Christopher reveals his feelings of abandonment and anger and guilt in response to these suicides. He fears he might follow the self-destructive family pattern, but he compares himself to Tony. Tony was dangerously obsessed with a need to out compete his rivals. Christopher writes, “While I eventually took these matters up with psychoanalysts, Tony took them up with no one.”

Related Links:

- Blue Genes at Doubleday Publishing

Posted by admin at 02:41 PM

October 03, 2008

Senate may vote Friday on veterans' mental healthcare bill

CQ (9/26, Johnson) reports, "The Senate was expected to act as early as Friday on a bill that rolls together several provisions relating to veterans" healthcare. The House already "passed the measure (S 2162) Thursday by voice vote."

That measure, among other things, would authorize "$1.9 billion for veterans medical facility projects and major medical fa cility leases" and "$8 million through fiscal 2012 for the National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder for research."

The House "also passed another broad veterans' measure Thursday that would" accomplish several things, including requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs to "implement regulations for notifying veterans who claim medical benefits about the status of their requests in simple terms."

Related Links:

- Congressional Quarterly

Posted by admin at 12:42 PM

Study suggests mothers with depression may be more likely to spank their children regardless of child's behavior

Medscape (9/25, Busko) reported that a study of "a nationally representative sample of kindergarten-aged children and their mothers" suggests that "women who are both depressed and in physically abusive relationships are more than twice as likely as women who are not depressed or abused to spank their children, regardless of the child's behavior."

For the study, researchers "analyzed data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Cohort." They judged which mothers "had clinically significant depressive symptoms based on their r esponses to a 12-item version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale questionnaire."

They found that, "compared with those with no depressive symptoms, mothers who were depressed were almost 60 percent more likely to spank their child; mothers who were both depressed and had violent arguments with their partners were 2.5 times more likely to spank their child." Moreover, the "risks of spanking remained the same after further adjustment for either positive or negative child behavior."

The study is published online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.

Related Links:

- "Depressed, Abused Mothers More Likely to Spank Their Children," Marlene Busko, MedScape, September 25, 2008.
- ABSTRACT "The relationship between maternal depression, in-home violence and use of physical punishment: What is the role of child behaviour?," Silverstein M, Augustyn M, Young R, Zuckerman B., Disease in Childhood, September 11, 2008.

Posted by admin at 12:37 PM

Senate passes bill to renew funding for community health centers, clinics for low-income patients

CQ (9/25, Wayne) reports that the Senate on Wednesday passed a bill that would "renew funding for community health centers, primary care clinics for low-income people and the uninsured, with broad support from lawmakers in both parties."

The legislation passed by voice-vote after a "substitute amendment" was adopted. "The amended bill would authorize $13.1 billion for the centers through fiscal 2012." It "also includes reauthorizations of programs that encourage health providers to work in areas considered medically underserved and health programs for rural areas." The bill now heads to the House of Representatives.

Related Links:

- Congressional Quarterly

Posted by admin at 12:32 PM

Mental health parity faces obstacles before being signed into law

The Wall Street Journal (9/25, D6, Zhang) reports that "Congress is on the verge of clearing legislation to require most employers and health insurers to put mental health on par with physical illnesses."

Legislation passed Tuesday by the House and Senate will guarantee parity "for hospital stays and doctor visits, as well as co-payments and deductibles. Plans that offer out-of-network coverage for physical problems will have to add equivalent mental coverage." Still, "the legislation doesn't specify what disorders must be covered."

One behavioral health consultant "said there is consensus that major problems such as serious depression, schizophrenia, and substance abuse should be covered, but" she noted that "employers differ whether to cover autism, attention-deficit disorder, and some others." The legislation also "doesn't require insurance plans sold to individuals, employers with fewer than 50 workers, or those that don't provide any health coverage, to offer mental health coverage."

Along with the bill's shortcomings, the AP (9/25, Reking) notes that it "still faces some hurdles before getting to President Bush for his signature." The House and the Senate's bills differed in that "the House bill focused strictly on mental health parity, [but] the Senate bill also covered the renewal of dozens of popular tax breaks for businesses and individuals. The two chambers will have to pass an exact, final version before it can become law, but time is quickly passing for this Congress."

Modern Healthcare (9/24, Zigmond) also covered the story.

Related Links:

- "Mental-Health Bill on Tap," Jane Zhang, Wall Street Journal, September 25, 2008.
- "Mental-health parity bills OK'd; next step unclear," Jessica Zigmund, Modern Healthcare, September 24, 2008.

Posted by admin at 12:25 PM

Researcher says deaths from accidental drug overdoses may have increased dramatically

WebMD (9/22, Doheny) reported that "deaths from accidental drug overdoses have increased dramatically in recent years, and prescription painkillers account for much of the problem, according to research presented [Monday] at the National Safety Council meeting."

Janet Froetscher, the president and CEO of the council, said that, "in 2006, about 24,000 people died in the U.S. from accidental drug overdoses," which is "a 100 percent increase from 2000." The largest increase "in these accidental poisonings is among men and women of working age, 20 to 64, and is mainly due to abusing prescription pain medicines such as oxycodone, methadone, hydrocodone, fentanyl, and buprenorphine."

According to Froetscher, "the most rapid growth in accidental poisoning deaths during the past decade occurred in those 45 to 64 years old...followed by those 25-44 and then 15-24." Froetscher, "citing data from the" Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said that "prescription opioids account for more than 38 percent of the deaths."

Related Links:

- "Drug Overdose Deaths on the Rise," Kathleen Doheny, WebMD, September 22, 2008.

Posted by admin at 12:20 PM

September 23, 2008

NFL accused of ignoring depression in players

In an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times (9/21), sports author Dave Zirin wrote about efforts to downplay or ignore National Football League (NFL) players suffering from depression.

Zirin wrote, "In the NFL, there is no worse sin than failure, and players are expected to shake off losses, injuries, and criticism.

In football, it is well understood that performance-enhancing drugs, legal and otherwise, are part of that process -- just not antidepressants." However, "in such a high-pressure sport," like professional football, the fact that depression is prevalent "shouldn't surprise anybody.

Studies show that repeated concussions is linked to depression." Zirin noted one player, Shawn Andrews, of the Philadelphia Eagles, who publicly spoke about his depression. "But the Eagles didn't see Andrews' mental health as a legitimate medical problem and fined him $15,000 for every practice he missed. That wouldn't have happened to a player with a sprained knee."

Zirin concluded that "the NFL, rather than take the opportunity to educate fans about a disease millions of men face, just pumps up the music again. ... Let's hope more people like Andrews break the silence before tragedy strikes."

Related Links:

- "The NFL's in denial about depression," Dave Zirin, Los angeles Times, September 21, 2008.

Posted by admin at 02:23 PM

Maryland Insurance Administration to investigate delays in psychiatric care authorization

The Baltimore Sun (9/20, Brewington, Kohn) reported that the "Maryland Insurance Administration is investigating complaints that some psychiatric patients have been forced to wait hours -- in some cases, several days -- to be hospitalized because their insurance companies have not responded quickly when emergency room doctors called to verify coverage."

The investigation comes after the Baltimore health department "sent the state agency information about 10 cases in recent months in which patients endured long waits to be admitted to hospitals because their insurance companies could not be reached for approval."

If deemed excessive, the insurers would be subject to fines, because such "delays are illegal under a state law, passed in 2006, designed to guarantee that insurance companies don't leave patients in limbo when they need psychiatric treatment."

