorant of the asylum origin of the “escaped mental patient monster” from the past.

Dean Manley, National Manager, Like Minds, Like Mine

Someone Like Me – from youth research to youth action

As a provider of Like Minds, Like Mine work, the Mental Health Foundation has carried out research into the experiences of stigma and discrimination faced by young people with experience of mental illness or distress.

The research, in partnership with The Collaborative for Research and Training in Youth Health and Development  was used to set up a youth action project that builds partnerships with young leaders who provide solutions to various issues. 

While encouraging frank discussion of negative experiences, the research also asked the young people what did work for them, ie, what attitudes, what services, and why. It also asked them for their ideas about potential solutions.

Our findings paint a clear picture of the experiences of young people when identifying, and seeking help for, their emotional distress. The research also offers hope that there are ways to change attitudes and re-frame services, and that this work can, and should, be led by young people. While the research has yet to become a published document, the stories shared already form the backbone for the action group, known as Someone Like Me, as it engages in the community to find solutions.

In a short time Someone Like Me has already made a significant impact, developing the kind of forward-thinking action plan that would make grown up professionals weep with envy. The volume of work done and planned is staggering and includes: presentations at conferences, community hui, involvement in the local service user network, comic books, DVDs, school presentations and recruitment campaigns!

Certainly it is a perfect example of how young people, when given the opportunity and trust to build on their own passions and skills, will be the drivers of change and can flourish as the potential leaders of tomorrow. This work will be presented by me as part of the NZAAHD Involve 2010 conference taking place this week in Auckland. 

The presentation was developed alongside the Someone Like Me group and will include a video featuring group members Ange and Kelly. If I can’t take them to Involve with me in person, I figured I could sneak them in on my flash drive and give a true and honest representation of their individual enthusiasm and interests. These young people are the heart of the group and the story of Someone Like Me is theirs to tell: 

Watch the video

For further information on the research or the work of Someone Like Me, or to express an interest in getting involved with the group, you can contact me at steve@mentalhealth.org.nz or, better still, get in touch with the group itself at someonelikemehub@gmail.com 

Steve Carter, Mental Health Promoter, Mental Health Foundation Southern Region

Theatre challenge 10 out of 10!

The inaugural RETHiNK Theatre Challenge over the 2010 Mental Health Awareness Weekend was an incredible  success. Every performance was SOLD OUT, and around 400- 500 people re-thought their ideas, prejudices, and attitudes towards mental “illness”

The event had a fortuitous coincidence in that the 10, 10 minute plays were performed on Mental Health Awareness Day – the 10th day of the 10th Month, 2010!

Over 60 volunteer cast and crew work-shopped performances in fewer than 24 hours to pull together an incredible show of 10, 10-minute plays all aimed at destigmatising mental distress.

The four performances were given over two venues and finished with a standing-room-only gala performance at Auckland’s premier Comedy Club “The Classic”. Comedian Rob Callaghan was the master of ceremonies and he supported by some of New Zealand’s funniest, including last year’s RETHiNK Grant winner, Chris Brain, Irene Pink, Rhys Mathewson and The Improv Bandits.

Taimi Allan, who leads Mind and Body’s Like Minds, Like Mine team, says:

 “Without a doubt, this was the most exciting project I have ever been a part of. It mixed my two passions in life; performance and the promotion of mental health, and furthermore I believe it sets the benchmark for projects that seek radical social change.”

Taimi, who directed one of the plays and acted in another, helped Adam Fresco from Dramatrain and Titirangi Theatre coordinate the event by securing media attention, a documentary crew, celebrity guests, administration support, Like Minds ‘Stigma Advisors’ and promotional help.

The Titirangi Theatre and the extended Like Minds and Mental Health networks collaborated with talented amateur and professional volunteers from all over the globe who shared a passion to make a positive change.

