Study: Alaska Native Men In Their Twenties Face High Suicide Risk.

Reuters (7/31, Rosen) reports that, according to a study by the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, Alaska Native men in their twenties may face a very high risk of suicide. Researchers found that individuals from this group commit suicide at a rate that is roughly 13 times higher than the US average.

Related Links:

— “Study: Young Alaska Native men at high risk for suicide, “Yereth Rosen, Chicago Tribune, July 30, 2012.

Symptoms Of Elation, Irritability Associated With Increased Risk For BD.

MedWire (7/31, Cowen) reports, “Symptoms of elation and irritability are significantly associated with an increased likelihood for developing bipolar disorder (BD),” according to a study published online July 27 in the Journal of Affective Disorders. The study findings “come from a study of 40,512 individuals who participated in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) who did not meet criteria for mania/hypomania at baseline in 2001-2002.”

Related Links:

— “Elation and irritability increase BD risk, “Mark Cowen, MedWire News, July 31, 2012.

Chat Service For VA’s Crisis Hot Line Sees Increased Use.

The Augusta (GA) Chronicle (7/25, Martin) noted, “An online chat service of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ national crisis hot line has experienced a 62 percent increase over last year, according to information provided” by the department. The Chronicle added, “The data are further evidence that veterans are responding to…VA’s increasing use of technology, said Lisa Gerardot, the suicide prevention case manager at the uptown VA hospital in Augusta. It’s especially critical that resources are accessible from different points because with younger veterans, ‘it’s a reflex for them to reach for an electronic device,’ she said.”

Related Links:

— “Online technology shows veterans reaching out crisis help, “Kyle Martin, The AUgusta Chronicle, July 24, 2012.

Stroke Survivors May Be At Increased Risk Of PTSD.

MedPage Today (7/26, Kaiser) reports, “Stroke survivors are at an increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which in turn increases the likelihood of poor medication adherence,” according to a 535-patient study published in the August issue of the journal Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. “Two-thirds (67%) of those who were diagnosed with PTSD following stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) were not compliant with their medication,” the study found. “After adjusting for demographic and clinical predictors of non-adherence, PTSD was associated with a nearly threefold increase in the risk of medication noncompliance,” researchers reported.

Related Links:

— “PTSD May Be Barrier to Stroke Recovery, “Chris Kaiser, MedPage Today, July 25, 2012.

Studies Offer Mixed Picture Of Depression Treatment In The Elderly.

The New York Times (7/25, Span) “New Old Age” blog reported that a study published June in the journal Psychiatric Clinics of North America “found that only 19 percent of elders with diagnosed depression who received ‘usual care’ in primary care practices showed substantial improvement.” This can possibly be explained by the fact that “a great majority of older people seek treatment through their primary care doctors, few of whom are able to offer much more than a prescription.” Another study, published last June in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, found that “as diagnosis rates climbed, more than two-thirds of older patients with depression received antidepressants, but the proportion receiving psychotherapy declined, to less than 15 percent.”

Related Links:

— “More Older People Treated for Depression, “Paula Span, The New York Times, July 25, 2012.

People With Physical Health Problems More Likely To Seek Mental Healthcare.

HealthDay (7/25, Preidt) reports, “People with physical health problems ranging from back pain to cancer are three times more likely to seek mental health care than those without such woes,” according to a study published online in the journal Health Services Research. “The study looked at data from more than 6,000 adults who took part in the 2004 and 2005 US Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys.” Notably, “even after omitting people with catastrophic physical conditions, such as cancer, stroke and heart attack, the researchers still found that people with physical health issues were three times more likely to seek mental health care.”

Related Links:

— “Physical Ailments Take Toll on Mental Health: Study, “Robert Preidt, Healthday, July 24, 2012.

Delaware Governor Signs Bill On Emergency Mental-Health Screenings.

In continuing coverage, the AP (7/25) reports that Delaware “Gov. Jack Markell signed a measure Tuesday changing the way emergency mental health screenings are conducted as part of an effort to avoid unnecessary involuntary detentions.” Now, “instead of police taking a person experiencing a mental health crisis to a hospital emergency department in handcuffs,” the new law “allows a psychiatrist or credentialed mental health screener to evaluate a person anywhere.”

Related Links:

— “Markell signs bill on emergency mental health, “AP, Chron.com, July 24, 2012.

SAMHSA Study: More Teen Girls Than Boys Report Depression.

The Hill (7/25, Viebeck) “Healthwatch” blog reports, “Adolescent girls reported experiencing depression at three times the rate of their male peers over a recent period,” according to a study released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) that relied on data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Specifically, “twelve percent of girls ages 12 to 17 said they experienced a ‘major depressive episode,’ compared with 4.5 percent of boys.” In addition, “SAMHSA noted that the rate of depression among girls appeared to triple between the ages of 12 and 15 from 5.1 percent to 15.2 percent.”

Related Links:

— “Study: More adolescent girls reporting depression than boys, “Elise Viebeck, The Hill, July 24, 2012.

Brooks: Response To Spree Killings Must Start With Psychiatry.

In his opinion column in the New York Times (7/24, A21, Subscription Publication), David Brooks discusses the Aurora tragedy and other “spectacular spree killings” of the past, including the Virginia Tech incident of 2007. Brooks observes, “People who commit spree killings are usually suffering from severe mental disorders. The response, and the way to prevent future episodes, has to start with psychiatry, too.” He concludes, “The best way to prevent killing sprees is with relationships — when one person notices that a relative or neighbor is going off the rails and gets that person treatment before the barbarism takes control.”

Related Links:

— “More Treatment Programs, “Dave Brooks, The New York Times, July 23, 2012.

Advocates For Mentally Ill Concerned Budget Cuts May Create Service Shortage.

The Philadelphia Inquirer (7/24, Gaestel) reports, “Mentally ill people will have a much easier time accessing care two years from now, thanks to the new federal health care law,” although “advocates worry that current budget cuts may create a shortage of the very mental health services the newly insured will want to use.” Joseph Rogers, chief advocacy officer at the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania “said mentally ill people end up in emergency rooms, homeless centers, and prisons when they cannot access treatment.”

Related Links:

— “Affordable Care Act will expand mental health coverage, but budget cuts a worry, “Allyn Gaestel, The Inquirer, July 24, 2012.