According to the law, "insurers must be available around the clock and must respond to requests for preauthorization within two hours." Delays may be more prevalent in psychiatric care because "insurers tend to insist on preauthorization. ... Hospitals that provide care without the approval risk being stuck with the bill."

Related Links:

- "Psychiatric care delay in spotlight," Kelly Brewington and David Kohn, Baltimore Sun, September 20, 2008.

Posted by admin at 02:20 PM

September 22, 2008

Economic crisis causes jump in use of mental health services

2006 Ooutstanding Merit Award Winner, Edgar Wiggins and the Baltimore Crisis Response, Inc. received a Distinguished Service Award from the Mental Health Association of Maryland, Metropolitan Baltimore Branch.

Said of the award: "Your dedication to consumers suffering from co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders and your tireless efforts to expand crisis services in Baltimore City."

The award was presented at the 56th Metropolitan Baltimore Annual Luncheon on September 12th, 2008.

Related Links:

- Baltimore Crisis Response, Inc.
- "Edgar Wiggins Wins MFP Outstanding Merit Award," Maryland foundation for Psychiatry, April 7, 2006.

Posted by admin at 03:27 PM

September 19, 2008

Economic crisis causes jump in use of mental health services

Bloomberg News (9/19, Waters, Olmos) reports that, according to "operators of telephone crisis lines, insurers, hospital administrators, and therapists interviewed over the last month," the current economic "crisis, which has caused an explosion of foreclosures, is sending everyday people to mental-health services at levels not seen since the 9/11 terror attacks."

For example, "in New York, calls to the Hopeline network for people with depression or suicidal thoughts leaped 75 percent to 10,368 in the 11 months ending in July 2008." Meanwhile, "hospital admissions for psychiatric and substance-abuse services have increased as much as 10 percent this year from last year, and outpatient mental-health treatments have risen as much as five percent in claims submitted to Minnetonka, Minnesota-based UnitedHealth."

Harvey Brenner, Ph.D., of the University of North Texas, explained that "economic recessions typically lead to increased suicides and hospital admissions for psychiatric care, usually within one year of the start of the decline."

Related links:

- "Mental-Health Lines Buzz in U.S. Recession Depression," Rob Waters and David Olmos, Bloomberg News, September 19, 2008.

Posted by admin at 03:51 PM

Bullying methods are no different between boys, girls, study indicates

Canada's Toronto Star (9/16, Rushowy) reported that, according to a study by lead researcher Noel Card of the University of Arizona and colleagues "published in the latest issue of the journal Child Development," boys also engage in the type of bullying referred to as indirect aggression "about as often as girls, and continue to be much more likely than girls to use physical, or 'direct' aggression such as hitting or punching."

For the meta-analysis, researchers analyzed "148 studies of about 74,000 children and teens." They concluded that "there's no meaningful difference in indirect aggression between boys and girls," and "even though boys engage in more physical bullying, 'plenty of girls are physically aggressive.'" Card said, "If anything, I think we might say we're maybe paying too much attention to gender with regard to bullying and need to address that aggressive kids have problems irrespective of gender."

WebMD (9/16, Wilbert) also covered the story.

Related Links:

- "Boy bullies use their claws and their fists, " Kristin Rushowy, , September 16, 2008.
- "Boys, Girls Equal at Social Aggression, " Caroline Wilbert, WebMD Health News, September 16, 2008.

Posted by admin at 01:30 PM

Study indicates newer antipsychotics may be no more effective than older medications for pediatric psychotic symptoms

The New York Times (9/15, A17, Carey) reports that "the medicines most often prescribed for schizophrenia in children and adolescents are no more effective than older, less expensive" medications, according to a study to be published online Sept. 15 by the American Journal of Psychiatry.

For the double-blind study, researchers from the University of North Carolina "recruited 119 young people, ages eight to 19, who suffer from psychotic symptoms." The participants "received either Zyprexa (olanzapine), Risperdal (risperidone), or molindone," an older antipsychotic.

The investigators found that, "after eight weeks, 34 percent of the children taking Zyprexa, 46 percent of those on Risperdal, and 50 percent of those receiving molindone showed significant improvement." By then, however, many in the Risperdal and Zyprexa groups "had gained a lot of weight," and also "showed changes in cholesterol and insulin levels that are risk factors for diabetes." Children taking molindone, however, "gained less than a pound, on average, and had little metabolic changes."

"Prescription rates for...atypical anti-psychotics have increased more than fivefold for children over the past decades, and doctors now use them to settle outbursts and aggression in children with a wide variety of diagnoses, despite serious side effects," the Chicago Tribune (9/15) adds.

Related links:

- "Risks Found for Youths in New Antipsychotics," Benedict Carey, New York Times, September 15, 2008.
- "New anti-psychotics a bigger risk to kids," Chicago Tribune, September 15, 2008.

Posted by admin at 01:25 PM

Experts point out how parents can sharpen their toddlers' executive skills

The New York Times (9/15, H4, Carey) reports that "toddlers are interruption machines, all impulse and little control," because "the brain that is critical to inhibiting urges, the prefrontal cortex, is still a work in progress."

While "some children's brains adapt quickly...others' take time." Now, some "educational and cognitive scientists say that mental exercises of a certain kind can teach children to become more self-possessed at earlier ages, reducing stress levels at home, and improving their experience in school.

Researchers can test this ability, which they call executive function, and they say it is more strongly associated with school success than" intelligence quotient. According to experts, "parents can use a variety of home activities to help children sharpen executive skills."

By "reading to a child while continually establishing eye contact," or "by tilting" a "book so pictures are obscured, parents force youngsters to follow the words carefully, holding more of them in mind at one time -- a function of working memory."

Related links:

- "Training Young Brains to Behave," Benedict Carey, New York Times, September 14, 2008.

Posted by admin at 01:19 PM

Experts say parents should make efforts to restrict access to prescription medications

The Los Angeles Times (9/15, Healy) reports that, "unwittingly, parents who leave...medications unsecured and unmonitored are tempting their children -- and their children's friends -- to try drugs they have heard and read about at school, in movies, and on the Internet."

For some teenagers, "the price is right, and the risks -- of scoring the drugs at least -- are low." Experts say that parents should "dispose of prescription" medications "that remain unused after their purpose has been served."

For "medications [that] need to be retained for future use, experts say parents should keep an inventory of them," then "secure them, either under lock and key, or by keeping them where a curious child won't find them."

Related Links:

- "Youths' drug of choice? Prescription," Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times, September 15, 2008.

Posted by admin at 01:12 PM

September 15, 2008

Article discusses Cindy McCain's past abuse of prescription painkillers

On its front page, the Washington Post (9/12, A1, Kindy) reports that Cindy McCain, wife of presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) "often cites...her battle with -- and ultimate victory over -- prescription painkillers."

McCain says that her "struggle...taught her valuable lessons about" prescription-medication "abuse that she would pass on to the nation," were she to become first lady. She "has said that she became addicted to Vicodin (acetaminophen/hydrocodone) and Percocet (acetaminophen/oxycodone) in early 1989."

According to McCain, "she hid her addiction from her husband...and stopped taking the painkillers in 1992 after her parents confronted her." But, McCain's "journey through this personal crisis...had more consequences for her and those around her than she has acknowledged."