Adam Fresco, volunteered hundreds of hours of his personal time for the cause. He says:

 “This project aimed to directly challenge taboos, myths and fictions surrounding ‘mental illness’ in an accessible, entertaining and thought-provoking manner. The beautiful thing about using theatre is that we could increase understanding, dispel misconceptions and encourage community engagement under the guise of family entertainment and have lots of fun in the process!”

Writers, actors, directors and crew came from all over the world to be a part of this event and included both the famous (Bob Baker of Dr Who, K9 and Wallace and Grommet Fame) and the unknown.

One of America’s most eminent psycho-drama specialists Dr Dan Tomasulo even flew in from New York just to attend the performance of his work Sticks and Stones.

Many of the  writers, cast and crew involved in the production had personal experience of ‘madness’ and the audience was asked if they could tell who the ‘normal’ ones were.

Over two hours, the audience was taken on an emotional rollercoaster and left feeling not only moved and inspired, but significantly changed.

One audience member wrote;

“Last night shocked me. People were on stage recounting the Looney experiences I have had and instead of being deeply ashamed like me they were laughing at them. I found it disturbing, provocative and comforting all at the same time. I find myself feeling compassion for those who are afflicted like me and disturbed by my own deep prejudices against people just like me. To finish I guess I want to thank you for the work you do around improving the quality of life for people with mental health issues. Until last night I thought the only way it was being done was to make TV ads asking for more understanding. My own ignorance is embarrassing. Keep up the good work. It’s making a difference.”

If you would like us to make the event bigger and better for next year, or even tour it to a town near you, please fill out our short feedback survey so that we can look getting sponsors onboard so we can repeat it next year.


Stay tuned to www.rethinkgrant.co.nz  for photos, comments, videos, media articles and the results of our feedback survey.

Ehara taku manu te mana takitahi engari takitui.


The team from Mind and Body Consultants Ltd - Guest bloggers

Does Darth Vader have borderline personality disorder?

Star Wars villain Darth Vader (aka Anakin Skywalker) has apparently been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. That is, according to French psychiatrist Eric Bui in a letter that was due to appear in the journal Psychiatry Research 26 May 2010.

Is Anakin Skywalker suffering from borderline personality disorder?
Abstract
Anakin Skywalker, one of the main characters in Star Wars, meets the criteria for borderline personality disorder (BPD). This finding is interesting for it may partly explain the commercial success of these movies among adolescents and be useful in educating the general public and medical students about BPD symptoms.

Has Dr Bui thought about the connotations for those around the world who have been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, possibly the most stigmatising of all mental illnesses, to now be linked with this infamously evil character?

In my opinion, this type of ‘research’ moves us away from a humanistic, personalised, recovery model in which we see people for themselves first, rather than defining them by symptoms. But, of course, sensationalism sells – even it would seem in research journals.

Dr Bui’s letter talks about watching the Star Wars movies while teaching students about the disorder, and used Darth Vader’s (or Anakin Skywalker as he was known in the prequels) behaviour to explain the diagnostic criteria. This leads me to wonder how these students will feel when they eventually encounter someone with the diagnosis. Will they be on the look-out for a dark helmet, heavy breathing and a deftly-used light sabre? Or will they be able to see past their lecturer’s stigmatising comments, and view the person behind the diagnosis?

Dr Bui’s approach does not seem to be novel. A simple Google search brings up articles diagnosing Eeyore, from Winnie The Pooh, with mild dysthymic disorder, and the lead characters of Twilight with either psychosis or negative automatic thoughts, which they suggest can be easily treated with a course of cognitive behaviour therapy.

What do you think?  Is diagnosing fictional characters simply a good way to bring diagnostic criteria to life, or does it further stigmatise people experiencing mental distress? Or does it depend on the character being diagnosed?

Read more about Eric Bui’s letter: Is Anakin Skywalker suffering from borderline personality disorder?


Jade Caulfield, Mental Health Promoter, Like Minds, Like Mine

Should we rename schizophrenia?

Here is a blog from the Old Zeeland. Zeeland is, of course, part of the Netherlands! But what’s in a name? Or does it not make much difference?

