Health

Millions of British workers would shy away from discussing mental health issues with colleagues amid a fear they could jeopardise their career, it has emerged. Researchers uncovered the worrying statistic following a study carried out among 2,000 employees which showed 38 per cent wouldn’t feel safe being open about their mental health at work. The study revealed around one in five have witnessed phrases linked to mental health being used in a derogatory way at work. It also emerged nearly...

As part of the British Tinnitus Association’s (BTA) Share Your Sound campaign which launches this week, the charity is encouraging people to share their tinnitus stories and seek support when they’re struggling. Here, Stephen Holt, original front man of the famous 90s Manchester band the Inspiral Carpets, explains his personal connection to tinnitus and why it is so important for people to talk about the condition to ensure no one suffers alone. When I re-joined Inspiral Carpets in 2011 I...

Home-Start Birmingham has been supporting families across the city for almost 30 years, it’s part of a wider network of local Home-Starts across the UK. The family support charity recruits and trains local parent volunteers to offer emotional and practical support to families in their own homes; families who are struggling to cope, which in turn, affects their ability to parent their children well. In Birmingham, we see families face many issues; poverty, domestic violence, illness, disability, isolation, the list...

Dementia research has taken a massive step forward after researchers discovered an "ideal" biomarker that detects Alzheimer's disease before the onset of symptoms. They say the way of identifying dementia before symptoms even show using brain scans is perfect as the technique is completely non-invasive Around 60 per cent of people diagnosed with dementia, will have Alzheimer’s disease, and it is the most common form of dementia in the over 65 age group. Evidence has emerged over more than a...

A football fan who was left with brain damage after a brutal attack by rival fans is set to have his home renovated thanks to hit BBC show DIY SOS. Cambridge United supporter Simon Dobbin, 45, was left unable to walk or talk after being kicked and punched in the head by a gang of 13 football fans after his team drew 0-0 with Southend United FC. The father-of-three suffered permanent brain damage due to a massive stroke and bleed...

A drug that prevents the devastating damage caused by a heart attack could be on the horizon, according to new research. Scientists restored the organ's function in mice by targeting a specific set of proteins - and are hopeful the same method may work in humans. The breakthrough offers hope to the 270,000 Britons who suffer a heart attack each year, often leaving them with heart failure and shortness of breath. It could also lead to new treatments for people...

Dementia can be accurately predicted five years before symptoms develop with a simple smell test, according to new research. A study of almost 3,000 older people found those who cannot identify at least four out of five common odours were more than twice as likely to develop the disease. And the worse their sense of smell, the bigger the risk, said scientists. The aromas in order of increasing difficulty were peppermint, fish, orange, rose and leather and could be used...

Mental health charity Mind yesterday (Tuesday, 26 September) hosted an event celebrating the delivery of a project aimed at promoting good mental health among vulnerable migrant communities. The two-year project, kindly funded by City Bridge Trust, the City of London Corporation’s Charity, is coming to an end this month and culminates in the launch ‘Mental health commissioning with migrant communities’ - a guide for mental health service providers, including local Minds across England and Wales, and other commissioners. There are...

Elizabeth Ainge has been an ambassador and local champion for I CAN for over 15 years and is an alumna of I CAN’s Dawn House School in Nottinghamshire. I CAN is the children's communication charity. She shares her inspiring story. When I was six months old we moved as a family to Stafford. While we were there my mum took me to the health visitor because she could see that I was struggling to talk. The health visitor said, “No,...