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August 21, 2009
Medical groups issue treatment recommendations for pregnant women taking antidepressants.
The Wall Street Journal (8/21, Wang) reports that in a paper published Aug. 21 in the journal General Hospital Psychiatry, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Psychiatric Association issued treatment recommendations stating that pregnant women who suffer from depression should contemplate undergoing psychotherapy before taking antidepressants.
The groups also recommend that expectant mothers who have moderate or severe depression, repeated bouts of depression, or who have thoughts of suicide should stay on antidepressants throughout pregnancy. If a mom-to-be wants to taper off or stop taking an antidepressant, she should speak with her physician before doing so. The Journal points out that some selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may cause an increased risk of pulmonary hypertension or cardiac abnormalities in newborns whose mothers took them during pregnancy.
Related Links:
- For Moms, Therapy Beats Drugs," Shirley S. Wang, Wall Street Journal, August 21, 2009.
Posted by admin at 02:30 PM
Patient privacy coalition objects to recommendations on EHR meaningful use.
American Medical News (8/21, Silva) reports, "A patient privacy coalition is not happy with recommendations released in July that outline how doctors and hospitals could use electronic health records (EHRs) in a way that qualifies for federal stimulus money."
The "meaningful use" recommendations, "developed by a working group within the Health IT Policy Committee," are not "official"; rather, they are guidelines to "serve as advice for HHS in drafting federal regulations." If the proposed objectives "are approved, physicians' EHR systems would need to meet certain standards by 2011, 2013, and 2015 to be eligible for federal EHR money" through the stimulus package.
The Coalition for Patient Privacy, however, says it is "concerned with what it calls the policy committee's lack of attention to controlling sensitive health information. The coalition wants the requirements for some key privacy protections moved up from 2015 to 2011."
Related Links:
- EHR guidelines raise privacy concerns," Chris Silva, American Medical News, August 20, 2009.
Posted by admin at 02:25 PM
Department of Labor says workplace suicides increased 28 percent in 2008.
The AP (8/21, Hananel) reports that, according to information released Aug. 20 by the US Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), "workplace suicides surged 28 percent last year...as experts said anxious workers watched colleagues depart in a rash of layoffs and dealt with survivor's guilt."
The BLS announced that even though "the 5,071 workplace fatalities recorded in 2008 was the lowest number since the agency began tracking the data in 1992," the "251 suicides" are "the highest number since official reporting began."
The BLS did not explain the reasons behind the rise in workplace suicides, but "plans to research" the matter more thoroughly. Meanwhile, "Gary Chaison, a professor of industrial relations at Clark University, said the numbers show the struggling economy taking a toll on worker morale."
Related Links:
- Workplace suicides surge by 28 percent," Sam Hananel, Ventura County Star, August 20, 2009.
Posted by admin at 02:19 PM
Reps. Waxman, Stupak seek compensation records, profit data from 52
Bloomberg News (8/20, Woellert, Faler) reports that letters dated Aug. 17 to 52 insurers indicated that the House Energy and Commerce
Committee "is investigating 'executive compensation and other business practices in the health insurance industry.'"
Among the requests, Committee chair Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Energy and Commerce Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee Chair Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) have asked "the companies to name all employees who were paid more than $500,000 in a single year"; to provide documentation on compensation for executives"; and to provide "data on profits from the individual insurance market and insurance provided through employers" as well as
the Medicare Advantage program.
The Politico (8/20, Brown, Allen) explains that "by Sept. 4,
the firms are supposed to supply detailed compensation data for board
members and top executives, as well as a 'table listing all conferences, retreats, or other events held outside company facilities from Jan. 1, 2007, to the present that were paid for, reimbursed, or subsidized in whole or in part by your company.'"
For employees or officers "making $500,000 or more, the committee wants information on salary, bonus, options and pension." And by "Sept. 14, the firms are supposed to provide copies of reports from compensation consultants, plus board drafts of compensation plans and information about market.
Related Links:
- House Democrats Examine Health Insurers’ Pay, Profit," Lorraine Woellert and Brian Faler, Bloomberg Press, August 19, 2009.
- Democratic investigators target health insurers," Carrie Budoff Brown and Mike Allen, Politico, August 19, 2009.
Posted by admin at 01:55 PM
SAMHSA report says rates of illegal drug use doubled among Americans aged 50 to 59.
The AP (8/19) reported that some "40 years after Woodstock, some baby boomers haven't let go of one part of the 1960s: getting high on illicit drugs."
According to a report released Aug. 19 by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), "the percentage of Americans age 50-59 who reported use of illicit drugs within a year nearly doubled between 2002 and 2007, from 5.1 percent to 9.4 percent."
