Mind Awards 2010: nominees announced
Posted: Monday 7 June 2010
Nominees for four Mind awards are announced today. Winners of the Book of the Year, Journalist of the Year and Student Journalist of the Year will be chosen by judging panels. The Mind Champion award will be given to whoever wins the public vote, opening today.
Mind Champion
The award celebrates the work of people who have made an outstanding contribution to increasing understanding of mental health, and championing the rights of people with mental distress. The winner will be decided by public vote.
A huge number of nominations were received this year from both members of the public and practitioners within the field of mental health. This was shortlisted to just six nominees, who have been noted by others for making a particularly valuable contribution in helping people with mental health problems lead full and rewarding lives free of discrimination.
The shortlisted nominees
- Dr Miriam Stoppard - Miriam has been writing health advice columns for over 30 years including her current role at the Daily Mirror, and regularly raises awareness of mental health issues. Through her problem pages and columns she has provided invaluable advice to millions of readers.
- Ruby Wax – Ruby has been nominated for Ruby’s Room, an area on the BBC Headroom website where Ruby explores mental health issues, and for her recent comedy tour which shone a spotlight on her experiences of mental distress.
- Mark Brown – Mark Brown is editor of One in Four, a national mental health and wellbeing magazine written by people who experience mental health problems. One in Four has uniquely given people the chance to speak about the issues that affect them in their own voice in the first national magazine of its kind.
- Rachel Perkins – Rachel is a psychologist and director at South West London and St George’s Mental Health Trust, and was nominated for her ongoing work to provide better employment support for people with mental distress. She is also a trustee of mental health charity Rethink.
- Bill Oddie – Bill Oddie candidly spoke out about his own experiences of mental distress and the treatment he received from the NHS. Also nominated for his efforts in promoting the therapeutic benefits of being outside in green space.
- Marion Janner - founded Star Wards in 2006 following her own experience as a psychiatric inpatient. The project works with mental health trusts to improve inpatients' daily experiences and treatment outcomes. Over 550 wards in Britain are now Star Wards wards with activities, therapy, and staff development and engagement programmes. Marion was awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours List.
- Mark Harper MP – Shortlisted for his attempts to change the law around MPs with mental health problems, Mark Harper has been campaigning to have section 141 of the Mental Health Act removed so that people that have been detained under the Act are not discriminated against and can hold roles in Parliament.
Recent winners of the award include last year’s winner Alastair Campbell for his ongoing campaigning to improve attitudes towards mental health, 2008’s winner Dr Liz Miller, co-founder of the Doctor’s Support Network and Stephen Fry for his awareness-raising work on bipolar disorder.
Mind Chief Executive Paul Farmer said:
In 2009 we saw significant advances in awareness of mental health, in the media, in politics and in society at large. However, there is still much work to be done, and often it is the input of a number of distinct individuals that helps to change the wider public perceptions of mental health. We are delighted to honour each person on our shortlist for their work in this field, both by speaking out about mental health and working diligently behind the scenes to improve every day life for people with mental health problems. We look forward to seeing everyone’s votes and wish all our nominees the very best of luck.
Book of the Year
Now in its 29th year, this well regarded literary prize celebrates writing that enriches understanding of mental health issues. Comprising works of fact and fiction, the seven shortlisted books will be judged by a panel comprising the eminent authors Blake Morrison, Fay Weldon and Michèle Roberts.
The seven shortlisted titles
Doctoring the Mind by Richard Bentall
Remarkable evidence from the World Health Organization suggests people recover better from mental illness in developing countries than in the industrialised world. Taking this as a starting point, clinical psychologist Richard Bentall paints a stark picture of the state of Western mental health services and makes a passionate case for the future of mental health treatment – one that relies less on drugs and focuses more on the patient as an individual.
(Penguin)
Nutters by P.J. Davy
Bent on reinvention and tired of being labelled a ‘loon’, central character Rufus Waters decides to reject his mental health problems and instead “choose sanity.” P.J. Davy’s unique comic novel takes us through the fruitless, often hilarious efforts of Rufus to deny his true self. Davy’s deft tackling of a serious subject in an entertaining manner results in a book that is truly thought-provoking.
(Snowbooks)
Hurry Down Sunshine by Michael Greenberg
In the Summer of 1996, Michael Greenberg’s fifteen-year-old daughter was brought home by police after rushing into a busy road, convinced she could halt oncoming traffic. In this poignant memoir Greenberg writes with candour and courage about the psychosis that grips Sally and the effect her illness has upon the rest of their family. Honest, unsentimental and yet deeply moving, this is a beautifully written account of mental illness and human relationships.
