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January 25, 2010
2010 Outstanding Merit Award Entries Open Now
The annual Outstanding Merit Award is given for a worthy endeavor in Maryland that accomplishes one or more of the following:
* Increases public awareness and understanding of mental illness
* Enhances the quality of care for psychiatric illness
* Reduces the stigma of mental illness
Nominations for this award of $500 are being invited from the entire Maryland community. A short nomination form must be submitted with a cover letter by March 1, 2010, to the Maryland Foundation for Psychiatry, 1101 Saint. Paul Street, Suite 305, Baltimore, MD 21202-6405. The form is available as PDF or Word document.
The 2009 Award was presented to the Gaudenzia Park Heights New Vision of Hope Program in Baltimore for its services to a very difficult population of dual diagnosis patients with substance abuse and mental illness, many of whom have criminal justice involvement.
Related Link:
- Download 2010 Outstanding Merit Award nomination form (Microsoft Word document)
- Download 2010 Outstanding Merit Award nomination form (PDF document)
- 2009 Winner: Gaudenzia Park Heights New Vision of Hope Program in Baltimore
- 2008 Winner: Healthy Mothers and Healthy Babies program
- 2007 Winner: Bowie Therapeutic Nursery Center, Inc.
- 2006 Winner: Mr. Edgar K. Wiggins
Posted by admin at 04:12 PM
Holiday Season Radio Ad Available Here
The Maryland Foundation for Psychiatry, Inc. aired a new public service announcement on local Maryland radio stations during the recent holiday season. It focuses all the feelings and temptations which might surface during holidays and suggests how one might get some assistance.
You can listen to the ad using the player in the upper right of the website's homepage by selecting "Holiday Depression" or download the MP3 file from our radio ad page.
Posted by admin at 03:47 PM
January 17, 2010
Researchers document deficiencies in depression treatment.
The New York Times (1/8, Rabin) reported in Vital Signs that, according to a study published Jan. 6 in the Archives of General Psychiatry, "only about half of all Americans with depression receive treatment of any kind," with "only one in five...getting care -- talk therapy, medication or both -- that conforms to American Psychiatric Association guidelines."
In an analysis of results from "nationally representative surveys of 15,762 adults from February 2001 to November 2003," Wayne State University researchers also found that "Mexican-Americans and African-Americans were less likely than other groups to receive treatment of any kind."
Related Links:
- Mental Health: Deficiencies in Treatment of Depression," Roni Caryn Rabin, New York Times, January 8, 2010.
Posted by admin at 05:43 PM
Psychotherapy may benefit adolescent girls at risk for obesity.
HealthDay (1/9, Dotinga) reported, "A psychotherapy program may work better than traditional health classes in preventing teenage girls at risk of obesity from becoming excessively fatter," according to a study published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.
After "randomly assigned 38 girls to attend psychotherapy sessions or standard health-education classes," researchers found that "those who took part in the psychotherapy sessions" over the course of a year "were more likely to stabilize or reduce their body mass index."
Related Links:
- Psychotherapy May Help Teen Girls Avoid Obesity," HealthDay, January 9, 2010.
Posted by admin at 05:37 PM
Healthcare industry said to favor psychotherapies validated by studies.
The Los Angeles Times (1/11, Jaffe) reports, "The healthcare industry favors psychotherapies that have been found effective in randomized controlled studies."
Therefore, CBT is "typically covered while lengthier, more costly treatments, such as psychodynamic therapy, are often truncated or not covered." Some "reports suggest that roughly two-thirds of privately insured Americans are enrolled in plans that limit duration of treatment based on research findings," which critics say is "a ploy to cut down on costs." The Times points out, however, that "the situation might change now that the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act has gone into effect, as of Jan. 1."
Related Links:
- New law offers hope on insurance coverage of therapies," Eric Jaffe, Los Angeles Times, January 11, 2010.
Posted by admin at 05:28 PM
More students may be dealing with anxiety, other mental health issues.
The AP (1/11, Irvine) reports that "five times as many high school and college students are dealing with anxiety and other mental health issues than youth of the same age who were studied in the Great Depression era," according to a study to be published in the Clinical Psychology Review.
