MFPBlog

Researchers say risk of completed suicide among individuals with a previous failed attempt highest in first year of follow-up

admin — 2008-11-22T12:33:54-05:00

MedWire (11/21, Czyzewski) reports, "The risk for completed suicide among individuals with a previous failed attempt is especially high in the year after the initial bid," according to a study published in the BMJ.

Study suggests happier people watch less television

admin — 2008-11-22T12:26:08-05:00

The New York Times (11/20, Rabin) reports, "Happy people spend a lot of time socializing, going to church, and reading newspapers -- but they don't spend a lot of time watching television," according to a study published in the journal Social Indicators Research. John Robinson, Ph.D., a professor of sociology at the University of Maryland, and colleagues, analyzed "the responses of 45,000 Americans collected over 35 years by the University of Chicago's General Social Survey," as well as "published 'time diary' studies recording the daily activities of participants." The researchers focused on "eight to 10 activities that hap py people engage in, and for each one, the people who did the activities more -- visiting others, going to church, all those things -- were" happier. Still, the authors "could not tell whether unhappy people watch more television, or whether being glued to the set is what makes people unhappy."
Columnist criticizes study. In the San Francisco Chronicle (11/19) Notes & Errata column, Mark Morford criticized the study, saying that the authors did not say "what everyone already knows: that there's an entire universe of unhappy things that unhappy people also indulge in besides

Report finds several states lack adequate care for children with serious mental disorders

admin — 2008-11-22T12:20:41-05:00

USA Today (11/20, Elias) reports, "Publicly funded mental-healthcare for children has improved in the past 25 years, but top officials in more than one out of five states say no child with serious mental disorders receives good care in their states," according to a new report.

Study indicates delays in reimbursement may discourage physicians from seeing new Medicaid patients

admin — 2008-11-22T12:13:33-05:00

In the Wall Street Journal (11/18) Health Blog, Vanessa Fuhrmans wrote, "Fewer doctors are accepting Medicaid patients not just because fees are so low, but because it often takes months to get paid."

Experts discuss raising an autistic child

admin — 2008-11-22T12:08:33-05:00

The Washington Post (11/18) published a transcript of an online discussion regarding children with autism with Jayne Lytel, author of Act Early Against Autism: Give Your Child a Fighting Chance from the Start, and Fred R. Volkmar, M.D., an autism expert and the director of the Child Study Center at the Yale School of Medicine.

Article discusses symptoms of OCD

admin — 2008-11-22T12:02:02-05:00

On its website, BBC News (11/18, Liddell) reported that people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) constantly "worry about leaving the gas on, or arrive at work and worry that" they "have not locked the front door."

Psychiatric Comorbidity and self-medication

admin — 2008-11-22T11:52:09-05:00

MedWire (11/18, Davenport) reports, "Although it is common for individuals with mood disorders to self-medicate with alcohol and drugs in order to relieve symptoms, it is associated with significant psychiatric comorbidity," according to a study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

Economic stress can have negative impact on health

admin — 2008-11-22T11:32:55-05:00

NBC Nightly News (11/14, story 7, 2:00, Williams) reported, "Even if your financial situation is stable at home, the bad news, the uncertain atmosphere, can affect all of our health and well-being."

Maryland county's healthcare program suspends enrollment sessions amid flood of applicants

admin — 2008-11-17T12:07:41-05:00

The Baltimore Sun (11/13) reported, "After just a few enrollment sessions," Howard County, Maryland's "new health access program for the uninsured attracted so many applicants that sign-up sessions were suspended so staff members could catch up."

Chinese government outlines guidelines defining Internet Addiction Disorder

admin — 2008-11-17T11:58:22-05:00

In the Wall Street Journal (11/10) China Journal blog, Juliet Ye noted that a "panel of Chinese medical experts over the weekend approved the country's first diagnostic definition of 'Internet addiction,' according to the official Xinhua news agency.

Family caregivers seen as large part of nation's health services

admin — 2008-11-17T11:55:48-05:00

In the Personal Health column in the New York Times (11/11, D9), Jane E. Brody writes that with the increase in the "number of people with severe disabilities, debilitating chronic diseases, and terminal illnesses...concern about their care has focused primarily on" medical facilities.

APA, other organizations pledge support to veterans' mental health charity

admin — 2008-11-17T11:46:56-05:00

AFP (11/11) reported that "major US mental-health organizations," including the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and three other groups, "pledged to offer volunteer help on Monday for a non-profit group that provides free counseling to US soldiers suffering from the psychological wounds of war."

PTSD services, domestic violence intervention programs should be combined, researchers say

admin — 2008-11-17T11:44:32-05:00

UPI (11/11) reported, "Research in the Veterans Administration shows that male veterans with" post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) "are two to three times more likely than veterans without PTSD to engage in intimate partner violence, and more likely to be involved in the legal system."

FDA unveils medication-safety website

admin — 2008-11-17T11:39:50-05:00

AMNews (11/17, Landers) reports that the "Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a new webpage intended to provide one-stop shopping for postmarket" medication-safety "information.

Study indicates one-on-one counseling may reduce risk of youth violence

admin — 2008-11-10T12:18:33-05:00

HealthDay (11/6, Preidt) reported, "For children and teens who suffer violence at the hands of peers, immediate one-on-one mentoring on how to safely avoid conflict and diffuse threats reduces their risk of becoming victims again," according to a study published in the Nov. issue of the journal Pediatrics.