For example, "her misuse of painkillers prompted an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and local prosecutors that put her in legal jeopardy," and the doctor "who supplied her with prescriptions for the" medications "lost his license, and never practiced again."

Related Links:

- "A Tangled Story of Addiction: Consequences of Cindy McCain's Drug Abuse Were More Complex Than She Has Portrayed, Kimberly Kindy, Washington Post, September 12, 2008.

Posted by admin at 12:06 PM

Researchers study impact of traumatic injuries on patients' mental health

UPI (9/12) reports that "suffering a traumatic injury can have serious and long-lasting implications for a patient's mental health," according to a study published in the Annals of Surgery.

For the study, researchers "tracked 2,707 injured patients from 69 hospitals across the country, and found 20.7 percent had" post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), "and 6.6 percent had depression one year after the injury." In addition, investigators discovered that "injured patients diagnosed with PTSD or depression were six times more likely to not have returned to work in the year following the injury."

Related Links:

- "Traumatic physical injuries can harm mental health, study finds: Stress disorder can lead to inability to hold a job," Cherie Black, Seattle Post intelligencer, September 11, 2008.

Posted by admin at 12:03 PM

NPR segment focuses on helping children cope with mental illness in college

In its Morning Edition program, NPR (9/11, Trudeau) reports that "sending your child off to college can be an anxious time...for parents of children with a mental illness."

In particular, "parents of adult children" worry that they "have no legal standing in their" children's "medical care."

The segment focuses on the Diehl family, of Nashville, Tenn., who "has worked hard to prepare their son for the move from home to college." Roger Diehl, age 18, a freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and depression. His parents have "already found a psychiatrist in Madison for Roger."

They have also consulted an attorney who recommended that Roger "sign a HIPPA [Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act] release." In doing so, Roger "agreed to let his parents remain involved in his medical care, as they had been when he was a dependent.

For parents of adult children with mental illnesses, a HIPAA release is critical." And, by choosing to attend university in Madison, where the Diehls have extended family, Roger has a ready-made "social support network."

Related Links:

- "An Autistic Student's Journey To College," Michelle Trudeau, National Public Radio Morning Edition,

Posted by admin at 12:00 PM

Suicide is leading cause of death among young people in China, group says

The BBC (9/10, Reynolds) reported that, according to the Chinese Association for Mental Health, "suicide is the leading cause of death among young people."

In a report "published in advance of World Suicide Prevention Day" on Wednesday, the association said that in China, "young people aged between 15 and 34 are more likely to die at their own hand than by any other means." In addition, "the suicide rate is reported to be higher in the countryside than [in] cities, with more women taking their own lives."

Related Links:

- "Chinese youth 'face suicide risk'," James Reynolds, BBC, September 10, 2008.

Posted by admin at 11:54 AM

September 11, 2008

Study suggests smokers may underestimate their cravings

HealthDay (9/9, McKeever) reported that "when smokers are not craving, they fail to appreciate just how powerful their cravings will be," which "may lead them to make decisions -- such as choosing to attend a party where there will be lots of smoking -- that they may come to regret," according to a study published in the September issue of Psychological Science.

U.S. researchers examined "the 'cold-to-hot empathy gap' -- that is, the tendency for people in a 'cold' state (one not influenced by visceral factors such as hunger or fatigue) to improperly predict their own behavior when in a 'hot' state (hungry, fatigued)." The investigators recruited 98 smokers, and put them through "two experimental sessions."

In the first session, participants determined "how much money they would need to delay smoking for five minutes in the second session, a time when all participants would be in a 'hot' state." During the second session, the authors found that "the 'cold' smokers from the first session asked for significantly more money to delay smoking for just five minutes, while those originally in a 'hot' state did not request an increase."

Related Links:

- "Study Probes Why Smokers Find It Hard to Quit," Kevin McKeever, HealthDay News, September 9, 2008.
- Association for Psychological Science

Posted by admin at 11:00 AM

Experts say more teens may be abusing over-the-counter medications

WebMD (9/9, DeNoon) reported that "Snurf pills and other 'herbal' euphoria-enhancing drugs are part of a surge in abuse of over-the-counter" medications "by young teens."

It remains unclear "exactly what the Snurf product actually contains," but "the kids' symptoms -- and the effects reported by Snurf takers in online drug-user message boards -- point to dextromethorphan ( DXM), the cough suppressant ingredient in Robitussin and other over-the-counter medicines."

According to Deborah Levine, M.D., of New York's Bellevue Hospital Center, DXM "is a synthetic morphine analog that lacks opioid-like effects." Dr. Levine explained that, "at extreme doses...DXM causes the same kinds of dissociative symptoms -- memory loss, depression, anxiety, detachment from self, sense of unreality, blurred sense of identity -- seen with ketamine, a very dangerous drug of abuse known as 'special K.'"

Michael Windle, Ph.D., of Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health, explained that "use of DXM and other over-the-counter drugs is on the rise." He warned that "these products can produce a very severe side effect that, under some conditions, could require hospitalization, or even result in death."

Related Links:

- "Experts Say Abuse of 'Herbal' Snurf Pills, Over-the-Counter Drugs Is Up in Young Teens," Daniel J. DeNoon, WebMD Health News, September 9, 2008.

Posted by admin at 10:56 AM

Supreme Court to consider whether pharmaceutical companies should be shielded from lawsuits

The Los Angeles Times (9/7, Savage) reported that "earlier this year, the Supreme Court reinterpreted a 32-year-old federal law as barring suits against makers of government-approved medical devices."

And now, "in a case to be heard this fall, the court will consider whether to extend this shield against lawsuits to the makers of prescription medicines and over-the-counter" medication.

After failing "to persuade Congress or the states to limit such suits, the Bush administration and the pharmaceutical industry went to court, and now they stand on the verge of shutting down tens of thousands of lawsuits that have cost the industry billions of dollars in jury verdicts and settlements."

According to "advocates for the pharmaceutical industry...it makes more sense to have experts at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) -- rather than jurors -- decide whether a" medication "is safe or dangerous." Consumer rights advocates, however, "say lawsuits can compensate patients for injuries, as well as alert the public to dangers the FDA might have overlooked."

Related Links:

- "Drug makers seek shield from lawsuits," David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times, September 7, 2008.

Posted by admin at 10:52 AM

Suicide rates for young male Iraq, Afghanistan war veterans hit record high in 2006, VA statistics indicate

USA Today (9/9, Zoroya) reports that "suicide rates for young male Iraq- and Afghanistan-era veterans hit a record high in 2006, according to statistics to be released Tuesday by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)."

VA figures for "2006, the last year for which records are available," indicate that "there were about 46 suicides per 100,000 male veterans ages 18-29 who use VA services. That compares with about 20 suicides per 100,000 men of that age who are not veterans."

The VA's records also "show that 141 veterans who left the military after Sept. 11, 2001, committed suicide between 2002 and 2005. In the one year that followed, an additional 113 of the Iraq- and Afghanistan-era veterans killed themselves."

Army psychiatrist Col. Elspeth Ritchie, M.D., M.P.H., explained that "lengthy and multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan cause relationship problems, a leading factor in suicides."

Related Links:

- "VA report: Male U.S. veteran suicides at highest in 2006," Gregg Zoroya, USA Today, September 8, 2008.

Posted by admin at 10:49 AM

September 09, 2008

Researchers say young smokers may be more likely to have behavioral problems

PsychCentral (9/4, Nauert) reported that youngsters "who have tried cigarettes by seventh grade are much more likely to become regular smokers and have behavior problems as teens," according to a study published in the Oct. issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health.