Investigators "analyzed the responses of 77,576 high school or college students who, from 1938 through 2007, took the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, or MMPI." The researchers found that, altogether, "an average of five times as many students in 2007 surpassed thresholds in one or more mental health categories, compared with those who did so in 1938."
Related Links:
- More of today's youth have serious mental health issues than previous generations, study finds ," Martha Irvine, Reno Gazette-Journal, January 11, 2010.
Posted by admin at 05:23 PM
Theater project to help returning soldiers discuss psychological effects of war.
The AP (1/11) reports, "Actors from Broadway and television are performing in Washington as part of a theater project to help returning soldiers discuss the psychological effects of war and combat."
On Monday and Tuesday, "Isiah Whitlock from 'The Wire,' Tamara Tunie of 'Law and Order: SVU' and Broadway performers Francoise Battiste and Bill Camp are joining the 'Theater of War' project," a "program from the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs" that "presents readings of ancient Greek plays to help spur discussions on the challenges faced by combat veterans."
Related Links:
- Broadway, TV Actors Performing for Returning Soldiers," WHSV.com, January 11, 2010.
Posted by admin at 05:16 PM
Pentagon, VA open suicide prevention conference.
WFAA-TV Dallas, TX (1/10, 8:34 a.m. CT) broadcast that the "Pentagon and the Veterans Administration" opened a "four day conference" Sunday "on suicide prevention in the military. Suicide in the Army is at a 26-year high. In 2008, there were 268 active duty suicides across the military, most in the Army, and it's double the rate of suicides among non-military Americans."
Posted by admin at 05:13 PM
Adolescents, parents may underestimate teen suicide risk.
WebMD (1/11, Boyles) reported, "Suicide is the third leading cause of death among teens, but teenagers and their parents underestimate the risk or think that it doesn't happen in their own communities," according to a study appearing in the February issue of Pediatrics.
After conducting "focus groups with parents and teens living in urban, suburban, or rural areas in an effort to better understand their attitudes and perceptions regarding adolescent suicide," researchers found that even though "parents and teenagers were able to identify many of the most common risk factors for suicide, including depression, alcohol and drug abuse, and relationship problems," they "also tended to underestimate the risk in their own backyards, believing instead that it was a problem in other communities."
Related Links:
- Study Shows Parents and Teens Believe Suicide Isn't a Problem in Their Communities," Salynn Boyles, WebMD Health News, January 11, 2010.
Posted by admin at 05:05 PM
Rep. McMahon says questionnaires for troops back from war zones "simply do not suffice."
The New York Daily News (1/11, Sisk) "Mouth of the Potomac" blog noted that Rep. Michael McMahon (D-NY), "a co-founder of the Congressional Invisible Wounds Caucus, said the VA and the Pentagon should provide the staff and funding for the psychological screening of all troops returning from combat zones.
'Evidently, the paper questionnaires currently in use simply do not suffice,' McMahon said," adding, "How many more young men and women must die before we provide the necessary mental healthcare?"
Related Links:
-
Grim record: Army suicides in 2009 hit highest level, accounts for 20% of national suicides," Richard Sisk, The New York Daily News, January 12, 2010.
Posted by admin at 04:56 PM
VA says suicide rate among young, male veterans up 26%.
The AP (1/12, Hefling) reports, "The suicide rate among 18- to 29-year-old men who've left the military has gone up significantly, the government said Monday.
The rate for these veterans went up 26 percent from 2005 to 2007, according to preliminary data from the Veterans Affairs Department," whose officials "said they assume that most of the veterans in this age group served in Iraq or Afghanistan." The AP adds, "At a suicide prevention conference on Monday in Washington," VA Secretary Eric Shinseki "said he'd...like to see more stringent protocol put into place at VA facilities about how to handle a potentially suicidal veteran."
Related Links:
- Young male veterans, home from war, are taking their own lives more frequently, the VA finds," Kimberly Hefling, Star Tribune, January 12, 2010.
Posted by admin at 04:47 PM
Military urged to implement suicide-prevention measures with spouses in mind.