What is it with the name schizophrenia? We associate it with much unpleasantness, even monstrosity. Or is that just because of the assumptions of the man in the street? Maybe the harsh ringtone it gives out has a tendency to spread. Are there people around us who, on one level or another, tend to judge a person with schizophrenia as unreliable, something of a monster, dreadful to contemplate, or does it go even deeper?

Anoiksis, the Dutch society of people with schizophrenia, set itself to find a new term for it, and so we held a competition. We received 320 entries, which is quite a number. So we think maybe quite a lot of people here are not satisfied with the name schizophrenia.

Dysfunctional Perception Syndrome

The term that won the contest was: Dysfunctional Perception Syndrome (DPS). It describes the essence of the condition and is a medical term that is probably more objective and less discriminating than the old term; it points to a dysfunction in the working of the brain and suggests the real cause of the condition is something in the brain.

We could write a whole chapter of a book about the disadvantages of the proposed term DPS. You could say it would be better to wear the old label with dignity and work to create a better understanding of it. ‘Dysfunctional’ links painfully to aberrant behaviour, the disregard of social conventions or, for instance, the lack of willingness to function in society or even to work!

Salience Syndrome

Another proposal for a new name is salience syndrome, salience referring to a detail that has extra importance, like an ordinary everyday event that gets extraordinary significance during a psychosis. To call it a syndrome is to suggest that science has not found the real medical cause yet.

The medical term should not only be accurate but precisely match the neurobiological fault in the brain. That has not yet been discovered, and some researchers question whether it ever could be found; they argue that schizophrenia has a psychological origin, like a hang-up in the development of the personality due to an earlier life experience.

In any case wouldn’t the term DPS also get down-graded and acquire negative associations, so that whatever re-naming you do would be ineffective?

Thanks to Like Minds, Like Mine

Like minds, like mine:  thank you very much for tackling prejudice with such a large campaign as yours. When we heard about it we thought we must recognise it and support it. It has many meanings.

To say, like my mind, is to make a friendly and gentle appeal to the public to try to see this mind as it is and to resist the common opinions and prejudices that lead to active dislike and distancing.

Schizophrenia sounds monstrous

Actually, to be honest, our behaviour in a psychosis can indeed be monstrous. I have myself had angry episodes when I felt like hitting my mother or shouting at my father or damaging the door of a car just parked in the street; this was due to being worn out and aggravated by delusional thoughts.

Maybe such behaviour is the source of the myths that go round among the public. Yet they get badly exaggerated and that causes unnecessary and useless hurt to us, and is often due to a member of the public treating us with disrespect and in a degrading manner.

What about a soap?

It would be a good idea to balance the picture people have of us by writing a mentally ill person into the script of a TV soap like Neighbours. Social reality issues are popular with viewers. They can learn a lot from enacted situations about the real circumstances in which people live.

TV could be, and is sometimes, used to portray a more nuanced picture of people with a mental illness. A schizophrenic could be written in who besides less attractive behaviour does something clever or humorous or a work of outstanding value to humanity. The popularity of soaps makes me think that people in general are keen to get to know about how things really are.

Jan Willem Slabbekoorn, Guest Blogger, The Netherlands

Stigma & discrimination in Korean community - what we can do to help

As a Like Minds, Like Mine project worker of Chinese descent I work closely with the Asian community.

The Like Minds project is eager to spread the message among ethnic communities that it is important to provide an inclusive environment to all Asian people who experience mental illness. 

To this end, a Korean Advisory group is now running under Kai Xin Xing Dong (the Chinese Like Minds Project). Its aim is to explore the issues of stigma and discrimination associated with Korean people who experience mental illness in the Auckland region.

I feel very privileged to have the opportunity to work with well-respected Korean health professionals who share many of our concerns. Stigma and discrimination present barriers to the health and recovery of Korean people.

We do not want this situation to be ignored any longer - action is required urgently. 

Losing face a big issue for Korean people

Very often families keep mental illness a secret because of the fear of ‘losing face’, which is common in Korean communities.

