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Thursday, 29 October 2009
Mental Nurse hits it on the head again
Mental Nurse has provided an interesting post about payments for results in the NHS. The links are worth following for the information provided. Well done Mental Nurse.
Blogging Research Questions
We've had a few questions from a researcher and we thought it would be best to explore them here.
· What trends, if any, have you observed in the number of people publishing blogs about their mental health?
· From your knowledge of the blogs you link to, do you have any observations about why people publish or read blogs? How does it help them?
· What reactions have you observed among blog readers to the information bloggers post?
· What impact do you think blogging about mental health issues has? In other words, what do you see as the main value of mental health blogs and why?
* Blog numbers are hard to estimate especially when you add the mental health criteria. At present we list 62 UK based bloggers in our INDIVIDUAL Directory. Each of these bloggers have a list of followers or blogs that they follow that may or may not join in there posts through comments. The number seems to be holding around 300 or 400 individuals who are discussing their personal mental health on a regular basis in the UK. Blogs come and go and mental health blogs are no exception. We take a blogger off the Directory when they haven't posted in six months - although we continue to follow. Young women are by far the largest grouping. Why that is can only be speculation. Do women talk more than men? Are young women more computer savy? Are women braver and more willing to share? I feel that questions like these are fruitless and may reinforce stereotypes.
* Why do people blog or read blogs and does it help? People blog to express their views, concerns and questions. Some posts are political and some are investigative in nature. But the majority are personal expressions. I think bloggers are very brave to expose their fears in a public forum. Understanding blogging is a long term process. An individual post will never reveal the entire person and their motivation. Following blogs has given me some insight into the deeper meanings behind blogging. I think it helps to get your feelings out of your system. I think many bloggers feel this way. Other bloggers who follow and comment are by and large positive in their comments. This positive support can only encourage continued postings with a greater exploration of feelings and beliefs.
* By far the biggest reaction to information posted is a positive one. Fellow bloggers also reinforce experiences with their own and this develops bonds. In regards to political or investigative posts - fellow bloggers seem to react by spreading the information down into their individual networks. Social networking through blogging is probably the largest shift in communication in many years. People are wary of the corporate message method of providing information. There are too many hidden and competing agendas. I think Twitter is starting to become tainted with the corporate stain of hidden motivation. Blogs are not immune to this process and more information blogs are coming on line - that do not have a personal based agenda.
* The last question is really answered in the first three answers - with this exception. Blogging is still mainly a personal activity and the benefits are personal. When the balance between personal activity and corporate inventiveness shifts - then bloggers will no doubt find a new way to express their thoughts. This is on the horizon now with audio and video blogs on other social networking platforms like youtube. Undoubtedly computer cloud methodology spawned and continues to influenced blogging. In many ways blogging has taken a huge step beyond what used to be called diarist activities - because of the public disclosure element. Diarist of old wrote for the next generation - bloggers write for the current reader.
I hope this has at least given an answer to these questions from my perspective.
· From your knowledge of the blogs you link to, do you have any observations about why people publish or read blogs? How does it help them?
· What reactions have you observed among blog readers to the information bloggers post?
· What impact do you think blogging about mental health issues has? In other words, what do you see as the main value of mental health blogs and why?
* Blog numbers are hard to estimate especially when you add the mental health criteria. At present we list 62 UK based bloggers in our INDIVIDUAL Directory. Each of these bloggers have a list of followers or blogs that they follow that may or may not join in there posts through comments. The number seems to be holding around 300 or 400 individuals who are discussing their personal mental health on a regular basis in the UK. Blogs come and go and mental health blogs are no exception. We take a blogger off the Directory when they haven't posted in six months - although we continue to follow. Young women are by far the largest grouping. Why that is can only be speculation. Do women talk more than men? Are young women more computer savy? Are women braver and more willing to share? I feel that questions like these are fruitless and may reinforce stereotypes.