The AP (1/13, Hefling) reported that while "speaking on stage at a military suicide prevention conference" on Wednesday, Deborah Mullen, "the wife of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff," Adm. Mike Mullen, "urged the military to get a better handle on the problem and implement prevention measures with spouses in mind."
Regrettably, "some military spouses, Mrs. Mullen said, are reluctant to seek mental health help, because it still carries an unfortunate stigma." She stated, "As incorrect as this is, they really do believe if they seek help, it will have a negative impact on their spouse's military career."
Related Links:
- Wife says military spouses also face suicide risk," Kimberly Hefling, Associated Press, January 13, 2010.
Posted by admin at 04:37 PM
Wives of soldiers deployed to war zones may have higher rates of mental-health issues.
USA Today (1/14, Zoroya) reports that "wives of soldiers sent to war suffered significantly higher rates of mental health issues than those whose husbands stayed home," according to a study published Jan. 14 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
In a study of "more than 250,000 Army wives, of which two-thirds had husbands who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan between 2003 and 2006," researchers from RTI International found that "wives of soldiers deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan between one and 11 months had an 18% higher rate of suffering from depression than those whose husbands did not go to war." In deployments lasting "11 months or longer," soldiers' "wives had a 24% higher rate of suffering from depression."
HealthDay (1/13, Thomas) reported, "Each phase of a deployment can cause stress that could contribute to mental health problems," study author Alyssa Mansfield, PhD, MPH, "said. Before the deployment, there's anxiety as women prepare themselves and their children for a long absence," while "during deployment, women take on added responsibilities as sole caretaker for their home and children, while worrying their husband will be killed or injured." The AP (1/14, Johnson) also mentions the study.
Related Links:
- Army wives with deployed husbands suffer higher mental health issues," Greg Zoroya, USA Today, January 13, 2010.
- Deployment Takes Toll on Army Wives," Jennifer Thomas, HealthDay, January 13, 2010.
Posted by admin at 04:28 PM
Stress of caring for disabled spouse linked to increased stroke risk.
HealthDay (1/14, Edelson) reported, "The stress of caring for a disabled spouse increases the risk of stroke substantially," according to a paper in Stroke. Before drawing those conclusions, researchers at the University of South Florida asked 767 "participants how many days during the past week they had felt depressed, lonely, sad, or had crying spells. The answers were matched to the Framingham Stroke Risk Score."
Those "who said tending to their ailing spouse caused 'a lot of strain' were 23% more likely to have a stroke, compared with their caregiving counterparts who said they felt no strain regarding their responsibilities," WebMD (1/14, Mann) reported. "Stroke risk was most pronounced among men, especially African-American men," even though they "were less likely to report high strain."
Related Links:
- Stress of Caring for Disabled Spouse Raises Stroke Threat
," Ed Edelson, HealthDay, January 14, 2010.
Posted by admin at 03:55 PM
Caregivers of patients with bipolar disorder may have psychiatric symptoms.
MedWire (1/15, Davenport) reports that, according to a review published in the Febuary issue of the Journal of Affective Disorders, "caregivers of patients with bipolar disorder have psychiatric symptoms."
After a review of "24 papers" found in "the Medline Pubmed, PsychINFO, and Google Scholar databases," researchers found that "13 reported the presence of general psychiatric distress among caregivers of bipolar disorder patients, while two reported anxiety symptoms, nine reported mood symptoms, and eight reported increased mental health service use." Specifically, "up to 46.0% of caregivers reported depression, with a similar proportion reporting anxiety symptoms or disorders," while "up to 32.4% of caregivers reported mental health service usage."
Related Links:
- Caregivers of bipolar patients suffer psychiatric symptoms," Liam Davenport, MedWire News, January 15, 2010.
Posted by admin at 03:44 PM
January 06, 2010
VA studying mental, physical health of women who served during Vietnam War.
In his Arizona Republic (1/5) column, Art Sloane writes, "The Department of Veterans Affairs is conducting a study of women who served in the military during the Vietnam War to explore the effects of their service upon their mental and physical health.
The study will last four years and contact about 10,000 women." Sloane adds, "Women comprise 7.8 percent of the total veteran population and nearly 5.5 percent of all veterans using the VA health systems."