SAMHSA "said that percentage rose because baby boomers -- born between 1946 and 1964 -- continued to use drugs as they got older." According to SAMHSA Acting Administrator Eric Broderick, "the continued drug use 'is likely to put further strains on the nation's healthcare system.'"
Reuters (8/19) pointed out that the data SAMHSA used in its report was taken from 16,656 people who participated in the National Surveys on Drug Use and Health.
Related Links:
- Some baby boomers still getting high, report says
," Cincinnati.Com, August 19, 2009.
- Baby boomers still getting high," Reuters, August 19, 2009.
Posted by admin at 01:34 PM | TrackBack
August 19, 2009
Survey suggests many people may not realize excessive drinking may ruin sleep.
The UK's Telegraph (8/19, Devlin) reports that, according to a survey conducted by polling company YouGov, "many people do not realize that excessive drinking can ruin their sleep, affecting memory and brain function."
In fact, "58 percent...of almost 2,000 people surveyed" had no idea that "drinking above the recommended daily limits could cause sleep problems," even though "45 percent admitted to feeling tired the day after" drinking too much. Research indicates that "alcohol disrupts 'REM' (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, important for the creation of memories." Neuroscientist Dr. Barry Gibb "warned that dehydration caused by drinking can" also "place the brain under stress.
BBC News (8/18) reported that it is generally understood that "alcohol stops the brain from releasing vasopressin, a chemical which tells the kidneys to reabsorb water that would otherwise end up in the bladder. Without this signal, the drinker needs more frequent trips to the toilet."
Related Links:
- Drinking too much 'affects memory and brain function," Kate Devlin, UK Telegraph, August 19, 2009.
- Drinkers 'ignorant of sleep woes'," BBC News, August 18, 2009.
Posted by admin at 08:39 PM
More than a third of homeowners in foreclosure may show signs of serious depression, researchers say.
AFP (8/19) reports that, according to a study published online this week in the American Journal of Public Health, "more than a third of US homeowners in foreclosure show signs of serious depression."
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found that "nearly half of a group of 250 people in Philadelphia whose homes were in foreclosure reported depressive symptoms, and 37 percent 'met screening criteria for major depression.'" In addition, "the study found that homeowners undergoing foreclosure were less likely to have health insurance than the average American -- 22 percent of those being foreclosed upon were uninsured, compared with eight percent of the population as a whole." Notably, "nine percent of those being foreclosed upon" said that "medical expenses were the reason they were losing their home."
The Time (8/17, Blue) Wellness blog reported that "people losing their homes were also more likely than residents of the same race and income to suffer from hypertension and from heart disease," the study found. Lead researcher Craig Pollack, MD, MHS, explained, "It seems that families undergoing foreclosure are facing a tremendous amount of stress. They're cutting back on their medical spending," including prescriptions and visits to the doctor. While "there's no way to say for sure from his study," Dr. Pollack "feels that the stress of foreclosure could well have an impact on mental health."
Related Links:
- One third of homeowners in foreclosure suffer from major depression, study finds," Laura Blue, Time Wellness Blog, August 18, 2009.
- Major depression common in foreclosed homeowners," AFP, Yahoo News, August 18, 2009.
Posted by admin at 07:40 PM
Army to require emotional resiliency training for all soldiers
On its front page, the New York Times (8/18, A1, Carey) reports that "the Army plans to require that all 1.1 million of its soldiers take intensive training in emotional resiliency" in order to "improve performance in combat and head off the mental health problems, including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicide, that plague about one-fifth of troops returning from Afghanistan and Iraq."
Starting in October, the program will begin at two bases, and will be "phased in gradually throughout the service, starting in basic training." All "active-duty soldiers, reservists, and members of the National Guard will receive the training, which will also be available to their family members and to civilian employees."
Army chief of staff Gen. George W. Casey, Jr., explained that "the $117 million program was an effort to transform a military culture that has generally considered talk of emotions to be...a sign of weakness."
Related Links:
- "Mental Stress Training Is Planned for U.S. Soldiers," Benedict Carey, New York Times, August 18, 2009.
Posted by admin at 01:18 AM
August 18, 2009
Researchers uncover significant level of binge drinking in middle-aged, elderly people.
USA Today (8/17, Thompson) reports that a study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry "shows a significant, worrisome level of binge drinking among those age 50 to 64." To reach that conclusion, researchers from Duke University surveyed "11,000 men and women...in 2005 and 2006."