For the study, Phyllis Ellickson, Ph.D., of the RAND Corporation, and colleagues, "collected data at seventh, 10th, and 12th grade from 2,000 students in California and Oregon who were early smokers in middle school." The researchers "tested the students' saliva samples for tobacco and marijuana to ensure accuracy."

The investigators found that "30 percent of the early smokers had recently used cigarettes, 14 percent were smoking regularly, and 21 percent had multiple school problems." The findings also revealed that "having peers who smoke was a strong risk factor for becoming a regular smoker."

In fact, "at-risk teens were two or more times likely than low-risk teens -- those who hadn't tried smoking by seventh grade -- to have peers who smoke, and five times more likely to have had two or more problems in school."

Related Links:

- "Young Smokers Risk Behavioral Problems," Rick Nauert, PsychCentral, September 4, 2008.

Posted by admin at 01:11 PM

Survey suggests more parents discussing children's emotional, behavioral problems with school staff, healthcare providers

USA Today (9/4, Elias) reports that, according to a survey released Wednesday by the National Center for Health Statistics, "parents of about 15 percent of kids spoke to school staff or healthcare providers about their children's emotional and behavior problems in the last year."

The survey, which was performed in 2005 and 2006, and included "more than 17,000 parents with children four to 17 years old," found that "nearly one out of five boys had parents who discussed such difficulties, and about one out of 10 girls." Psychiatrist David Fassler, M.D., of the University of Vermont, said that "bringing concerns out in the open is all to the good." Dr. Fassler added, "More and more American parents are recognizing the symptoms of emotional and behavior problems, and they're asking for help."

Related Links:

- "Study: Boys' parents more likely to report problems," Marilyn Elias, USA Today, September 4, 2008.

Posted by admin at 01:02 PM

Research suggests high rate of psychiatric disorders may exist among adolescent offenders

HealthDay (8/29, McCoy) reported that the "majority of youths who are tried in criminal courts as adults have a psychiatric disorder," according to a study published in the Sept. issue of the journal Psychiatric Services.

For the study, researchers from Chicago's Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine "examined the cases of 1,715 youths, aged 13 to 18, who were processed in the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center in Chicago. Of the youths, 275 were transferred to adult court." The team "found that more than two-thirds (68 percent) of the transferred youths had a psychiatric disorder, and almost half (43 percent) had two or more types of disorders."

Notably, "the transferred youths who were eventually sentenced to prison had even higher rates of psychiatric disorders." In addition, "black and Hispanic males were more likely than non-Hispanic whites to be transferred." This finding "is important, since there is evidence that males from minority groups are among the least likely to receive mental health treatment, either in the community or in prison."

The number of U.S. "teenagers processed in adult criminal court is growing," Medscape (8/29, Busko) added. "In 2004, seven percent of the approximately two million youths who were arrested were transferred directly to adult court."

Discussing the study with Medscape, Louis J. Kraus, M.D., chair of the American Psychiatric Association Corresponding Committee on Juvenile Justice Issues, said that "the results are cause for concern." Dr. Kraus stated, "What's really important about this study is the tremendous percentage of kids who have mental-health issues, and how little is going to be done to help them. The tragedy here is that, in many of these kids, mental-health concerns are not going to be addressed."

Related Links:

- "Most Youths Tried as Adults Had Psychiatric Disorders," U.S. News and World Report, August 29, 2008.
- Abstract: "Psychiatric Disorders Among Detained Youths: A Comparison of Youths Processed in Juvenile Court and Adult Criminal Court," Jason J. Washburn, Ph.D., et. al., Psychiatric Services, 59:965-973, September 2008. (Full article available for fee/subscription.)
- ","
- ","

Posted by admin at 12:47 PM

September 02, 2008

Improving Emergency Department and Community Care for People with Psychiatric Disabilities

A report funded by the Blaustein and Stulman Charitable Foundations was developed by the Maryland Disability Law Center and the Center for Public Representation.

It utilized surveys and focus groups, and was assisted by the Mental Health Association of Maryland, On Our Own representatives of the Maryland Hospital Association, several hospitals in the region, the Director of the Mental Hygiene Administration and Core Service Agencies.

In several sections there was high praise for the Baltimore Crisis Response, Inc. of Baltimore City which was recognized by the Maryland Foundation for Psychiatry's Outstanding Merit Award in 2006.

At one point the report concludes: "A model that should be replicated exists in Baltimore City with BCRI, which has mobile teams to conduct assessments of persons in psychiatric distress. People assessed as appropriate for a crisis bed are taken directly to the residential crisis program. Another significant aspect of BCRI is that it operates detox beds, so that persons needing to detox can do so under medical supervision and then, if necessary, transfer to a crisis be in the same facility."

Related Links:

- Report Information at the Maryland Disability law Center (includes how to get a copy of the report)

Posted by admin at 12:26 PM

Survey indicates 13 percent of older Americans may suffer some form of abuse

HealthDay (8/28, Preidt) reported that "13 percent of American seniors suffer mistreatment from various forms of abuse," according to a study published in the Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences.

Researchers at the University of Chicago reached this conclusion after analyzing "national survey data from 3,005 community-dwelling adults, ages 57 to 85." They "also found that adults in their late 50s and 60s are more likely to report verbal or financial mistreatment than those who are older."

Notably, "women were twice as likely as men to report verbal abuse; Hispanics were about half as likely as whites to report verbal abuse, and 78 percent less likely to report financial mistreatment; and blacks were 77 percent more likely than whites to report financial mistreatment."

The survey also revealed that "of those who reported verbal abuse, 26 percent said their spouse or romantic partner was responsible, 15 percent said it was their children, and the remainder of respondents said friends, neighbors, co-workers, or bosses were responsible."

Related Links:

- "13% of Seniors Report Being Mistreated," Robert Preidt, HealthDay, August 28, 2008.

Posted by admin at 12:23 PM

Study explores drinking habits among college students celebrating 21st birthday

USA Today (8/28, Jayson) reports that "college students today celebrate 21st birthdays with an average of 12 drinks for men and nine for women," according to University of Texas-Austin researchers.

Among "more than 2,200 students in the four-year drinking study that began in 2004, researchers randomly selected 152 students for an in-depth analysis focused on 21st-birthday drinking, including in-person interviews.

All but two said they drank to celebrate." The investigators found that "78 percent of students cited ill effects, including hangovers (54 percent)." Among "44 percent who had blackouts, 22 percent found out later they had sex, and 22 percent got in a fight or argument."

Meanwhile, "39 percent didn't know how they got home." While just "12 of the 152 students reported 21 or more birthday drinks," USA Today adds that "at the University of Missouri, a study of 2,518 students published in June found 34 percent of men and 24 percent of women had 21 or more."

Related Links:

- "Students mark 21st birthdays with 'extreme' drinking binges," Sharon Jayson, USA Today, August 28, 2008.

Posted by admin at 12:19 PM

August 28, 2008

Experts say clusters of unvaccinated children are cause for alarm

The Chicago Tribune (8/26, Shelton, Williams-Harris) reported that although numerous studies have "found no link between vaccinations and autism," some experts "note that autism tends to emerge at the same age children receive their shots, leading to a false sense of cause and effect."

And, some parents narratives about their children's experiences with vaccines spread "so easily...online, that pediatricians say they are spending unprecedented time answering questions about vaccinations, from mercury fears to concerns over the increasingly intense schedule of shots."