Related Links:
- .Veterans can graduate at Cactus Shadows high school," Art Sloane, Arizona Republic, January 4, 2010.
Posted by admin at 09:39 PM
Talk therapy superior to behavioral weight-loss program for binge eating.
The Los Angeles Times (1/4, Healy) "Booster Shots" blog reported that, according to a study published in the Jan. issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, "binge eaters who get a specialized form of talk therapy aimed at reducing their bingeing behavior are more likely than those who participate in a weight-loss program to shed their eating disorder two years after treatment."
After comparing "interpersonal therapy, a form of cognitive behavioral therapy described as 'guided self-help,' and a behavioral weight-loss program against each other for 24 weeks," researchers found that "all three appeared to have roughly equal success in reducing...psychological symptoms of binge eating disorder." But, two years after treatment, "the two forms of talk therapy appeared far superior to the behavioral weight-loss program in maintaining a remission of binge-eating symptoms."
Related Links:
- For obese binge eaters, good news and bad news," Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times, January 4, 2010.
Posted by admin at 09:33 PM
Many Americans not receiving adequate treatment for depression.
The Wall Street Journal (1/5, Wang) reports that an increasing number of people in the US are simultaneously on multiple psychiatric medicines, and the majority of those diagnosed with depression are not receiving the right treatment under practice guidelines for the American Psychiatric Association, according to two separate studies published Jan. 4 in the Archives of General Psychiatry.
The Los Angeles Times (1/4, Roan) reported that in the first study, "a national survey of 15,752 people," researchers "found that nearly 45% of individuals with depression received psychotherapy with no medication," and "only 34% received antidepressants." In the second study, after examining "examined prescribing data from 13,079 psychiatry office visits between 1996 and 2006," investigators discovered that "a growing number of Americans are being prescribed combinations of antidepressants and antipsychotic medications, even though there are few studies that support the benefits of such combinations."
Some minorities even less likely to receive adequate care. Focusing solely on the first study, HealthDay (1/4, Gardner) reported, "researchers looked at individual subgroups, revealing that Mexican Americans, African Americans, and Caribbean blacks were even less likely to receive adequate care than others." Surprisingly, "psychotherapy was more commonly prescribed than antidepressants, especially among Caribbean blacks and African Americans," and "psychotherapy-oriented treatments were more likely to meet treatment recommendations."
WebMD (1/4, Warner) reported that "the results reveal disparities in healthcare access that are often overlooked," the authors said, pointing out that "Mexican-Americans showed the greatest inequalities in mental healthcare in the study. Lack of health insurance partly explained their lack of adequate depression treatment, but did not explain the low rate of depression treatment among African-Americans."
Related Links:
- Depression treatment lacking for many people," Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times, January 4, 2009.
- Most Depressed Adults Going Without Treatment
," Amanda Gardner, HealthDay, January 4, 2009.
- Americans With Depression Are Undertreated," Jennifer Warner, WebMD, January 4, 2010.
Posted by admin at 09:18 PM
Parents urged to set positive nutritional, activity examples.
The Chicago Tribune (1/4, Guiterrez) reports, in an article citing HHS statistics on obesity rates in the US, that according to dietitians, "By setting good examples early and establishing habits of healthful eating and physical fitness, parents can give children the gift of health to carry them through adulthood."
The Tribune details the negative impact that obesity can have on children, adding that "for young kids, it shouldn't be about diet and exercise: It should be about being healthy and having fun. 'The No. 1 role model is the parent. The kid does what the parent does,' said Stacy Beeson, a registered and licensed dietitian who is St. Luke's Boise (Idaho) Medical Center outpatient dietitian and corporate wellness specialist."
Related Links:
- Parents should take lead in eating right, exercise," Brenda Guiterrez, Chicago Tribune, January 3, 2010.
Posted by admin at 09:13 PM
Depression, stressful work environments may erode productivity.
The Los Angeles Times (12/31, Roan) "Booster Shots" blog reported that, according to a study published Dec. 31 in the American Journal of Health Promotion, "the combination of depression and stressful work environments erodes worker productivity."