The investigators also found that "19 percent of the men and 13 percent of the women had two or more drinks a day, considered heavy or 'at-risk' drinking under American Geriatric Society guidelines for older people." Lead author Dan Blazer, of Duke University, said "that level of drinking places the older group at more of a health risk than younger counterparts." Notably, "the survey also found binge drinking in those over 65: 14 percent of men and three percent of women."
Related Links:
- Older people, too, knock back 5 drinks at a time," Erin Thompson, USA Today, August 17, 2009.
Posted by admin at 09:15 PM
Researchers say a third of children of deployed soldiers may be vulnerable to psychosocial problems.
HealthDay (8/14, Preidt) reported that, according to a study published in the August issue of the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, approximately "one-third of children of deployed US Army soldiers are at high risk for psychosocial problems."
For the study, researchers from the Madigan Army Medical Center "included the spouses (mainly wives) of 101 deployed Army personnel" who were asked to complete "a series of questionnaires" and provide "information about their children, aged five to 12." The investigators found that "32 percent of the children were at high risk for psychosocial problems," a rate that is "2.5 times higher than among children in the general population."
Youngsters "of parents with high stress levels were about seven times more likely to be at high risk for psychosocial problems." Notably, "psychosocial problems were less likely among children whose parents received support from military organizations and among children of college-educated parents."
Related Links:
- Kids of Deployed Soldiers Vulnerable to Stress
," Robert Preidt, HealthDay, August 14, 2009.
Posted by admin at 09:03 PM
August 16, 2009
Study indicates television viewing may be linked to increased blood pressure in children.
The New York Times (8/6, Rabin) reported, "Children who spend a lot of time watching television have higher blood pressure than those who watch less, even if the children are thin and getting enough exercise," according to a study published in the August issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
For the study, researchers followed "a group of 111 children, ages three to eight, for about four years." Participants wore "accelerometers -- devices that record physical motion -- for a week in order to" provide objective measurements of "the amount of time that they were sedentary."
The study showed that "children who watched the most television (from 1.5 to 5.5 hours a day) had significantly higher diastolic and systolic blood pressure readings than those who watched the least television (less than half an hour a day)." Notably, "the increased blood pressure wasn't associated with the sedentary behavior overall, but specifically linked to increased TV viewing." The researchers speculated that "extensive TV viewing may have harmful physiological effects because children often snack while watching TV."
Related Links:
- Television Viewing Linked to Blood Pressure Increases in Children," Roni Caryn Rabin, New York Times, August 6, 2009.
Posted by admin at 06:48 PM
Researchers explore why depressed patients with heart disease often cannot motivate themselves to exercise.
In the Los Angeles Times (8/6) Booster Shots blog, Shari Roan wrote that physicians "often advise people with heart disease to exercise.
But cardiac patients are known to be at higher risk for depression, and some people with depression can't motivate themselves to get up and move." That particular conundrum "may be a major reason why so many cardiac patients do not follow the routine advice to become more physically active after being treated for a heart attack or other cardiac event," according to a review published in the journal General Hospital Psychiatry.
For the review, "researchers analyzed 11 studies" including "20,000 patients." Eight studies "found that the development of depression after a heart attack was a significant factor for adopting a sedentary lifestyle or poor adherence to an exercise program. One study found that among heart attack survivors who said they had depression or anxiety, 59 percent had a significant decrease in exercise after three months, compared with 31 percent of patients who were not depressed."
Related Links:
- The Catch-22 of exercise and depression," Shari Roan, LA Times Booster Shots Blog, August 6, 2009.
Posted by admin at 06:14 PM
August 15, 2009
States seen as relying on juvenile corrections system to handle young offenders with psychiatric disorders
On its front page, the New York Times (8/10, A1, Moore) reports, "As cash-starved states slash mental-health programs in communities and schools, they are increasingly relying on the juvenile corrections system to handle a generation of young offenders with psychiatric disorders."
Currently, approximately "two-thirds of the nation's juvenile inmates...have at least one mental illness, according to surveys of youth prisons, and are more in need of therapy than punishment."
A "recent survey of state mental health offices" indicated that "at least 32 states cut their community mental health programs by an average of five percent this year and plan to double those budget reductions by 2010." In fact, "juvenile prisons have been the caretaker of last resort for troubled children since the 1980s," the Times writes, "but mental health experts say the system is in crisis, facing a soaring number of inmates reliant on multiple -- and powerful – psychotropic" medications "and a shortage of therapists."
Related Links:
- Mentally Ill Offenders Strain Juvenile System ," Solomon Moore, New York Times, August 9, 2009.
Posted by admin at 03:55 AM
NIMH, Army study seeks clues to reasons behind increasing number of soldier suicides.
