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February 28, 2010
APA Psychiatric News Covers Love from Depression
The American Psychiatric Association's Psychiatric News for February 5, 2010, featured the Foundation's Love From Depression outreach campaign. Besides Love from Depression, the article describes other outreach programs the Foundation has done and continues to do, ranging from public service announcements on radio, clinician meetings, and the Outstanding Merit Award.
Related Links:
- "Innovation Marks Foundation's Public-Education Outreach," Rich Daly, Psychiatric News, February 5, 2010
- Love From Depression
- Foundation Radio Ads
- Outstanding Merit Award 2010
Posted by admin at 12:02 PM
February 17, 2010
A Writer's 15 year old daughter becomes manic
In Hurry Down Sunshine, the writer Michael Greenberg takes the reader on a harrowing journey through his 15 year old daughter's encounter with a severe manic mental illness.
Her illness so overwhelms her that her human identity seems to disappear. To her father it is as if her real self has died.
Like so many contemporary families, this is a family marked by divorces and remarriages. The illness brings the family together, and they do their best to support and encourage the ill girl and each other, but it looks like they are helpless in the face of the manic onslaught. Father and other family members have some typical reactions at first: they feel guilty, as if they have caused the illness; and they try to deny the reality of serious illness, even in the face of undeniable psychotic symptoms. Nevertheless, they -- especially father and second wife -- persist in striving for a human relationship with their ill daughter, not giving in to despair, not withdrawing, despite tremendous strain on the marriage. They get good psychiatric treatment, and in the end their persistence has value.
This is an honest and beautifully written book by writer with a sharply observant writer's eye He does not gloss over the pain.
Related Links:
- Hurry Down Sunshine, Michael Greenberg, Random House, Inc.
Posted by admin at 03:00 AM
February 04, 2010
Collection programs for unused prescription medications seen as increasing.
The AP (1/22) reports on how communities across the US are ramping "efforts to clean out America's medicine cabinets," and at least "20 states now have collection programs for unused medications, and several saw record hauls in 2009."
The AP notes that the programs were "initially motivated by concerns about flushed pharmaceuticals reaching drinking water supplies," but the "programs are also surging for another reason: prescription drug overdoses." Still, advocates "say the 90 or so take-back programs across the country are a good start but not well-funded enough to expand to a mass scale."
Posted by admin at 04:49 PM
Support, care for caregivers of aging parents crucial.
Francine Russo writes in the latest issue of Time (2/1), "We hear a lot about the costs of taking care of our graying population. But, the big story roiling beneath the surface is the psychological crisis among middle-aged siblings who are fuming or fighting over issues involving their aging parents."
A new AARP/MetLife-funded National Alliance for Caregiving survey found that about "43.5 million adults in the US are looking after an older relative or friend. Of these, 43% said they did not feel they had a choice in this role. And although 7 in 10 said another unpaid caregiver had provided help in the past year, only 1 in 10 said the burden was split equally." In light of these findings, Russo points out that "research shows that emotional support for caregivers is critical to their well-being and to family harmony."
Related Links:
- When Elder Care Brings Back Sibling Tensions," Francine Russo, Time, Febuary 1, 2010.
Posted by admin at 04:36 PM
Routine screening for depression during, after pregnancy advocated.
In its "Booster Shots" blog, the Los Angeles Times (1/21, Roan) reported that an opinion paper published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology advocated routine screening for depression during pregnancy and the postpartum period, as they "are peak times for women to experience" the condition. The authors asserted that depression "carries serious repercussions for both mother and baby," raising "the risk of preterm birth and other adverse outcomes" prior to delivery and "cognitive, neurologic and motor skill delays" after the birth.
Related Links:
- Doctors encourage depression screening during and after pregnancy," Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times, January 21, 2010.
Posted by admin at 04:30 PM
Insurance industry increased spending on lobbying in 2009.
The Hill (1/25, Bogardus) reports, "America's largest insurance companies spent millions more on lobbying last year as lawmakers debated healthcare reform, lobbying disclosure records show."
In all, "the companies increased lobbying spending by an average of 24 percent from 2008 to 2009, according to an analysis by The Hill of disclosure reports released this week. The list includes insurance giants such as Aetna and Wellpoint, along with the industry's major trade association, America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP)." Notably, Humana "showed the biggest increase in its lobbying spending among the insurers," with "$3.2 million on lobbying in 2009." Wellpoint spent $4.7 million, while UnitedHealth Group spent $4.5 million, and AHIP "about $8.9 million."
Posted by admin at 04:18 PM
Review finds risk factors for depression during pregnancy.
HealthDay (1/22, Preidt) reported that a review, in the January issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, of 159 studies conducted between 1980 and 2008 found that stress, a history of depression, a lack of social support, an unintended pregnancy, maternal anxiety, domestic violence, and having public insurance coverage "are among the major factors that contribute to increased risk of depression in pregnant women."
Depression in a pregnant woman "can cause problems for mothers and babies, including pre-term delivery, preeclampsia, sleep disturbances and disrupted mother-infant bonding."
Related Links:
- Stress, Anxiety Can Up Risk of Depression in Pregnancy," Robert Preidt, HealthDay News, January 22, 2010.
Posted by admin at 04:10 PM
Poll reveals many workers fear stigma of seeking treatment for addiction, mental health problems.
Modern Healthcare (1/26, Vesely) reported that in an "online poll of about 1,100 employed adults conducted by Harris Interactive for the American Psychiatric Association," researchers found that "about 40 percent of workers said their employers are supportive or extremely supportive in seeking care for health issues, but many more reported fear of stigma for seeking treatment for addiction and mental health problems."
The poll revealed that "two thirds of workers thought their work status would be negatively affected if they sought treatment for drug addiction," while 73 percent "said they feared loss of work status for seeking treatment for alcoholism."
Related Links:
- Workers fear stigma for seeking mental health treatment: study
," Rebeca Vesely, Modern Healthcare, January 26, 2010.
Posted by admin at 04:03 PM