After comparing "286 depressed workers with 193 who were not depressed," Tufts University researchers "found it was common for depressed employees to have problems at work." In fact, "a growing body of medical literature suggests that depression has more of an impact in the workplace than many other health conditions," causing "some experts" to "suggest it would be cost-effective for employers to offer depression screening and treatment programs."
Related Links:
- Stress on job further hampers depressed workers," Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times, December 31, 2009.
Posted by admin at 09:06 PM
Late bedtimes associated with increased risk of depression, suicidal thoughts in adolescents.
Bloomberg News (12/1, Bennett) reported, "Late nights may make teenagers more prone to depression and suicidal thoughts by depriving them of sleep," according to a study appearing in the journal Sleep. Researchers found that "teens whose parents let them go to bed past midnight were 24 percent more likely to be depressed and 20 percent more likely to have contemplated suicide."
The study also showed that "compared with adolescents who reported eight hours of shut-eye each night, those who managed five hours or less were 71 percent more likely to be depressed and 48 percent more likely to consider suicide," the Los Angeles Times (12/31, Kaplan) "Booster Shots" blog reported.
BBC News (1/2) reported, "The researchers from Columbia University Medical Center in New York looked at data from 15,500 teenagers," in which one in 15 was found to have depression. Participants "who reported they 'usually get enough sleep' were 65 percent less likely to be depressed."
On average, participants received "seven hours and 53 minutes of sleep," compared to "the nine or more hours of nightly sleep recommended for adolescents," the UK's Telegraph (1/1, Alleyne) reported. Adolescents "with a bedtime of 10 pm or earlier slept on average eight hours and ten minutes -- 33 minutes longer than those who went to bed at 11 pm."
According to the UK's Daily Mail (1/2, Bates), the researchers speculated that "a lack of sleep may affect how the brain responds to aversive stimuli and hinder the ability to cope with daily stress." They also noted that sleep deprivation might "affect judgment, concentration, and impulse control." Medscape (1/2, Harrison), AFP (1/2), and WebMD (1/1, Hendrick) also covered the story.
Related Links:
- Teen Suicidal Thoughts May Be Caused by Late Nights, Study Says," Simeon Bennett, Bloomberg News, January 1, 2010.
- For teens, late bedtimes can be depressing, study finds," Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, December 31, 2009.
- Late-night teens 'face greater depression risk'," BBC News, January 2, 2010.
- The earlier to bed, the healthier the head," Richard Alleyne, UK Telegraph, January 1, 2010.
Posted by admin at 08:35 PM
Certain clinical risk factors may predict antepartum depression.
Medscape (12/30, Barclay) reported that, according to areview published in the Jan. issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, "clinical risk factors that may be easily identified during routine obstetric examination may help predict depression during pregnancy."
After reviewing 57 studies, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor researchers found that "factors associated with a greater likelihood of antepartum depressive symptoms...were maternal anxiety, life stress, history of depression, lack of social support, unintended pregnancy, Medicaid insurance, domestic violence, lower income, lower education, smoking, single status, and poor relationship quality," while "in multivariate analyses, factors" showing "a significant association with depressive symptoms were life stress, lack of social support, and domestic violence."
Related Links:
- Clinical Risk Factors May Predict Depression During Pregnancy," Laurie Barclay, Medscape Today, December 30, 2009.
Posted by admin at 08:28 PM
Cocaine diluted with veterinary drug linked to cases of agranulocytosis.
The San Francisco Chronicle (12/29, Allday) reported that to "augment" its effect, the majority of cocaine making its way into the US is being cut with a veterinary drug meant to deworm animals."
In fact, "at San Francisco General Hospital...90 percent of 200 patients who recently tested positive for cocaine also tested positive for levamisole." Although the majority of those patients did not fall ill, public health officials explained that levamisole poisoning can lead to "a condition called agranulocytosis." It also appears to be linked to "serious skin conditions that make" the "skin look black." Thus, "doctors and lab specialists at SF General are leading state and national efforts to diagnose and treat patients."
Related Links:
- Most cocaine diluted with unsafe livestock drug," Erin Allday, San Francisco Chronicle, December 29, 2009.
Posted by admin at 08:20 PM
Addiction experts troubled by pain-clinic doctors who treat drug addicts.