* Why do people blog or read blogs and does it help? People blog to express their views, concerns and questions. Some posts are political and some are investigative in nature. But the majority are personal expressions. I think bloggers are very brave to expose their fears in a public forum. Understanding blogging is a long term process. An individual post will never reveal the entire person and their motivation. Following blogs has given me some insight into the deeper meanings behind blogging. I think it helps to get your feelings out of your system. I think many bloggers feel this way. Other bloggers who follow and comment are by and large positive in their comments. This positive support can only encourage continued postings with a greater exploration of feelings and beliefs.
* By far the biggest reaction to information posted is a positive one. Fellow bloggers also reinforce experiences with their own and this develops bonds. In regards to political or investigative posts - fellow bloggers seem to react by spreading the information down into their individual networks. Social networking through blogging is probably the largest shift in communication in many years. People are wary of the corporate message method of providing information. There are too many hidden and competing agendas. I think Twitter is starting to become tainted with the corporate stain of hidden motivation. Blogs are not immune to this process and more information blogs are coming on line - that do not have a personal based agenda.
* The last question is really answered in the first three answers - with this exception. Blogging is still mainly a personal activity and the benefits are personal. When the balance between personal activity and corporate inventiveness shifts - then bloggers will no doubt find a new way to express their thoughts. This is on the horizon now with audio and video blogs on other social networking platforms like youtube. Undoubtedly computer cloud methodology spawned and continues to influenced blogging. In many ways blogging has taken a huge step beyond what used to be called diarist activities - because of the public disclosure element. Diarist of old wrote for the next generation - bloggers write for the current reader.
I hope this has at least given an answer to these questions from my perspective.
Thursday, 22 October 2009
Why be S.A.D when you can laugh
There has been much discussion in the UK Mad-O-Sphere about the lack of light and how it affects emotional wellbeing (wellbeing is a new government buzz word that will soon enter our lexicon). There is an excellent cartoonist listed in the UK Mental Health Network INDIVIDUAL Directory: My Medicated Cartoon Life - that has captured the issue in his own excellent style. We recommend a visit to this blog as he has a talent that hits the issues spot on. Have a look see through his archives and laugh yourself silly. Mental health can easily become all doom and gloom and humour can be a great antedote.
There is a link on the Network's WEBSITE LINKS Directory for the Seasonal Affective Disorder Association. This is a UK based organisation - but sadly they do not have a blog or forum as of yet - we will make the suggestion once we locate an email address. If anyone knows of a SAD forum or chat facility let us have the details and we will add them to our FORUM LINKS Directory.
There is a link on the Network's WEBSITE LINKS Directory for the Seasonal Affective Disorder Association. This is a UK based organisation - but sadly they do not have a blog or forum as of yet - we will make the suggestion once we locate an email address. If anyone knows of a SAD forum or chat facility let us have the details and we will add them to our FORUM LINKS Directory.
Saturday, 17 October 2009
A Tangle of Weeds - Future of Social Care Green Paper
Report number 2 - From the UK Mental Health Network INDIVIDUAL Directory
A Tangle of Weeds has given us a very important post about a debate in the House of Lords - a chance to see the governmental approach from an early stage.
A Tangle of Weeds has given us a very important post about a debate in the House of Lords - a chance to see the governmental approach from an early stage.
Future of Social Care Green paper, AA, DLA, House of Lords - Brief, recent update.
Friday, 16 October 2009
Pole to Polar: The Secret Life of a Manic Depressive - nominated for a radio drama award.
Report number 1 - From the UK Mental Health Network INDIVIDUAL Directory
An excellent blogger - Pole to Polar: The Secret Life of a Manic Depressive has been nominated by Mind for the BBC
The blogger faces stiff competition from an Eastenders episode. The blogger made the announcement on an October 1 posting:
An excellent blogger - Pole to Polar: The Secret Life of a Manic Depressive has been nominated by Mind for the BBC
Radio Drama
- (BBC Radio 4)
- Dos and Don’ts for the Mentally Interesting
Uplifting factual drama based on 23-year old Seaneen Molloy’s acclaimed blog about learning to live – and love – with bipolar disorder.
Dos and Don’ts was nominated for a Mind Mental Health Media Award. Hooray!
This blogger also runs: The Mentally Interesting community at Ning! - described as, 'A place to discuss mental health, being mentally interesting and various other things.'
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