The Washington Post (8/10, Vogel) reports that a "five-year, $50 million" study, "a collaboration between the National Institute of Mental Health and the Army," seeks "clues as to why suicide rates among Army personnel have grown dramatically in recent years."
The study will ask for "data from every soldier recruited into the Army over the next three years, as well as from about 90,000 soldiers already in the service." On a volunteer basis, "soldiers will be asked...for personal information that can be used to make psychological assessments."
The information gathered "will serve as an 'ongoing natural laboratory,' officials said, as researchers follow these soldiers for years, looking for common strands as to which individuals are more likely to commit suicide." Meanwhile, according to Robert K. Heinssen, PhD, the NIMH study director, "researchers are working with the Army to identify and collect relevant information from existing databases," planning to analyze "data on soldiers who have committed suicide since 2004."
Related Links:
- Study to Seek Clues to Soldier Suicides," Steve Vogel, Washington Post, August 10, 2009.
Posted by admin at 03:38 AM
August 13, 2009
Report indicates US spending on mental healthcare increased by nearly two-thirds
Modern Healthcare (8/6, Zigmond) reports, "The cost to treat Americans under care for depression and other mental illnesses rose by nearly two-thirds to $58 billion from $35 billion in a 10-year period, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality."
For the analysis, "researchers based their estimates on data taken from the full-year data file and medical conditions file known as MEPS-HC, which is a longitudinal survey that collects information on healthcare utilization by the US non-institutionalized population." The report shows that "the number of Americans treated for mental disorders, such as depression and bipolar disease, nearly doubled to 36 million from19 million from 1996 to 2006."
HealthDay (8/5, Mundell) noted that the report shows that "US spending on mental illness is soaring at a faster pace than spending on any other healthcare category." In fact, "spending on mental illness showed a faster rate of growth over the 10-year period analyzed than costs for heart disease, cancer, trauma-linked disorders, and asthma."
Data indicated that "spending on heart disease rose from $72 billion in 1996 to $78 billion in 2006; cancer care rose from $47 billion to $58 billion; asthma costs climbed from $36 billion to $51 billion, and expenditures for trauma-related care rose from $46 billion to $68 billion."
Related Links:
- Free subscription required: "Rising mental-healthcare costs top list: AHRQ," Jessica Zigmund, Modern Healthcare,/i>, August 5. 2009.
- U.S. Spending on Mental Health Care Soaring," E.J. Mundell, HealthDay, August 6, 2009.
Posted by admin at 05:31 PM
SAMHSA to boost funding for suicide prevention centers amid increase in calls
The AP (8/6) reports, "Economic woes are weighing heavily on some Americans -- so much so that the federal government is boosting financial support for suicide prevention centers around the nation."
According to Richard McKeon, the lead health adviser for suicide prevention at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, "calls to suicide crisis centers have increased sharply in the past year -- with more than 57,000 calls in July alone."
He added that "about a quarter of the calls were linked to economic distress." In response, "SAMHSA plans to provide more than $1 million in additional money this year to help up to 20 crisis centers facing a big uptick in the number of calls for help as well as possible state and local budget cuts."
In Oklahoma, "calls to HeartLine's suicide prevention hot line are up significantly this year, and many callers report financial woes and economic uncertainty," the Oklahoman (6/6, Simpson) reports. Data indicate that "the number of calls...increased 27 percent for the first half of 2009, from 1,899 calls to 2,413." Still, Tom Taylor, development and outreach director for HeartLine, noted that although "the economic downturn is a factor...more calls is not necessarily bad news." He added that "it's actually a good thing that more people are reaching out."
Related Links:
- "Spike in suicide calls due to economy," Associated Press, August 5, 2009.
Posted by admin at 05:16 PM
August 05, 2009
Privacy advocates say Obama's health IT efforts may lessen information security
The Wall Street Journal (8/4, A6, Worthen) reports, "The government is committing billions of dollars for technology systems that help healthcare providers share information," but lawmakers have yet to propose "mechanisms for how the data will be protected."
As a result, "many privacy advocates are concerned the administration's effort could end up making health information less secure" amid soaring numbers of "reported data breaches at healthcare organizations" in recent years.
In fact, "health organizations publicly disclosed 97 data breaches in 2008, up from 64 in 2007, which was more than the breaches publicly reported by financial institutions, according to the nonprofit Identity Theft Resource Center."
Critics note, however, that even if the government "ultimately requires healthcare organizations to use systems that can encrypt data and have other security functions...making sure people use all of these features is more important."
Related Links:
- "New Epidemic Fears: Hackers," Ben worthen, Wall Street Journal, August 4, 2009.
