Mental Health Weekly articles from January 2008

Mental Health Weekly archives from January 2008

Chorus of Florida leaders calls for community mental health support: state budget woes stand as obstacle.
January 28, 2008... A 170-page report that is as striking for the teamwork among its participants as for the substance of its recommendations has gained major attention among policy-makers and legislators in Florida, calling for a dramatic transformation of the...

Study finds antidepressant trials with positive results more likely to be published.
January 28, 2008... A new study published in the January 17th online issue of the New England Journal of Medicine has found that studies with positive outcomes involving antidepressants thought to be effective were more likely to be published in medical journals...

N.Y. mental health advocates pleased with Gov.'s budget proposal.
January 28, 2008... New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer submitted his proposed fiscal 2008-2009 budget this month, a document that is garnering praise from many in the mental health advocacy community for its commitment to programs and services for people with...

Mental health in the media: both sides of the controversy.(FROM THE FIELD ...)
January 28, 2008... It was a remarkable moment we witnessed recently: the director of the NYU Child Study Center, a child psychiatrist, pulling a massive media campaign because of public outcry. To paraphrase another advertisement,"We've come a long way, baby!"...

Bazelon calls for public comment on Medicaid case management rules.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
January 28, 2008... The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law is urging advocates to take advantage of a public comment period pertaining to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) interim final regulations to govern case management services...

FDA requires suicide evaluation in drug trials.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
January 28, 2008... The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now requiring drug makers of many classes of medicines to include a routine comprehensive suicide assessment in their clinical trials, The New York Times reported on January 24. Kelly L. Posner and...

Mississippi community mental health centers at risk.(STATE WATCH)(Brief article)
January 28, 2008... As Mississippi lawmakers work to determine how to address an $86 million Medicaid shortfall in the current fiscal year, mental health advocates fear that the state's 15 community mental health centers are falling by the wayside. The...

Boston colleges tailor MH policies case by case.(STATE WATCH)(Brief article)
January 28, 2008... While colleges and universities in some parts of the nation are requiring students with mental illness to take a medical leave of absence or face expulsion, school officials at Boston-area colleges are considering students on a case-bycase...

Lilly faces poor market for Strattera.(BUSINESS)(Brief article)
January 28, 2008... Acclaimed as a "breakthrough drug" for treating attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) when it hit the market five years ago, sales of Strattera (atomoxetine) have been on a decline since a peak in 2004, falling short of analysts'...

Names in the news.(appointment of Virginia Trotter Betts)(Brief article)
January 28, 2008... Virginia Trotter Betts, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Mental Health & Developmental Disabilities, has been named President of the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors. Betts represented the Southern...

In case you haven't heard ...(Brief article)
January 28, 2008... According to CNN, the pop singer Britney Spears was a topic of discussion at the annual conference of the American Psychoanalytic Association earlier this month. Many are baffled or downright angered by endless media attention and speculation...

Coming up ...(Calendar)
January 28, 2008... The National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors Research Institute (NRI) is holding its 18th Annual State Mental Health Agency Services Research, Program Evaluation and Policy Conference on February 11-13 in Arlington, Va....

Innovative mental health crisis support gains foothold in U.S.: NCCBH wants First Aid to be as common as CPR.(National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare)
January 21, 2008... A training program developed in Australia to help members of the public support an individual experiencing a mental health crisis has resonated so strongly with its first adopters in the United States that they believe they may be on the...

Missouri psychologists seek prescribing privileges to treat mental health disorders: state could become third in nation to adopt prescribing law.
January 21, 2008... Citing a shortage of psychiatrists in Missouri and the need for safe, quality mental health care, a grassroots coalition of patients, health care professionals and concerned citizens are urging lawmakers to pass legislation allowing highly...

Medicaid managed care plans place burden on patients with SMI.(severe mental illnesses)
January 21, 2008... Managed care health plans for Medicaid patients with schizophrenia and other severe mental illnesses may result in lower costs to the Medicaid system, but lead to greater personal expenditures and higher caregiver burden for patients and...

Recovery program aims to address unmet MH needs of veterans.
January 21, 2008... A new Tenn.-based treatment program has been created for returning military personnel suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related issues, such as alcohol and drug abuse, with the ultimate goal to provide a model for...

NAMI releases responses of presidential candidates to questionnaire on MH issues.(National Alliance on Mental Illness)(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
January 21, 2008... The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) last week released the responses of five presidential candidates to a detailed questionnaire about mental healthcare issues. The candidates were invited to answer the questionnaire or provide...

Study includes latest estimate of PTSD in troops.(post traumatic stress disorder)(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
January 21, 2008... With some lawmakers and mental health experts continuing to question the adequacy of the Pentagon's provision of mental health services for returning troops, the most recent report on post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) finds that nearly 9...