Korean communities perceive mental illness as an ailment that can be caught from others, resulting in feelings of guilt and shame of being unable to protect their loved ones from getting well. Often people suffer in silence in order to not to bring shame to their family.

The New Zealand Korean community is relatively small and has close connections to local church groups.  In order to find solutions, they tend to go back to Korea to seek psychiatric interventions. However this can be a huge financial burden on the whole family.

In one extreme scenario, a family moved back to Korea because a family member had been seen by a crisis team on their own property. This was thought to bring stigma to the whole family.

Cultural competence training a must

The situation could have been avoided had the crisis team been trained on cultural competencies around the issue of stigma and discrimination associated with Korean people who experience mental illness.

Another issue is Korean people tending to minimise their mental health issues when being assessed, because Korean culture does not encourage emotional expression in public.

Unfortunately, many professionals do not have cultural competence training to be able to recognise the implications of such behaviour.

The recent incident of a Korean father who was found dead before his wife and daughter’s funeral, speaks to the truth about how hiding mental distress needs to be addressed urgently.

It is an issue all society needs to look at to find ways to better support migrants to settle in New Zealand.

Furthermore, professionals should be given relevant information and resources to assist in their understanding of what is needed from them in their treatment of Asian patients.

Kai Xin Xing Dong website to include Korean information

The KXXD website will soon include Korean information and resources in English to encourage professionals to share information and knowledge with Korean people who experience mental illness.

Perhaps you have some ideas, too, to help us alleviate these concerns?

Ivan Yeo, Mental Health Promoter, Like Minds

Like Minds – it’s everyone’s future

On 18 March the Mental Health Foundation and the Regional Consumer Network hosted the second Like Minds Auckland Metro Forum. The purpose of this forum is to bring together people from across the Auckland region to talk about the issues Like Minds workers come up against in our mission to reduce stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness. 

The audience really enjoyed hearing from our guest speaker Aubrey Quinn, who is the current face of the Like Minds television commercials (TVC). Aubrey shared with us some of the more humorous aspects of his journey through recovery and his experiences fronting the TVCs.

I think, for me, events like these are crucial to the Like Minds programme.  Like Minds is not only relevant to people who experience mental illness, it is relevant to everyone in New Zealand. 

We all want to live in a society that values people based on their actions and their merits, rather than judging them on their diagnosis, skin colour or gender.  To be a truly inclusive society is something that I believe most New Zealanders support, however putting these ideas into action is often where it becomes hard for people. 

You don’t have to know someone with a mental illness or work in the mental health sector to be able to make a positive impact on stigma and discrimination. Sometimes the smallest things in the world can make a huge difference, like being a role model for your children in this area, or letting a mate know that his joke about mental illness is ‘not okay’ and not even very funny. 

These small actions contribute towards a society that promotes fairness and counters discrimination.

I think, and I should point out at this point that I am an overly emotional pregnant woman, that this is the type of society we all want to be part of, and to have our children grow up in.

Jade Caulfield, Like Minds Mental Health Promoter

L to R: Like Minds Northern Mental Health Promoters, Ivan Yeo, Vanessa Cooper, Jade Caulfield and Richie Paine pictured with Aubrey Quinn (centre).

Bipolar wannabes

A recent article, interestingly re-published in the NZ Herald as “Bipolar Wannabes”, has shown that there has been a rise in self-diagnosis of bipolar disorder. 

This article has caused much controversy over water-coolers around Like Minds, Like Mine offices, with many people wondering what this means in terms of stigma and discrimination.

Is the idea that having bipolar disorder is desirable, with stars, such a Britney Spears, plagued by rumours of the illness, a 'negative idea?  Are we linking the disorder with celebrity, similar to the 'idiot savant' ideas of the past haunting those who experienced autism?

Or is it simply that celebrities, like Stephen Fry, have brought bipolar disorder into the limelight and made the diagnosis more tangible for people? 