The Miami Herald (12/30, Hiaasen) reports that some South Florida physicians "treat drug addicts while at the same time giving pain patients addictive" medications that "have been blamed for a spike in overdose deaths statewide."
According to "addiction experts...this mixing of two delicate medical fields has potentially dangerous consequences: Instead of receiving the therapy they need, addicts seeking to get off drugs may simply end up alongside users and drug peddlers who frequently skip from clinic to clinic seeking narcotics to be sold illegally."
Related Links:
- South Florida pain-clinic doctors also treat drug addicts," Scott Hiaasen, The Miami Herald, December 29, 2009.
Posted by admin at 08:14 PM
Gingko biloba not effective in preventing cognitive decline, improving memory.
The CBS Evening News (12/29, story 9, 0:20, Smith) reported, "Americans spend a quarter billion dollars a year on" gingko biloba supplements, "hoping to improve their memory and slow cognitive decline."
NBC Nightly News (12/29, story 5, 2:00, Williams) reported that "now, a major study shows" that gingko biloba, "one of the most popular supplements, flat out does not work."
USA Today (12/30, Weise) reports that, according to a study published in the Dec. 23-30 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, "the popular botanical...does not improve memory, nor does it prevent cognitive decline in older people." After analyzing data "from the Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory study" on "more than 3,000 people between ages 72 and 96 for seven years," researchers from the University of Virginia Medical School "found that a twice-daily dose of 120 milligrams of ginkgo biloba extract was not effective in reducing the incidence of Alzheimer's dementia or dementia overall."
According to the Los Angeles Times (12/29, Kaplan) "Booster Shots" blog, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, "a branch of the National Institutes of Health, has been researching ginkgo for 10 years to see whether the type of clinical trials required for FDA-regulated pharmaceuticals would reveal any benefit. The new findings are in line with several other studies, including a Cochrane review published this year that found 'no convincing evidence' that the herb preserves mental function in any way."
The investigators "found no evidence that ginkgo delayed or prevented normal declines in memory, language, attention, visuospatial abilities, or executive functions, such as anticipating outcomes and adapting to changing situations and thinking abstractly," HealthDay (12/29, Reinberg) reported. Moreover, "these results remained the same regardless of sex, age, race or education," the investigators found. However, the supplement was found to be safe, "and no serious side effects were noted," study author Steven T. DeKosky, MD, said.
WebMD (12/29, DeNoon) reported that "in a written statement," Douglas MacKay, ND, of the Council for Responsible Nutrition, "a group representing the supplement industry," said that "the DeKosky study 'should not be viewed as the final work' on ginkgo." He stated that "as a former practicing licensed naturopathic doctor," he "would continue to recommend ginkgo biloba to older adults as a safe, effective option for supporting cognitive health."
Related Links:
- Study: Ginkgo biloba has no effect on Alzheimer's, dementia," Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, December 29, 2009.
- Ginkgo biloba as a memory booster? Forget about it.," Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times Booster Shots Blog, December 29, 2009.
- Ginkgo Won't Slow Decline of Aging Brain
," Steven Reinberg, HealthDay, December 29, 2009.
- Ginkgo Biloba Doesn't Slow Mental Decline," Daniel J. DeNoon, WebMD, December 29, 2009.
Posted by admin at 07:54 PM
Discriminatory Copay Begins Phase Out
Beginning January 1, 2010, Medicare will begin reimbursing providers for outpatient psychiatric services at 55 percent, while the patient copay will drop to 45 percent from the current 50 percent copay.
The new rates are mandated by the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 and the first step in the gradual elimination of the discriminatory copayment rate for outpatient mental health treatment. The reimbursement rate to providers will increase to 60 percent in 2012, 65 percent in 2013 and 80 percent in 2014, the same as for all other medical services.
Posted by admin at 07:51 PM
Longevity associated with emotional stability, activity, conscientiousness.
The Baltimore Sun (12/29) reports that research from the National Institute on Aging reveals longevity is "associated with being conscientious, emotionally stable, and active."
