News October 23, 2002 the other p Mental Ittness a Reality for Students Drugs over-prescribed say doctors fidam Grachnik Ottawa Bureau OTTAWA (CUP)—Young people, especially women, are being hospitalized with mental illness at alarming rates, a new report shows. The study ‘A Report on Mental Illness in Canada’ is the first on the state of mental health in Canada. It-concludes, “young people, especially younger women, are being hospitalized at peak rates for mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety and personality disorder.” The report also explains “adolescent women in this group [aged 15 to 19] have high rates of hospitalization for eating disorders, attempted suicide, anxiety disorders and depression.” In general, the report states, “young people aged 25 to 44 represent almost 50 per- cent of all hospitalization for mental illness.” For Alexa McDonough, leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP), these findings present a major problem. “It's a very great concern,” she said outside the House of Commons. “There is a spe- cific focus on youth and specific focus on the high degree of mental illness among youth. There is a horrendously high suicide rate.” In 1998, the report states, 3,699 Canadians died as a result of suicide, which accounts for 24 percent of all deaths among 15 to 24 year olds. Doctors across the country aren't surprised with the report's findings either. “A full 25 percent of what I see is depression, 10 percent is anxiety,” said Dr. Tyson Mack, senior physician at the University of Saskatchewan student health centre. Dr. David Mensynk, a psychologist at Dalhousie University’s counselling and psy- chology centre, believes the reasons for the inflated numbers are quite evident. “Seeing a psychiatrist for depression or anxiety is far more acceptable, than it used to be,” he said. “More people are coming forward. There used to be a negative stigma [about seeing a psychologist]. It is much less so now. [However] now there are more stresses for women and men on university campuses.” “[It’s] hard on students to juggle a full-time academic program and having to work. [It] creates increasing demand,” he added. Dr. Mack agreed that students are dealing with more stress. “Academic stress is top stress for sure. Tuition is clearly out-passing infla- tion, causing students a lot of stress,” he said, adding that a high rate of mental illness also had to do with students adapting to a new environment Hands-Off Approach Infection through instrument passing needlessly dangerous, says new study Dan Perry UWO Gazette le and often leaving home for the first time. Dr. Mensynk further believed that some doctors have also been to quick to prescri anti-depression drugs, which also works to inflate the numbers. “Depression is on the raise, but anti-depressants are being over-prescribed,” he sa “Increase is higher than the need.” For McDonough, the major problem lies with the funding provided for health c4 by the current liberal government. “There are a number of things that are contributing to this in many ways,” sd McDonough. “[It] underscores the fact that mental health is the greatest victim of government’ health cutback. I don’t think there is any question about that.” “In some senses mental health generally is the orphan of the health care system. Government has simply not been prepared to ensure the resources are being direct to the mental health system, to deal with either preventive or treatment measures,” added. The report states that the onset of most mental illnesses first occurs during adolf cences and young adulthood. Dr. Mack said that students must “seek help if feeli unwell. Talk to friends, family [and if it’s] not working go to [your] student health cl 1c, The study was led by Health Canada and facilitated by the Mood Disorders Soci¢ of Canada in collaboration with nine other organizations. © page 4 LONDON, ONT. (CUP)—Surgeons may be put- ting themselves, their patients and their co-workers at risk by routinely passing surgical instruments, according to a new study by Bernadette Stringer, assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatis- tics in the University of Western Ontario's faculty of medicine and dentistry. The study, which was recently published in the British Medical Journal, reveals that dangerous incidents, such as glove breakages, cuts and con- taminations were reduced by 59 percent with the adoption of a new technique of implement pass- ing—one where no two hands touch an instru- ment at the same time. Stringer worked as an infection control nurse at Vancouver General Hospital for ten years, she explained. “[The ‘hands-free’ study's objectives included] looking at the risk to workers in health care facili- ties and lowering the risk of occupational infec- tion,” Stringer said. The study mainly concerned the occupational transmission of major blood-borne diseases such as HIV and hepatitis B and C, of which there have been numerous documented cases, she added. The study was performed in a Seattle hosy examining over 3,700 surgeries involving sig cant blood loss, but the results are importa Canadian hospitals as well, Stringer said. “Many American doctors are Canadian-tra and many Canadians work in the U.S. after uation without [needing] re-licensing,” she ad Dr. Ken Harris of the London Health Scie Centre (LHSC), who is currently suppor Stringer’s grant application to apply the stud the LHSC, said the application is for fun which would be used to develop an educati tool to teach the hospital’s surgical team abou hands-free technique. The grant Stringer has applied for, if fundi approved, has three phases: screening, develo an educational video, and assessing the new nique’s usefulness, he said. Patricia Pocock, director of perioperative se es at St. Joseph’s Health Care in London, strd consideration of other problems that may 4 “For example, the hands-free technique increase the time for patients .in surgery, whid turn leads to a longer anesthesia time,” she sai