Posted by admin at 02:48 PM
Number of Americans taking antidepressants may have doubled, research suggests
The CBS Evening News (8/3, story 7, 0:25, Couric) reported, "One in ten Americans over the age of six is taking antidepressants. Now, that number has doubled in just one decade from just over 13 million to 27 million."
USA Today (8/4, Szabo) reports that, according to the study "of nearly 50,000 children and adults," published in the August issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, "about 10 percent of Americans -- or 27 million people -- were taking antidepressants in 2005, the last year for which data were available at the time the study was written. That's about twice the number in 1996."
Notably, "the majority weren't being treated for depression. Half of those taking antidepressants used them for back pain, nerve pain, fatigue, sleep difficulties, or other problems," the study found. Meanwhile, "among users of antidepressants, the percentage receiving psychotherapy fell from 31.5 percent to less than 20 percent," and "about 80 percent of patients were treated by doctors other than psychiatrists."
Bloomberg News (8/4, Ostrow) reports that researchers from Columbia University said that the "surge in antidepressant use propelled that class of treatments to become the top-selling US medicines in 2005, surpassing blood-pressure prescriptions," findings which "highlight the need for doctors who aren't psychiatrists and who prescribe these medicines to be trained to diagnose and manage depression so patients get the most effective treatment."
In addition, the investigators attribute the rising use of antidepressants to "the introduction of new" medications, "the increase in the direct-to-consumer advertising, lessening stigma with seeking mental healthcare, and more Americans acknowledging they are depressed."
Related Links:
- "Antidepressant Use in U.S. Has Almost Doubled," Amanda Gardner, Healthday, August 3, 2009.
- "Number of Americans taking antidepressants doubles," Liz Szabo, USA Today, August 3, 2009.
- "Antidepressant Use in U.S. Doubled Over Decade to 10% in 2005 ," Nicole Ostrow, Bloomberg News, August 3, 2009.
Posted by admin at 02:35 PM
Study indicates veterans with mental-health problems may be at higher risk for CVD risk factors
HealthDay (8/4, Doheny) reported that, according to a study published in the Aug. 5 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, "veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts who have mental-health problems, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, are also at higher risk for having cardiovascular disease [CVD] risk factors."
Researchers from the University of California-San Francisco and the San Francisco VA Medical Center examined "national data from veterans who sought care at VA facilities." The team also "looked at doctors' codes in the records for cardiovascular risk factors." The researchers found that, "among the men with mental health issues...hypertension was twice as likely as in the vets with no mental health diagnoses." The study also found that "nearly 14 percent" of female veterans with mental-health problems had "cholesterol problems."
Related Links:
- "Young Vets With PTSD More Prone to Heart Risk Factors," Kathleen Doheny, Healthday, August 4, 2009 .
Posted by admin at 02:22 PM
Choosing right antidepressant may be process of trial and error
The Los Angeles Times (8/3, Schuyler) reports that finding the right medication to treat depression "is a process of trial and error."
While physicians "have more than 20 medications to choose from when prescribing a treatment for depression, there's still little way to know which" medicine "will work for a particular person. Many people need to try two or three" medications "before experiencing relief."
The Times points out that "the most effective way for a doctor to find an antidepressant that works is to look at the patient's history, because someone who has already been treated for depression will often respond to a medication that worked before."
While "cost has become less of a concern now that most antidepressants are available in generic form for less than $20 a month...the decision usually comes down to side effects." Current "practice guidelines from the American Psychiatric Association suggest that people with atypical depression...tend to do better with" selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or monoamine oxidase inhibitors "than with tricyclics."
Related Links:
- "Treating depression can be hit or miss," Devon Schuyler, Los Angeles Times, August 3, 2009.
Posted by admin at 02:18 PM
Psychiatrist discusses questions parents should ask about AD/HD medications
A CNN (7/30, Cohen) article discussed "a question often on the minds of parents: Does my child really need" medication for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD), and "if so, is there a point when he or she should stop taking" it?
Child psychiatrist James Waxmonsky, MD, of the University at Buffalo, advised "parents to ask...questions when considering whether" medicines "are the best approach for a child with AD/HD," such as what can be done in addition to or instead of medication, or if a free medication sample is the most appropriate medicine.
Dr. Waxmonsky also advised parents to ask their physician, "What do you expect to get better, and what do you expect not to get better?" And, "if a parent or child ever feels like it is time for the child to stop taking medication," Dr. Waxmonsky and other experts recommended "consulting the doctor to determine whether a medication vacation is a good idea," pointing out that "timing is very important: 'You wouldn't want to go off these'" medicines "during final exam week,'" he added.
Related Links:
- "Does your child need ADHD drugs?," Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, July 30, 2009.
Posted by admin at 02:13 PM