(Bloomsbury)
The Emperor’s New Drugs by Irving Kirsch
Using the Freedom of Information Act, Professor Irving Kirsch accessed the results of clinical trials previously withheld, by drug companies, from the public and from the doctors who prescribe antidepressants. What he discovered leads Kirsch to the conclusion that antidepressants are little more effective than placebos. This comprehensively researched, powerfully written book shines a revealing light on the role of antidepressants within society.
(The Bodley Head)
Devil’s Children by Loretta Loach
Children who murder other children are a contentious subject and one which benefits from the sensitive and objective approach of Loretta Loach. Spanning from the Middle Ages up until the tragic killing of James Bulger, this important book looks at how underage law-breakers have been judged by society in the hope that similar cases may be prevented in future.
(Icon Books)
Sectioned: A life interrupted by John O’Donoghue
Written with poise and pin-sharp perception, John O’Donoghue’s often humorous account of the breakdowns that have punctuated his life since the age of sixteen is as inspiring as it is insightful. Now a lecturer in creative writing, but having spent over a decade moving in and out of asylums, halfway houses, homeless hostels, squats and living on the streets, this is an unforgettable tale of survival against the odds.
(John Murray)
Voluntary Madness by Norah Vincent
A year spent living as a man took its toll on the mental health of ‘immersion journalist’ Norah Vincent who, having experienced depression in the past and feeling that she was a danger to herself, checked into a psychiatric hospital. She emerged with the resolve to go undercover as a patient in a variety of mental institutions, including a large inner-city hospital and a Buddhist-inspired alternative centre. The result is Voluntary Madness – a fearless and darkly humorous look at the American mental healthcare system, which makes for a fascinating read.
(Random House)
Mind Journalist of the Year
Now in its 17th year, this highly respected award seeks to commend excellence in reporting on mental health issues. This year has seen an unprecedented breadth of entries, with journalists submitting articles and features which appeared everywhere from women’s glossy magazines to national news columns and local papers.
Mind’s Head of Media Alison Kerry said:
We’ve had a tremendous variety of submissions, and year on year we’re seeing more coverage of mental health reflecting an increasing awareness of how it affects so many people’s lives. Issues covered by this year’s shortlist range from mental health at work to debate around regulating counsellors and psychotherapists and it is heartening to see that so many journalists recognise that mental health a encompasses many facets of life and is not just as a ‘health’ issue.
Mind Journalist of the Year shortlist:
Edward Davie, British Medical Association News
Edward Davie submitted a series of articles on the issue of private healthcare providers refusing to treat NHS patients with psychiatric conditions. Davie’s articles were noteworthy for the depth of personal investigation involved and the clarity with which he highlighted this tricky area.
Nick Morrison, The Times Educational Supplement
Nick Morrison demonstrates a deep understanding of stress and mental wellbeing at work in a feature on the mental health of teaching professionals. Packed with the experiences of many teachers, this honest account is a wake-up call for the education sector.
Alexi Mostrous and Ben Macintyre, The Times
In a frank exposé Alexi Mostrous and Ben Macintyre investigate mental health problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among current and former soldiers, and present first-hand experiences of ex-service personnel who have experienced mental distress.
Barry Nelson, the Northern Echo
Local journalist Barry Nelson writes on topics ranging from stigma and PTSD to the use of art therapy as a mental health treatment, showing the many ways in which mental health can affect people’s lives, both directly and indirectly.
Deborah Orr, Guardian G2
Deborah Orr recounts her experiences shadowing professionals involved in sectioning patients under the Mental Health Act, producing a sobering take on the challenges faced daily by mental health workers and the realities surrounding the process of admission to psychiatric care.
Max Pemberton, The Evening Standard and The Daily Telegraph
Max Pemberton’s columns explore the stigma and misunderstanding that still persists around mental health. A doctor as well as a journalist, Pemberton presents different perspectives and provokes readers to think differently about how subtle mental health discrimination can sometimes be.
Patrick Strudwick, the Independent
In an in-depth investigative feature into the world of straight-to-gay conversions where homosexuality is seen as a mental health problem, Patrick Strudwick challenges the reader with controversial questions such as whether tighter regulation of counsellors and psychotherapists is necessary to protect the public.
The shortlisted student journalists
Jennie Agg, Student direct Mancunion (University of Manchester)
Daniella Graham, Gairrhydd (Cardiff University)
Laura Mackenzie, Leeds Student (Leeds University)
Adam Walmesley, Exepose (University of Exeter)
The winners
All the winners will be announced on Thursday 8 July at the Mind Awards ceremony to be held at the Royal Institute of British Architects, London.
Notes to editors
- For further information, please contact the Mind media team on 020 8522 1743 or email media@mind.org.uk
- Mind is the leading mental health charity in England and Wales. We work to create a better life for everyone with experience of mental distress. Please note that Mind is not an acronym and should be set in title case, not caps. www.mind.org.uk