In addition, "parental suspicion is now so high that public health officials fear it could undermine one of the most important advances in medical history," that is, herd immunity. For instance, "last week, federal officials reported that measles cases in the U.S. have reached their highest level in more than a decade, with nearly half of the cases involving children of parents who opted against vaccination."

While "immunization rates overall remain high," a number of health officials contend that "clusters of unvaccinated children are cause for alarm."

Related Links:

- "Kids' vaccinations face risky resistance," Deborah L. Shelton and Deanese Williams-Harris, Chicago Tribune, August 26, 2008.

Posted by admin at 10:39 AM

Columnist offers advice for dealing with stressed-out workers

On the front page of the Wall Street Journal's (8/26, D1) Personal Journal section, Elizabeth Bernstein writes in the Health Journal column that "mental-health experts say they're seeing increasing signs of stress this year, with more people seeking professional help for mental strain brought on by financial or work issues."

In fact, since "last spring, calls to employee-assistance programs (EAPs) -- which help people with mental-health and personal problems -- have risen about 10 percent, according to the Employee Assistance Professionals Association." In a worst-case scenario, bosses should be on the lookout for warning signs of "office violence," such as "direct threats, menacing gestures, or statements."

Anyone "who appears to be a threat should be dealt with by managers immediately and carefully, with the help of security," experts advise. But, "the vast majority of people suffering from mental stress in the workplace don't become violent." Some warning "signs that something is wrong" are "changes in behavior, including work patterns, eating habits, or drinking." Bernstein advises bosses of overstressed employees to "offer only work-related help," such as giving out the number to the company's EAP.

Related Links:

- "When a Co-Worker is Stressed Out," Elizabeth Bernstein, Wall Street Journal, August 26, 2008.

Posted by admin at 10:35 AM

Number of veterans suffering from undiagnosed mild traumatic brain injuries remains unknown

On its front page, the New York Times (8/26, A1, Alvarez) reports that "a growing tide of combat veterans" is returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan with mild traumatic brain injuries, or concussions, caused by powerful explosions.

As many as 300,000, or 20 percent, of combat veterans who regularly worked...away from bases" may "have suffered at least one concussion, according to the latest Pentagon estimates." The concussions may leave many with "longer-term problems that can include...persistent memory loss, headaches, mood swings, dizziness, hearing problems, and light sensitivity. These symptoms, which may be subtle and may not surface for weeks or months after their return, are often debilitating," and could lead "to financial problems, job losses, divorce, and mental-health issues."

Last year, the Department of Veterans Affairs began "screening all Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans who come in for clinical help. So far, 33,000 of 227,015, about 15 percent, have screened positive for mild brain injury since April 2007." It remains unclear, however, "how many service members, particularly those who fought earlier in the war, remain unscreened, and whose injuries go undiagnosed."

Related Links:

- "War Veterans’ Concussions Are Often Overlooked," Lizette Alvarez, New York Times, August 25, 2008.

Posted by admin at 10:31 AM

Experts say parents accompanying children to school should strike balance between support, suffocation

On its website, ABC News (8/22, Childs, Chitale) reported that "many parents remain unsure as to whether they're doing more good than harm when tagging along with their kid for the first day of class."

According to child-development experts, "while parental accompaniment can be important in making a child feel secure at school, parents must be very careful to strike a balance between support and suffocation."

Psychiatrist David Fassler, M.D., of the University of Vermont College of Medicine, stated, "Going to school by yourself is an important developmental step for children."=2 0He cautioned parents that "hanging on too tightly can send a message that you don't think the child can do it on his or her own."

Jan Harp Domene, the national president of the Parent Teacher Association, urged parents of young children "to institute a five-minute limit on the first day, staying only long enough to ensure that their child is settled in."

Related Links:

- "http://abcnews.go.com/Health/AnxietyNews/story?id=5629257&page=1,"Dan Childs and Radha Chitale, ABC News, August 22, 2008.

Posted by admin at 10:28 AM

August 20, 2008

Research suggests association between bipolar disorder and genes controlling function of ion channels

PsychCentral (8/18, Nauert) reported that there may be "an association between" bipolar disorder "and variation in two genes that make components of channels that manage the flow of the elements into and out of cells, including neurons," according to a study published online in the journal Nature Genetics.

For the study, Pamela Sklar, M.D., Ph.D., of Massachusetts General Hospital, and colleagues, examined "about 1.8 million sites of genetic variation in 10,596 people -- including 4,387 with bipolar disorder." The team found "two genes showing the strongest association among 14 disorder-associated chromosomal regions." Specifically, a "[v]ariation in a gene called Ankyrin 3 (ANK3) showed the strongest association with bipolar disorder."

In addition, "[v]ariation in a calcium-channel gene found in the brain showed the second strongest association with" the "disorder. This CACNA1C protein similarly regulates the influx and outflow of calcium." The study's findings "point to the possibility that bipolar disorder might stem, at least in part, from malfunction of ion channels." MedWire (8/19, Czyzewski) also reports the study.

Related Links:

- "Genetic Link For Bipolar, Rick Nauert, Ph.D., PsychCentral, August 18, 2008.

Posted by admin at 01:07 PM

Patient advocates may endanger mentally ill, public by fighting for patients' right to refuse treatment, some mental-health experts say

On the front page of the Wall Street Journal (8/16, A1), Elizabeth Bernstein and Nathan Koppel write in the Page One column that "[w]ith the help of government-funded advocates, William Bruce," a patient diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, "was discharged from a" Maine "psychiatric hospital against his doctor's wishes," only to kill his mother two months later.

Under "a little-known government-funded advocacy program for psychiatric patients," called the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness program (PAIMI), patient "advocates ... appear[ed] to have fought for" Bruce's "right to refuse treatment, to have coached him on how to answer doctors' questions, and to have resisted the medical staff's efforts to contact his parents."

Created in "1986 to curb abuse and neglect of the mentally ill," the PAIMI program is operated by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and "funds protection-and-advocacy agencies in each state." While "[p]roponents of patient advocates say they're essential to protecting the rights of the mentally ill," many "mental-health veterans argue that advocates are endangering" both "the mentally ill and the public by too often fighting for patients' right to refuse treatment."

Related Links:

- "A Death in the Family," Elizabeth Bernstein and Nathan Koppell, wall street Journal, August 16, 2008.

Posted by admin at 01:04 PM

More American women received contraceptive services from healthcare providers between 1995 and 2002, survey find

HealthDay (8/13, Doheny) reported that, according to a survey published in the Oct. issue of the American Journal of Public Health, "[m]ore U.S. women are availing themselves of contraceptives services, such as birth-control pill prescriptions."

Researchers at New York's Guttmacher Institute "examined the 1995 and 2002 National Survey of Family Growth to detect patterns and trends in the use of sexual and reproductive healthcare services." The investigators found that "[o]verall, the percentage of women receiving all sexual and reproductive healthcare services -- including no t only birth control, but also such services as STD testing and Pap tests -- remained constant at 74 percent." But, "the percentage of American women who said they received contraceptive services rose from 36 percent to 41 percent."

Lead investigator Jennifer Frost, Dr.P.H., noted that "the increase mainly occurred in adolescents, women older than 30, and women with household incomes greater than 150 percent of the federal poverty level," WebMD (8/13, Colihan) added. Notably, "since the mid-1990s, there have been changes on the birth-control front, with more demand for contraceptive services, and insurance more often covering the cost of birth control."

