Day: April 19, 2019

Scottish Government announces investment in social media support

New steps to support young people’s mental health.

Steps to improve the mental health of young people, and directly target the impact of social media and body image on mental wellbeing, are to be supported through a new package of measures.

This includes £90,000 of funding to produce advice on the healthy use of social media and screen time, which will be created in partnership with young people.

In addition, a review of evidence on the effects of screen use on sleep and the implications of this for mental health will be commissioned.

The announcement follows the publication of new research from the Scottish Government which identifies social media, sleep disruption, body image and school pressures as potential factors in the reported worsening of mental wellbeing among adolescent girls in Scotland (see report below).

Minister for Mental Health Clare Haughey returned to her former school, Trinity High School in Rutherglen, to meet with pupils and discuss the research.

Ms Haughey said: “We know that many young people in Scotland, particularly girls, are unsatisfied with their physical appearance, and that high levels of social media use may be detrimental to mental wellbeing. We also know that adolescent girls in Scotland report higher levels of social media use than boys.

“Social media does have the potential to be used in a hugely positive way, but we want to ensure young people are properly informed on how social media promotes unrealistic expectations.

“During Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week we announced that we will be producing advice, specific to Scotland, on the healthy use of social media and screen time. We are now committing £90,000 to carry out this work as part of a package of measures to give young people the support they need. We want all young people to be able to grow up in a modern Scotland with good mental wellbeing.”

Exploring the reported worsening of mental wellbeing among adolescent girls in Scotland report:

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Raising awareness of sepsis

New campaign focuses on spotting the early signs

The five early signs of sepsis are to be highlighted in a new campaign to help raise public awareness of this potentially fatal condition.

The campaign, which will run across social and traditional media, focuses on the often silent symptoms of sepsis, which is a serious complication of an infection.

This includes very high or low temperature, uncontrolled shivering, confusion, passing less urine than normal and blotchy or cold hands and feet.

The first sepsis awareness campaign launched in February 2018. The new campaign aims to build on this while increasing public knowledge of the early warning signs.  It complements the work carried out by Healthcare Improvement Scotland through the Scottish Patient Safety Programme, which since 2012 has supported clinicians and clinical practitioners to improve recognition of the signs of sepsis and better equip them to deal with it.

Chief Medical Officer Catherine Calderwood said: “While deaths caused by sepsis have fallen by 21% since 2012, thanks in part to the work of the Scottish Patient Safety Programme, it is still vital that people are aware of this potentially fatal condition.

“The key in treating sepsis is catching it quickly so that is why it’s important to know the signs. If someone has two or more of the symptoms and they are getting rapidly worse, it is important to seek urgent medical advice.

“Following our first campaign from 2018, we know that more than three out of four people are aware of the dangers of sepsis but we want to further increase public awareness to spot the signs and this campaign will help us do this. It will also help to focus on continuous improvement across Scotland ensuring there is safe and consistent care for all sepsis patients.”

Craig Stobo, who founded Sepsis Research after the death of his wife Fiona and unborn daughter Isla from the illness, said: “Sepsis Research is delighted to be supporting the Scottish Government’s Sepsis Awareness Campaign. This focused effort to encourage people to recognise the symptoms of this potentially fatal illness will save lives.

“Educating people so they know what to look out for and understand the urgent need to get medical assistance will help prevent potentially tragic consequences and we congratulate the Scottish Government on taking this initiative.”

Colin Graham, chief operating officer of Sepsis Research (FEAT): said: “This is a very important campaign by the Scottish Government and we urge everyone in the medical profession and the wider public to pick up on the life-saving messages it contains.”

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