After following "more than 2,300 people for more than 50 years," NIA researchers found that "emotional stability, organization, discipline, conscientiousness and resourcefulness" were "definitively linked to a longer life," while "other traits," such as "anger, emotional instability, anxiousness, and depression," led "to a shorter life." The study was published in the July/Aug. issue of the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, the Sun notes.
Related Links:
- Emotionally Stable People Live Longer," Drs. Kay Judge and Maxine Barish-Wreden, The Baltimore Sun, December 28, 2009.
Posted by admin at 07:44 PM
Some celebrities seen as championing "dangerous medical advice."
USA Today (12/23, Szabo) reports that some "celebrities feel comfortable sharing" or raising awareness for "their medical problems," such as Brooke Shields and "postpartum depression," and Michael J. Fox with "his struggle with Parkinson's disease."
However, "many doctors say they're troubled by stars who cross the line from sharing their stories to championing questionable or even dangerous medical advice," such as Tom Cruise who "railed against antidepressants" and dismissed "psychiatry as a 'pseudoscience'" on the Today show, or "Jenny McCarthy," who "has written several books linking autism with childhood vaccinations," and Suzanne Somers, who recently released a book described by experts "as a catalogue of unproven or long-debunked alternative cancer 'cures.'"
In another story, USA Today (12/22) reported that "most of actress Suzanne Somers' advice in her new book, Knockout, is wrongheaded or even risky," experts say. For example, "doctors and patient advocates say they're concerned that the actress champions alternative therapies over those with proven value," such as "chemosensitivity tests" for predicting "a patient's response to cancer" medicines and "pancreatic enzyme therapy" for cancer patients. In fact, "patients given the enzymes...lived only four months, while those given standard chemotherapy survived 14 months, according to a study of 55 patients published online in August in the Journal of Clinical Oncology."
Related Links:
- Are celebrities crossing the line on medical advice?," Liz Szabo, USA Today, December 23, 2009
- A 'Knockout' punch from medical experts," USA Today, December 22, 2009.
Posted by admin at 07:13 PM
Consumers inundated with health advice from celebrities, Internet.
USA Today (12/23, Szabo) reports that these days, "consumers are inundated with health advice from...movie stars, TV docs, and even the Internet."
But, "before following any medical advice from the Internet, a celebrity, or any other source," experts recommend that "people think critically and talk to their doctors." In addition, "Jeffrey White, of the National Cancer Institute, says consumers also should watch out for...red flags," such as treatments promoted based on "anecdotes and personal stories," and not backed up by clinical trial data, or "touted as a 'cure,' 'miracle,' or 'breakthrough'" without any "mention of side effects."
Related Links:
- Don't believe medical advice from Internet," Liz Szabo, USA Today, December 22, 2009.
Posted by admin at 07:01 PM
CDC survey finds sunshine states are happiest places to live.
The AP (12/17, Schmid) reported, "People in sunny, outdoorsy states -- Louisiana, Hawaii, Florida -- say they're the happiest Americans, and researchers think they know why."
The places where people "are most likely to report happiness also tend to rate high on studies comparing things like climate, crime rates, air quality, and schools." The happiness ratings, which "were based on a survey of 1.3 million people across the country by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention," were derived from data collected over four years "that included a question asking people how satisfied they are with their lives."
WCBS-TV New York (12/17, Tyler) reported that, according to the survey, the top five "happiest states...are Louisiana, Colorado, Hawaii, Florida, and Tennessee." In contrast, "both New Jersey and Connecticut are in the top five of unhappy states, joining Michigan and Indiana," the survey found.
Related Links:
- Happiest States In America: Sunshine States In The Lead," Randolph E. Schmid, The Huffington Post, December 18, 2009.
Posted by admin at 06:47 PM
Researchers link hockey player's brain damage to repeated head trauma.
The New York Times (12/18, B11, Schwarz, Klein) reports Boston University researchers have found that Reggie Fleming, a "deceased professional hockey player," had "brain damage associated with repeated head trauma, connecting hockey for the first time to health risks linked to boxers and, most recently, football players."
Dr. Ann McKee, a neuropathologist at Boston University and the Bedford Veterans Administration Medical Center, said, "Repetitive head injuries can have very serious long-term consequences, regardless of how you get them."
