Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Networks for Healing-Mental Health Peer Support Computing

Networks for Healing-Mental Health Peer Support Computing

This article recommends Web-based networks for healing by enabling sharing of help and support. This would be a simple forum system for social networking, protective and friendly. Service users would be involved in the design of this peer support system. The problem is that a digital society causes social exclusion of service users. This can then worsen their symptoms.

The idea is inspired by activities and research focussing on exercise and team sports, Bristol Active Life Project (BALP), Walking for Health/Rethink. This could be applied to peer support networks.

To ensure involvement of service users an intermediate step is needed towards digital inclusion of mental health sufferers by provision of a peer support network for sharing help and advice. This is necessary because there are advantages and disadvantages for more open peer networking systems.

Advantages of Twitter/Facebook


  • Facebook helps depression: Looking at old photos can help treat mental health problems.
  • New research discovers emergence of Twitter groupings of people with shared interests.

Disadvantages of Twitter/Facebook


  • Trolling
  • Arguments
  • Irrelevance
  • Overcomplicated to use.
  • Advertising - can exploit vulnerable people.
  • Lack of confidentiality causing fear of participation.

Peer Support Network

The peer support forum network would be designed to be private to its members, and would be simple and accessible. This is important for those with different needs and illnesses.
The privacy of forums and caution in rate of growth would deal with dangers from disadvantages of directly applying Twitter and Facebook. Digital inclusion of mental health patients can thus be encouraged within a safe environment. Assurance is needed that people posting on the site are considerate and careful, if someone wants help with a mental health issue, the responder must be constructive. If someone’s post is not appropriate this needs to be moderated carefully via a person/people and technology in a diplomatic and sympathetic way. Because as well as preventing the post from reaching anyone it could harm, it’s essential to avoid discouragement and harm to the person posting. A mental health condition may cause difficulties in judging what is or is not appropriate.
The above is essential work as benefits and many other aspects of everyday life are becoming more dependent on online participation.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Advice for potential academic bloggers

Advice for potential academic bloggers - http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2013/01/14/advice-for-potential-academic-bloggers/ - Simon Wren-Lewis discusses the value of academic blogging.

"One year after starting his Mainly Macro blog, Simon Wren-Lewis discusses the value of academic blogging. He finds that blogging has improved his teaching and helped him clarify his ideas.


I wanted to mark a year of blogging by encouraging other academics (particularly outside the US) to do the same. So lets use my experience to tackle some of the worries that may be holding others back."

Monday, June 17, 2013

Are Employment and Support Allowance Assessments providing value for money? - Freedom of Information (FOI)

Are Employment and Support Allowance Assessments providing value for money? -

Freedom of Information (FOI) request sent by me today.

FAO Department of Work and Pensions DWP

I am writing to make an open government request for all the information to which I am entitled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Please send me:

Total DWP direct cost for all assessments re: eligibility for Employment Support Allowance in the UK since the election of the new Government in May 2010 for the period up to which the statistics have been compiled. E.g payments to medical provider such as ATOS.

Total DWP indirect cost for all assessments re: eligibility for Employment Support Allowance in the UK since the election of the new Government in May 2010 for the period up to which the statistics have been compiled. Administration costs relating to assessments, such as related DWP costs of communication with ATOS and claimant, and processing assessments, outcomes and benefit changes where applicable.

Total DWP direct cost for all appeals re: eligibility for Employment Support Allowance in the UK since the election of the new Government in May 2010 for the period up to which the statistics have been compiled. E.g. payments for tribunals and/or for DWP representation at tribunals.

Total DWP indirect cost for all appeals re: eligibility for Employment Support Allowance in the UK since the election of the new Government in May 2010 for the period up to which the statistics have been compiled. Administration costs relating to appeals, such as related DWP costs of communication with tribunal and claimant, and processing assessments, outcomes and benefit changes where applicable.

If this request is too wide or unclear, I would be grateful if you could contact me as I understand that under the Act, you are required to advise and assist requesters. If any of this information is already in the public domain, please can you direct me to it, with page references and URLs if necessary.

If the release of any of this information is prohibited on the grounds of breach of confidence, I ask that you supply me with copies of the confidentiality agreement and remind you that information should not be treated as confidential if such an agreement has not been signed.

I understand that you are required to respond to my request within the 20 working days after you receive this letter. I would be grateful if you could confirm in writing that you have received this request.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully

Peter Hale


Tuesday, June 11, 2013

BBC - Click Video - Tim Berners-Lee

BBC Click online clip 10 June 2013 - 7 minutes.

Has the web developed how Berners-Lee hoped it would? - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22786821

Tim Berners-Lee's invention has quite literally gone global. The World Wide Web is heralded as changing the way business is done. But he is not stopping there.

Richard Taylor speaks to the man responsible for the first part of the digital revolution about how he thinks it has developed and what the future holds.