Probe of Georgia's public mental hospitals continue.(STATE WATCH)(Brief article)
January 21, 2008... A team of consultants from the Medical College of Georgia (MCG), hired by the state, has made specific recommendations for overhauling the state's public mental hospitals, including requiring more experience for psychiatrists; improving...

Florida group campaigns for mental health funding.(STATE WATCH)(Brief article)
January 21, 2008... Florida Partners in Crisis, a statewide board made up of law enforcement, public defenders and mental health professionals, is calling for increased funding for state mental health programs. The Tampa Tribune reported on January 11 that the...

SAMHSA: overview papers on co-occurring disorders.(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)(RESOURCES)(Brief article)
January 21, 2008... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released three new overview papers detailing "state-of-the-art" approaches to treating individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders. While...

Coming up ...(Calendar)
January 21, 2008... The American College of Mental Health Administration (ACMHA) is hosting its annual Santa Fe Summit,"Impacting Healthcare Reform '08: Leadership in Moving the Mental Health and Substance Use Agenda," on March 13-15 in Santa Fe, N.M. For more...

In case you haven't heard ...(Brief article)
January 21, 2008... Why are humans more terrified of rare poisonous spiders than we are of the common reckless driver? According to journalist Maia Szalavitz, writing for Psychology Today (Jan/Feb), our brains have not yet evolved to sensibly discern the real...

Associations unite to give voice to MH and SA issues in White House race: unprecedented cooperation with addiction field lauded.(mental health; substance abuse)
January 14, 2008... More than 40 organizations in the mental health and addiction communities have put their collective weight behind a campaign designed to ensure that behavioral health issues become an integral part of the health care reform discussion in this...

Mass. embarks on court-ordered MH screening of Medicaid-eligible children: new requirement follows landmark decision in Rosie v. Romney case.(Massachusetts's mental health screening program)(Case overview)
January 14, 2008... Massachusetts officials are following through with a new state requirement for doctors to provide comprehensive screening for children in the state's Medicaid program for possible signs of mental health problems. Effective December 31,...

Field challenges for 2008: quality care, stigma, employment.(Editorial)
January 14, 2008... In our Special 2008 Preview Issue on Jan 7, we included responses from field leaders to the questions "What are the most pressing challenges you expect your program or organization to face in the coming year? and "How do you plan to address...

New analysis rules out "thimerosal theory".(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
January 14, 2008... The authors of a recent study based on California Department of Developmental Services data say that their findings counter the theory that thimerosal is a primary cause of autism, reported Web MD on January 7. While this mercury-containing...

Inadequate attention given to elderly depression.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Survey)(Brief article)
January 14, 2008... Primary care doctors may be failing to devote adequate time to discussing mental illness with their elderly patients, according to a study led by Ming Tai-Seale of the School of Rural Public Health at Texas A&M University. As described in...

Mo. Blue Cross and Blue Shield awards funding to teen suicide prevention program.(STATE WATCH)
January 14, 2008... The Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation in Missouri last week announced that it is awarding a $96,000 grant to fund a suicide prevention program in every high school and middle school in the St. Louis area that could ultimately reach...

Deadline Jan. 15 for MHA conference proposals.(CALL FOR PROPOSALS)(Conference news)
January 14, 2008... Mental Health America (MHA) invites consumers, affiliates and other advocates, researchers, policymakers and health educators to submit proposals for presentations and poster sessions for its 2008 conference, June 4-7 in Washington, D.C. The...

Coming up ...(Calendar)
January 14, 2008... The National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors Research Institute (NRI) is holding its 18th Annual State Mental Health Agency Services Research, Program Evaluation and Policy Conference on February 11-13 in Arlington, Va....

In case you haven't heard ...(Brief article)
January 14, 2008... Recent research in rodents could explain why exercise has antidepressant effects--and perhaps why mice are so fond of their exercise wheels. The researchers studied gene activity in the brains of mice who "worked out" vigorously for a week....

Broader health care vision dominates mental health agencies' outlook for 2008: field likely faces workforce challenges, dim federal prospects.
January 7, 2008... As mental health agencies enter a new year, there appears to be a growing sense that their future prospects hinge not on distinguishing their services from others in health care, but on creating a near-transparency between their services and...

Parity was the major issue for 2007: other major issues included Medicaid, SCHIP.(Year in Review)(State Children's Health Insurance Program)
January 7, 2008... For mental health advocates on Capitol Hill, 2007 represented an exceedingly frustrating year because with a Democratic Congress taking control, expectations were quite high. In the end, the field came tantalizingly close to getting mental...

Leaders' to-do list for 2008: parity, integrated care, funding.
January 7, 2008... For our 2008 Preview Issue, we asked field leaders to tell us what their most pressing challenges will be this year and how they plan to address them. Next week, we will feature more responses from around the country. We thank everyone for...

Working together for longer, healthier lives.(FROM THE FIELD ...)
January 7, 2008... With the revelation that people with serious mental illness die, on average, 25 years earlier than the general population, the critical mission-driver for the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) in 2008 is...