Related Links:
- Brain Damage Found in Hockey Player," Alan Schwarz and Jeff Z Klein, New York Times, December 18, 2009
Posted by admin at 06:38 PM
"Dwell time" linked to improved mental health.
Politico (12/17, Dimascio) reported, "With President Barack Obama's decision to send more troops to Afghanistan putting an even greater strain" on the US military, a "new Army study has found that soldiers deployed to Iraq have needed at least three years back at their home bases to regain their mental health.
Soldiers currently spend about a year home between deployments -- what the military calls dwell time." Politico added, "The Army has been criticized for its response to the increased number of cases" of PTSD "suffered by soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as a growing suicide rate."
Related Links:
- Study links 'dwell time,' mental health," Jen DiMascio, Politico, December 17, 2009.
Posted by admin at 06:28 PM
Studies highlight emotional toll deployments take on US soldiers.
The Christian Science Monitor (12/18, Jonsson) reports, "Emotional pain, depression, and angst among US soldiers seeing multiple deployments in war zones are much more common than the Pentagon has reported, a new Department of Veterans Affairs survey says.
Soldiers facing multiple deployments, moreover, are at least three times more likely to anonymously report problems of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than are those with a single deployment, according to the study," published in the American Journal of Public Health. The Monitor notes that a separate "study of 28,000 troops released by the Pentagon on Wednesday acknowledged that 20 percent had abused prescription" medications, "mostly painkillers, and that the number of troops experiencing PTSD has gone from nine percent in 2005 to 13 percent in 2008."
Related Links:
- Pentagon plays catch-up as toll of repeat combat duty rises," Patrik Jonsson, Christian Science Monitor, December 17, 2009.
Posted by admin at 06:12 PM
Wallet-sized cards could help patients make prescription medication decisions.
The Miami Herald (12/16, Shah) reported, "There's a new" wallet-sized card that features "five questions" patients can ask their pharmacist to help them make prescription medication decisions.
The Consumer Federation of the Southeast "said the cards," which will be distributed among various groups in Florida, "were prompted in part by the case of an epileptic man who switched to a generic epilepsy medication to save money on his copayment. His wife said he died because of a subtle difference between the name brand and generic" medicines.
Related Links:
- Cards to help consumers make prescription drug decisions," Nirvi Shah, The Miami Herald, December 16, 2009.
Posted by admin at 05:57 PM
Physicians, mental-health professionals may have concerns about EHR privacy.
HealthDay (12/16, Preidt) reported that, according to two studies appearing in the Jan. issue of the Journal of the American Informatics Association, "US physicians support the use of electronic medical records, but widespread concerns exist about privacy problems."
Healthcare IT News (12/16, Monegain) reported that in the first study, 16 percent of "more than 1,000 family practice and specialist physicians" revealed that "they were 'very concerned' about potential breaches of privacy, while 55 percent said they were 'somewhat concerned.'"
Another study found that 63 percent of 56 "mental health professionals" surveyed, including psychiatrists, are "less willing to record highly confidential information in an electronic record than they would on a paper record," and over 80 percent "said if they were to become a patient, they would not want their mental health records to be routinely accessed by providers."
Related Links:
- Pros and Cons of Electronic Medical Records Weighed
," Robert Preidt, HealthDay, December 16, 2009.
- Privacy breach worries still dog electronic health records," Bernie Monegain, Healthcare IT News, December 16, 2009.
Posted by admin at 05:41 PM
Americans living longer than ever.
Bloomberg News (12/17, Gibson) reports, "Americans are living a record 77 years and 11 months on average...according to two studies that led researchers to suggest raising the retirement age."
The first study, from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, found that in the "US in 2007, the latest year for which figures are available," the "0.76 percent death rate is the lowest ever," driven by "a decline in deaths from heart disease and other ailments." Meanwhile, a second study published Dec. 14 in the health journal Milbank Quarterly, found that "every year that gets tacked on to the average life expectancy costs an extra trillion dollars in expenditures by Social Security and Medicare."
Related Links:
- Longer Life Expectancy to Strain Retirement System.," Ellen Gibson, Bloomberg News, December 16, 2009.
Posted by admin at 05:28 PM