Related Links:

- "More U.S. Women Getting Birth Control Services," Kathleen Doheny, HealthDay, August 13, 2008.

Posted by admin at 01:00 PM

Panel finds no evidence single abortion causes significant mental-health problems

The Wall Street Journal (8/14, D6, Simon) reports that on Wednesday, the American Psychological Association said that "there is 'no credible evidence' that a single, elective abortion causes mental-health problems for adult women."

The "conclusion -- posted on the group's website -- didn't address possible mental-health effects on teenagers, who account for about 17 percent of all abortions in the U.S." Nearly "half of the 1.2 million abortions a year in this country are to women who have had one or more prior abortions; they were also left out of the report's conclusion." But, the "association called for more research on these groups, along with more carefully designed studies in general."

In addition, the "report dismissed as unreliable some peer-review studies that found a possible link between abortion and depression or substance abuse."

Related Links:

- "Study Fails to Find Link On Abortion, Mental Health," Stephanie Simon, Wall Street Journal, August 14, 2008.

Posted by admin at 12:57 PM

Grady Memorial Hospital faces acute shortage of psychiatric beds

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (8/6, White, Miller) reported that Atlanta's "safety-net hospital," Grady Memorial, "is issuing alerts to the Atlanta medical community that it can't take any more mentally ill patients."

Grady currently "operates one of the country's largest psychiatric emergency departments, handling 15,000 to 16,000 emergency visits a year, including children in crisis.

In the past, many patients have been transferred to state-run hospitals after being evaluated and stabilized at Grady," but "those transfers have slowed dramatically as the state mental hospitals deal with their own capacity problems."

Grady's situation "echoes a national trend: a shortage of psychiatric beds that forces people who need them, including children, to be 'boarded' in emergency departments across the country, according to a survey by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP)." ACEP president Linda Lawrence, M.D., stated, "The lack of access to psychiatric care is creating a very dangerous situation for people with mental illness, and for emergency patients in general."

Related Links:

- "No room for new mental patients," Gayle White and andy Miller, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, August 6, 2008.

Posted by admin at 12:51 PM

August 07, 2008

Medications to combat Alzheimer's disease remain elusive

The Los Angeles Times (7/28, Roan) reports that "Alzheimer's disease research is at a crossroads, according to several scientists attending" the Alzheimer's Assn. 2008 International Conference.

The five Alzheimer's drugs that are currently available "treat the symptoms of the disease, such as memory problems and mental confusion," but "do not cure, halt, or even slow the disease process."

This year "was supposed to herald the arrival of the first disease-modifying drug. ... Instead, it's been marked by two failed clinical trials." Medical investigators, however, remain optimistic. A top researcher in the field, Paul Aisen, M.D., of the University of California-San Diego, said, "We have a long way to go. However, I have no doubt we are making progress, and that major advances can be expected in the next few years."

Dr. Aisen added that "[t]he setbacks have not convinced scientists that the disease is incurable," and "[d]ozens of...experimental medications are in the pipeline."

Related Links:

- "Drugs to reverse Alzheimer’s disease prove elusive," Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times, July 28, 2008.

Posted by admin at 03:09 AM

Panic disorder may affect six million adults, NIMH estimates

The Albany Democrat-Herald /Chicago Tribune (7/26, Pallant) reported, "Panic disorder affects about six million American adults, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and is twice as common in women as it is in men."

The American Psychiatric Association defines "a panic attack as a sudden, intense episode of fear or discomfort where there is no real danger. A panic attack will reach a peak within 10 minutes," and is "accompanied by at least four of the following symptoms: palpitations or accelerated heart rate; sweating; trembling or shaking; sensations of shortness of breath or smothering; feeling of choking; chest pain or discomfort; nausea or abdominal distress; feeling dizzy, unsteady, or faint; feelings of unreality or being detached from oneself; fear of losing control, or going crazy; fear of dying; numbness or tingling sensations," and "chills or hot flushes."

The Tribune pointed out that "[p]anic attacks become panic disorder when the symptoms aren't ignored, and the fear of the next attack is so overwhelming that it becomes life-altering."

Related Links:

- "Panic attacks: Those overwhelming feelings of fear are biological false alarms," Susan Kutchin Pallant, Chicago Tribune, July 20, 2008.

Posted by admin at 03:06 AM

Government says more than 22,000 veterans have sought help from suicide hot line

In continuing coverage from previous editions of Headlines, the AP (7/28, Euphrat) reports, "More than 22,000 veterans have sought help from a special suicide hot line in its first year, and 1,221 suicides have been averted, the government says."

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) "teamed up with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to launch the hot line last July after years of criticism that the VA wasn't doing enough to help wounded soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan." To date, the VA "has spent $2.9 million on the hot line." The VA "hot line receives up to 250 calls per day."

According to Janet Kemp, national suicide prevention coordinator for the VA, "callers are divided evenly between veterans from the Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam wars." The VA currently estimates that "6,500 veterans take their own lives" annually.

Related Links:

- "Suicide hot line got calls from 22,000 veterans," Katherine Euphrat, AP on Yahoo.Com, July 28, 2008.

Posted by admin at 03:04 AM

July 25, 2008

Congressional committee to investigate health insurer rescission practices

Bloomberg (7/18, Goldstein) reports, "A U.S. congressional committee will investigate the health insurance industry's practice of revoking benefits when policyholders develop costly illnesses."

The insurer practice of post-claims underwriting in individual policies "can leave families without coverage and facing substantial medical bills, witnesses told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee" Thursday. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), the committee's chairman, said that "he plans to request documents from health insurers."

Rep. Waxman claimed that "[i]nsurers are using technicalities...to rescind policies after individuals get sick, and accumulate hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills." The insurance industry contends, however, that the policy "revocations [are] necessary when they discover that members committed fraud, or misrepresented their health in applying for coverage."

And, according to Stephanie Kanwit, a representative for America's Health Insurance Plans, "[o]nly 0.2 percent of the policies bought by individuals and families directly from health plans are canceled by insurers each year."

Related Links:

- "U.S. to Probe Health Plans That Cancel Sick Members (Update3) ," Avram Goldstein, Bloomberg News, July 17, 2008.

Posted by admin at 04:27 PM

Research suggests teen smokers may only realize they are addicted once it is too late to quit

The Canadian Press (7/17) reports, "Teen smokers often try to quit and seriously believe they can, only realizing they're hooked when it's too late," according to a study published online Wednesday in the American Journal of Public Health.

Researchers at the Université de Montreal tracked "319 students age[d] 12 or 13 who" began smoking "during the five years of the research." At three-month intervals, "the group answered a questionnaire about their habits." Investigators found that "[m]ore than 70 percent expressed a desire to quit, but only 19 percent managed to go smoke free for 12 months or more."

The data also showed that "a month and a half into smoking, teenagers will naively try and stop smoking completely," Canada's Globe and Mail (7/17) adds. But, "by 21 months, they are no longer confident in their abilities to stop smoking, and are aware of the difficulty in quitting 32 months into the habit." Canada's CTV (7/16) also covered the story.

Related Links:

- "Teen smokers realize too late they're hooked: study," Canadian Press at CBC News website, July 17, 2008.

- "Teen smokers find it tough to stop," Caroline Alphonso, Canada's Globe and Mail, July 17, 2008.