Self-diagnosis is in no way a new idea, I remember being warned as a first year psychology student that in reading the text book we would find many behaviours that we shared with the case studies we were reading about.  But, while many feel that self-diagnosis is often a negative, isn’t it better that people have an understanding of an illness and notice if they are feeling and reacting in the same way? 

In many ways we have taken control of our health care in this century, no doubt I am not the only one who Googles medical symptoms before making an appointment with my GP.  Perhaps people being more informed about illnesses, such as bipolar disorder, will lead to earlier help-seeking and therefore, we hope, earlier recovery.

What do you think?

Jade Caulfield, Auckland Like Minds Health Promoter

Facebook photos deny woman insurance benefit

How can you tell if someone continues to experience depression?  Can you tell from a few photos, or the fact that they went out one night, or even held a birthday party? 

A Canadian woman who had been experiencing major depression, and had been off work for the past year, had her benefits terminated by her insurance company. The reason given was they had seen her personal photos posted on Facebook.

This raises two issues for me: Firstly, we must remember that Facebook pages are not private! If you are under the impression that only your friends can see you, you are mistaken. It is even becoming policy for some companies and organisations to check social networking sites.

Possibly the more alarming issue is that this woman has been re-classified as no longer depressed or incapable of work, based on some photos on Facebook where she didn’t appear to be sad. And really, who puts photos of themselves during their down times online? Who wants to share those moments with their old friends from high school and random work colleagues? There is an expectation that when someone is depressed, they need to appear sad at all times, and possibly never leave the house. 

I wonder if other disabilities that people experience make them subject to the same ideas, or is this a lack of understanding around depression?

We’ve known for a long time that both sunshine and enjoyable activities can improve a person’s mood when they are experiencing depression. In fact, one of the first steps in cognitive behaviour therapy is to increase the number of pleasurable activities in any given week. 

It saddens me this woman is being punished for possibly taking steps to improve her mood and move towards recovery.  Hopefully, with the international interest in this, the insurance companies may look further into cases like this and base their opinions on something other than a few photos on a social networking site.

Read the news article

What do you think?  Was the insurance company justified?  Is this another example of people’s or companies’ lack of understanding of mental illness?

Jade, Like Minds Mental Health Promoter

UK Prime Minister attacked over alleged mental illness

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown's approval rating has never been particularly high, but speculation in the blogosphere and certain media about the state of his mental health have given his opponents a new weapon with which to bludgeon him: stigma.

Allegations of anti-depressant use have led to blog headlines such as "Is Brown bonkers?", "Is Gordon Brown actually mad?", and the invention of the charming moniker "The Prime Mentalist".

Although the story is yet to gain much traction in the mainstream media, save for a carefully-worded opinion piece in The Independent, opponents of Brown are beginning to blame what they see as bad prime ministerial decision s on his (perceived) mental illness.

Blogger Penny Red has hit back with a big 'so what’:

"If the Prime Minister of Britain is suffering from depression or some other mental health condition, which given the stresses of his current position seems highly likely, then I'm glad he's getting treatment for it. I'm glad he's man enough to admit that he might need help...

"Some of the greatest leaders the Western world has ever seen had serious mental health difficulties. Winston Churchill was plagued by crippling depression, which he referred to as 'black dog' and treated with that much less effective anti-depressant, booze."

She also scoffs at notions that mental illness would make someone unfit to run a country:

"Not only have plenty of great statesmen and women had mental health problems, the experience of overcoming those problems and playing to one's strengths may even be an advantage in politics - as it is for many people who, like me, battle mental ill health."

Finally, she challenges Brown’s opponents to get back to criticising him for his politics, not his personal characteristics:

"...let's challenge Brown for being a worn-out, uninspiring leader who we're all a bit sick of. Let's bring charges of cronyism, aggression, lack of charisma and lack of ideals. But don't let's for a moment suggest that his mental health - good or bad, medicated or unmedicated - has anything to do with it."

You can read Penny’s full blog post here.