Posted by admin at 04:24 PM

Analysis indicates apparent connection between bullying and thoughts of suicide in children

In continuing coverage from previous editions of Headlines, the UPI (7/17) reports that "studies from 13 countries found signs of an apparent connection between bullying and thoughts of suicide in children," according to a review published in the International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health. In order to reach that conclusion, researchers from the Yale University School of Medicine "analyzed 37 studies that examined bullying and suicide among children and adolescents" in the U.S., and around the world.

Related Links:

- "Bullying And Being Bullied Linked To Suicide In Children, Review Of Studies Suggests," ScienceDaily, July 19, 2008.
- International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health

Posted by admin at 04:14 PM

July 09, 2008

Analysis suggests 157 college-age people suffered alcohol-poisoning deaths from 1999 to 2005

The AP (7/8, Forliti) reports that "157 college-age people, 18 to 23, drank themselves to death from 1999 through 2005, the most recent year for which figures are available," according to "[a]n Associated Press analysis of federal records."

During "the seven-year span, 83 of the college-age victims were...under the drinking age of 21." The records "showed deaths spiking on weekends -- when young people are more likely to go out with the goal of getting drunk -- and in December, when college students wrap up finals.

Most of the dead were young men." Furthermore, "[a] separate AP analysis of hundreds of news articles about alcohol-poisoning deaths in the past decade found that victims drank themselves well past the point of oblivion -- with an average blood-alcohol level of 0.40 percent, or five times the legal limit for driving."

Related Links:

- "Drinking games prove deadly to college students," Amy Forliti, Associated Press, July 8, 2008.

Posted by admin at 12:07 AM

July 08, 2008

Chicago Tribune interviews Stotland about Green tragedy

In continuing coverage from previous editions of Headlines, Judith Graham wrote in the Chicago Tribune's (7/3) Triage column about the incident last week in which Esmin Green died in a Brooklyn, N.Y. hospital while "awaiting admission for psychiatric care."

Graham interviewed psychiatrist Nada Stotland, M.D., president of the American Psychiatric Association, "about the incident, and what it says about mental healthcare in this country." Dr. Stotland pointed out that "since there are so few [hospital psychiatric] beds," patients "often end up staying in the emergency room for an unconscionable period of time."

To address the problem, "we need more psychiatric beds, properly staffed with properly trained people." But, "across the country, these beds have been closing, and there's nowhere for people who are acutely ill to go," Dr. Stotland explained. In addition, "few ER personnel are trained to understand or treat psychiatric illness."

Dr. Stotland concluded that it is "absolutely needless for anyone to die for want of care." The U.S. is "the richest country in the world. And our first obligation as a society, as far as I'm concerned, is to take care of the people who are least able to take care of themselves."

Related Links:
- "A psychiatrist examines Esmin Green tragedy," Judith Graham, Chicago Tribune, July 3, 2008.

Posted by admin at 12:57 AM

Some experts say emergency departments have become "all-purpose dumping grounds" for mentally ill patients

The AP (7/4, Caruso) reported that "[e]mergency [departments]...have become all-purpose dumping grounds for the mentally ill, with patients routinely marooned a day or more while healthcare workers try to find someone to care for them," experts say.

According to "[a] survey of hundreds of U.S. hospitals released last month by the American College of Emergency Physicians,...79 percent reported that they routinely 'boarded' psychiatric patients in their waiting rooms for at least some period of time because of the unavailability of immediate services."

Approximately 33 percent "reported that those stays averaged at least eight hours, and six percent said they had average waits of more than 24 hours for the next step in a patient's care." Some communities face "shortages of clinicians, and few open beds at psychiatric hospitals." Occasionally, "insurance companies refuse to approve treatment, and patients must wait while doctors appeal." And, "[o]ther times, patients aren't sick enough to need inpatient care, but would be lost if discharged to the street.

Finding a program to look after them can take days, doctors said." HealthDay (7/6) reprised the AP's coverage of the story.

Related Links:
- "Some psych patients wait days in hospital ERs," David Caruso, Associated Press, July 4, 2008.

Posted by admin at 12:53 AM

July 02, 2008

Small study indicates psychotherapy may benefit depressed mothers of children with mental illnesses

MedWire (7/1, Davenport) reports, "Among depressed mothers with children receiving psychiatric treatment, interpersonal psychotherapy reduces symptoms and improves functioning, which precedes improvements in their children," according to a study published in the June 16 online edition of the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Holly Swartz, M.D., of Pennsylvania's Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, and colleagues, "randomly assigned 47 mothers with depression, whose school-age children were receiving psychiatric treatment, to receive interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed mothers (IPT-MOMS), or usual treatment." The "participants were assessed at baseline, and again after three and nine months of follow-up using a series of measures."

The researchers found during follow-up that "women treated with IPT-MOMS had significantly lower levels of depression...than women given usual treatment." In addition, "children of mothers assigned to receive IPT-MOMS had significantly lower levels of depression than those of mothers given usual care at nine-month follow-up." And, "[f]urther analysis revealed a significant interaction between percent change in maternal depression scores, and treatment assignment for Children's Depression Inventory scores."

Related Links:

- "Psychotherapy benefits depressed mothers of children with a mental illness," Liam Davenport, MedWire News, July 1, 2008.

Posted by admin at 01:02 PM

Psychiatrist takes issue with NYTimes editorial supporting conversion to electronic medical records

In a letter to the editor of the New York Times (6/30, A18), psychiatrist Deborah C. Peel, M.D., founder and chair of Patient Privacy Rights, writes in response to the Times editorial, "Our Pen-and-Paper Doctors", that physicians "are loath to add sensitive records to a system that uses personal health information against patients."

That is because "Americans' personal health information is used to deny jobs, promotions, insurance, and credit. Millions avoid treatment for cancer and mental illness, putting their lives at risk, because they have no privacy."

Pointing out that "[e]lectronic health information is a very valuable commodity, and millions of records could be stolen or transferred in a millisecond," Dr. Peel notes that the "data-mining industry makes millions selling our health information, claims data, prescriptions, and genetic information to insurers, employers, researchers, drug companies, and data aggregators." She concludes, "Doctors won't buy systems that harm patients."

Related Links:

- "The Digital Doctor Will See You Now," Deborah C. Peel, M.D., New York Times, June 30, 2008.
- "Our Pen and Paper Doctors," New York Times, June 24, 2008.

Posted by admin at 12:56 PM

Living With Schizophrenia

In her memoir, "The Center Cannot Hold," Elyn Saks tells of her struggle to create a life in the face of devastating delusional suicidal schizophrenia requiring hospitalization. A graduate of Oxford and Yale Law School, and currently a Professor of Law and Psychiatry at the University of Southern California, she is clearly an extraordinary person and her story is inspiring. She says medication kept her alive, but psychoanalysis gave her a life worth living. She recognizes her continued vulnerability.

Related Links:

- Preview and links to purchase at Google Books.
- "Elyn Saks - The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness," John M. Glionna, USC Gould School of Law Website.
- "Elyn Saks: A Scholar's Memoir of Schizophrenia", Radio Interview Fresh Air from WHYY, National Public Radio, August 7, 2007.

Posted by admin at 12:47 PM

June 23, 2008

Supreme Court eases rules for challenging denied health benefits

The Christian Science Monitor (6/20, Richey) explains that the "ruling is important, because it offers guidance to federal judges presiding over lawsuits challenging medical disability and health insurance determinations in group policies." The Court said "that an apparent conflict of interest is only one of many factors that a reviewing judge must consider."

The case involved "an Ohio woman who sued MetLife, Inc. over a disability claim," the AP (6/20) notes. "She contended insurance companies have a financial incentive to deny claims, and that conflict of interest should weigh heavily in employees' favor when they challenge benefit claims in court." Dissenting to the ruling, "Justice Antonin Scalia said the court is using the wrong standard in dealing with potential conflicts of interest." He argued that "there must be evidence that a conflict improperly motivated a denial of benefits." Ohio's Columbus Dispatch (6/20, Torry) also covers the story.

Related LInks:

- "Court clarifies standards for denial of disability benefits," Warren Richey,Christian Science Monitor, June 20, 2008.

Posted by admin at 03:06 AM

June 12, 2008

Data indicate nearly half of all violent deaths are suicides

In the Vital Statistics column in the New York Times (6/10, F7), Nicholas Bakalar writes that "[m]ore than half of all violent deaths are suicides, a quarter are homicides, and the typical victim is an African-American man in his 20s," according to data gathered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Violent Death Reporting System, and published Apr. 11 in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Lead author Debra L. Karch, Ph.D., and colleagues, said that "three major factors were common in violence of all kinds: intimate partner relationships, substance abuse, and mental disturbances." The 2005 data (the latest available) included reports from 16 states, and were gathered from "state health departments, medical examiners, and police departments sharing their data...with the national reporting system."

Lead author Debra L. Karch, Ph.D., and colleagues, said that "three major factors were common in violence of all kinds: intimate partner relationships, substance abuse, and mental disturbances." The 2005 data (the latest available) included reports from 16 states, and were gathered from "state health departments, medical examiners, and police departments sharing their data...with the national reporting system."

Related Links:

- "Suicide Rate High in Violent Death Data," Nicholas Bakalar, New york Times, June 10, 2008.

Posted by admin at 03:45 AM

June 11, 2008

Research suggests one in 10 girls may engage in binge-eating, purging

Medscape (6/6, Anderson) reported that "[m]ore than 10 percent of adolescent girls, and three percent of boys, binge-eat or purge at least once a week," according to a study published in the June issue of the journal Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.

Alison E. Field, Sc.D., of Children's Hospital, Boston, Mass., and colleagues, "analyzed data from 6,916 girls and 5,618 boys" aged nine to 15, "who were part of the Growing Up Today Study (GUTS)." The researchers found that "more girls started to purge at least weekly (5.3 percent) than started to binge-eat (4.3 percent)." But, "among boys, binge-eating, at 2.3 percent, was more common than purging, at 0.8 percent."

Notably, "very few youngsters in the study engaged in both disordered-eating behaviors." In addition, the researchers "also investigated risk factors for developing these behaviors." They "found that among girls, frequent dieting, especially in those younger than 14 years, was a predictor of starting to purge or binge-eat, as was concern about weight." PsychCentral (6/6, Nauert) also covered the story.

Related Links:

- (Free registration required) " One in 10 Girls Engages in Frequent Binge Eating or Purging ," Pauline Anderson, Medscape Medical News, June 6, 2008.
- "Risk of Eating Disorders Varies By Gender," Rick Nauert, Ph.D., PsychCentral, June 6, 2008.

Posted by admin at 10:59 AM

Poll suggests many Americans believe myths about schizophrenia

USA Today (6/9, 5D, Elias) reports that "[s]chizophrenia carries a lot of stigma, and many Americans believe myths about it that may lead them to steer clear of people with the disease, suggests a Harris Interactive poll to be released Tuesday."

In an "online survey includ[ing] 1,012 adults, supplemented by polling of 258 people with schizophrenia and 256 caregivers who had visited the National Alliance on Mental Illness website," the majority of respondents said that "they would want friends to tell them if they were diagnosed with schizophrenia," but fewer "than half would tell friends if they had the disease." Nearly "a third wouldn't want a schizophrenic boss who has received treatment, and half say they wouldn't date someone who had been treated for the disease."

Moreover, approximately "one in four Americans say they would feel uncomfortable around adults who have been treated for schizophrenia." But, "[o]n the positive side..., eight out of 10 Americans think adults with the illness can lead independent lives."

Related Links:

- "Schizophrenics battle stigma, myths in addition to disease," Marilyn Elias, USA Today, June 9, 2008.

Posted by admin at 10:49 AM

June 07, 2008

Maryland creates program to fill gaps in federal mental health treatment of veterans

The Washington Post (6/5, G2, Vogel) reported that "Maryland launched a program this week to help service members get treatment."

Named the Veterans Behavioral Health Bill, the legislation "help[s] Maryland veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars get access to mental health treatment from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs," and if those "services are unavailable or too slow, the state will pay private providers for the services."

The program provides "[c]oordinators hired by the state's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene [to] serve as liaisons between veterans and the federal government," and attempt "to get veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder access to information about behavioral, health and substance-abuse services." It also creates "a Veterans Behavioral Health Advisory Board to identify gaps in services."

Related Links:

- "Md. Offers Vets Back From War Guidance to Mental Health Help," Steve Vogel, Washington Post, June 5, 2008.

Posted by admin at 12:00 PM

Patients with early Alzheimer's demand better care, more research

The AP (6/3, Neergaard) reports that in "a shift with big ramifications," Alzheimer's patients "diagnosed early enough to still be articulate" are now "demand[ing] better care and better research." Currently, high-functioning Alzheimer's patients in the earliest stages of their disease are "lobby[ing] Congress for more money to hunt treatments."

Currently, high-functioning Alzheimer's patients in the earliest stages of their disease are "lobby[ing] Congress for more money to hunt treatments." Some patients "are advising top scientists to push for higher-stakes research, even if it means higher risks."

While over "five million Americans are estimated to be living with Alzheimer's disease,...research suggests [that] as many as half of [them] may be in the disease's early stages." This week, "the Alzheimer's Association begins pilot-testing a campaign...aimed at increasing early diagnosis." The idea is to give "people a chance to plan for their future care while they still have the mental capacity to do so." And, "increasing early detection also is key to better research into ways to prevent Alzheimer's, or at least slow its worsening, several dozen of the disease's top specialist wrote in last month's journal Alzheimer's & Dementia."

Related Links:

- "Earlier diagnosis giving Alzheimer's a new voice," Lauren Neergard, Associated Press, June 2, 2008.

Posted by admin at 11:54 AM

May 31, 2008

Researchers cite problems with media coverage of medical topics

In the Wall Street Journal's (5/28) Health Blog, Scott Hensley wrote that "[a]n independent analysis of 500 stories about medical topics by major consumer print and broadcast outlets in the U.S. found [that] 'journalists usually fail to discuss costs, the quality of the evidence, the existence of alternative options, and the absolute magnitude of potential benefits and harms.'"

The analysis was published in the May issue of the online journal PLoS Medicine by "Gary Schwitzer, B.A., of the University of Minnesota School of Journalism," and colleagues, MedPage Today (5/28, Smith) added. According to Schwitzer, the "coverage also usually ignores the quality of the evidence, and the existence of other options." But, "85 percent of the time, the mainstream media put the true newness of a procedure or product into context."

The investigators reached these conclusions after "monitor[ing] the top 50 newspapers (in circulation) in the U.S., the Associated Press, the three leading newsweekly magazines