Mental Health Weekly articles from May 2008

Mental Health Weekly archives from May 2008

NAPHS survey shows members broadening their services: hospitals see stability in data.
May 26, 2008... Demand for the services offered by the psychiatric hospitals, behavioral health treatment units and residential treatment centers that make up the National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems (NAPHS) remains strong, and many member...

New York advocates urge lawmakers to add PTSD to state parity law: amendment to law could help veterans, victims of sexual assault, trauma.
May 26, 2008... After nearly a decade of campaigning for a state parity law, which finally passed two years ago, New York mental health advocates are gearing up once again in a push to amend the law to include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to address...

Two new studies highlight impact of depression in teens.
May 26, 2008... A new nationwide report released this month revealed that one in every 12 adolescents experienced a major depressive episode in the past year. Another report, released by the White House, found that marijuana use in teens can worsen...

AHA clarifies cardiovascular evaluation of children with ADHD.
May 26, 2008... The American Heart Association (AHA) last week released a clarification of its statement on cardiovascular evaluation and monitoring of children and adolescents with heart disease receiving medications for attention-deficit/hyperactivity...

Advocates react to VA psychologist's call for fewer PTSD diagnoses.
May 26, 2008... According to news reports last week, a psychologist who works as one of several post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) program team leaders at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in Temple, Texas, sent an e-mail to mental health...

Breaking news.(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... At press time, Mental Health Weekly learned that the Senate on May 22 passed legislation that would enact a one-year moratorium on several proposed federal regulations to Medicaid, including proposed cuts that would reduce access to...

Advocates say parity is within reach.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... The Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law on May 20 circulated an "Urgent Action Alert" from the Health Policy Committee of the Mental Health Liaison Group, asking supporters of mental health and substance abuse parity to...

Anthem focuses national depression campaign on men.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... Anthem Blue Cross reported on May 20 that its charitable giving arm, Anthem Blue Cross Foundation has launched the Men Get Depression national campaign (www.mengetdepression.com) to promote awareness and reduce stigma. Funded in part by a...

Sudden death of a parent raises offspring risk of depression, PTSD.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... A recent study finds that offspring who experience the sudden death of a parent are three times more likely to develop symptoms of depression and significantly more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than children with...

Mental health problems common among Texas juveniles.(STATE WATCH)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... Nearly half the youths held in the Harris County Detention Center in Houston, Texas have mental health problems, arming service agencies with the "hard data" they need to tailor services, said Mental Health America (MHA) of Greater Houston...

Essential Learning online courses.(RESOURCES)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... Essential Learning, a provider of e-learning services for the behavioral health and human services industry is offering new online courses designed for the individuals who support those recovering from mental health issues. The course content...

Guide to self-directed mental health care.(RESOURCES)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law and the UPENN Collaborative on Community Integration have collaborated on a 38-page guide, In the Drivers Seat, which explores the concept of self-directed mental health care. The guide includes...

Thomas Hester.(NAMES IN THE NEWS)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... Thomas Hester, M.D., has announced his resignation as chief of Hawaii's Adult Mental Health Division. The Star Bulletin reported on May 12 that Hester has been division chief since 2002. He first joined Hawaii's Department of Health in 2001...

The National council on disability.(CALL FOR APPLICATIONS)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... The National Council on Disability has issued a Request for Applications for a one-year project entitled, "Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act: Implementation, Evaluation and Recommendations for Reauthorization." The...

Coming up ...(Brief article)(Calendar)
May 26, 2008... Mental Health America is hosting its 2008 Annual Conference featuring the Inaugural Promotion and Prevention Summit on June 4-7 at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit...

In case you haven't heard ...(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... "One's house is very much a projection of one's self," says Beverly Hills psychologist Ken Siegal, Ph.D. And thus, the loss of one's house can have "unconquerable" mental health consequences. In the past year, mental health specialists have...

Groundbreaking new study finds overdiagnosis of bipolar disorder.(Report)
May 19, 2008... Fewer than half the patients in a groundbreaking new study who had been previously diagnosed with bipolar disorder received the diagnosis based on a comprehensive, structured clinical interview. Researchers found that the outpatients not meet...

Mental health court programs grow in different direction from original: more courts follow drug court model.
May 19, 2008... Communities across the country continue to identify within their justice systems an operation equipped to furnish mental health services to offenders whose activity is seen as linked to an untreated mental illness. For example, a New York...

Session addresses integrating behavioral and primary health care.(National Council Conference)
May 19, 2008... Integrating primary care and behavioral health treatment is sweeping the country, said Alexander Blount, Ed.D., director of behavioral science at the University of Massachusetts, during this month's annual National Council for Community...

Magellan officials raise concerns about behavioral health business.
May 19, 2008... Magellan Health Services Inc. this month announced its first-quarter earnings for 2008. Company officials said that despite mixed results in its behavioral health business, they are pleased to have had an "excellent" first quarter....

Alzheimer's study group outlines plan.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Report)(Brief article)
May 19, 2008... Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich testified before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging on May 14 that the Alzheimer's Study Group is working on a "bold, action-oriented" plan to "reinvent" the nation's fight against Alzheimer's...

North Carolina considers alcohol tax hike to boost mental health system.(STATE WATCH)(Brief article)
May 19, 2008... North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley has released his final spending plan, including raising the state's alcohol tax and directing the profits toward the state's struggling mental health care system, reported the Houston Chronicle on May 12. If...

Rural Iowa grapples with shortage of psychiatrists.(STATE WATCH)(Brief article)
May 19, 2008... According to psychiatrist Douglas Steenblock, M.D., of Marshalltown, Iowa the state ranks 47th in the nation for the number of psychiatrists per capita. The shortage is particularly acute in rural areas of the state, reported the Des Moines...

Netsmart introduces software to help clinicians access information.(BUSINESS)(Brief article)
May 19, 2008... Early this month Netsmart Technologies, Inc. introduced the Netsmart Connect suite of on-demand and licensed software solutions, providing behavioral and public healthcare organizations with "total connected care." The company writes on May 1...

PBS documentary, roundtable on depression.(RESOURCES)(Brief article)(Calendar)
May 19, 2008... PBS will air the 90-minute documentary, DEPRESSION: Out of the Shadows, which it says explores "the disease's complex terrain" incorporating science and treatment with portrayals of individuals and families struggling with the disease on...

Michele Reid, M.D., and Suzanne Vogel-Scibilia,M.D., are just two of 30 doctors honored by the National Alliance On Mental Illness (NAMI) with their "Exemplary Psychiatry Awards," announced at the annual conference of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) earlier this month.(NAMES IN THE NEWS)(Conference news)
May 19, 2008... Michele Reid, M.D., and Suzanne Vogel-Scibilia,M.D., are just two of 30 doctors honored by the National Alliance On Mental Illness (NAMI) with their "Exemplary Psychiatry Awards," announced at the annual conference of the American Psychiatric...

Coming up ...(Brief article)(Calendar)
May 19, 2008... The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) will hold its 2008 National Convention,"Tomorrowland Today: Making Recovery Real," on June 13-16 in Orlando, Florida.For more information, visit www.nami.org/template.cfm?section=convention. ...

In case you haven't heard ...(Brief article)
May 19, 2008... Can people with schizophrenia and other psychiatric conditions benefit from working with farm animals? An online study on April 11 in the Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health in a study of 90 Norwegian adults with various...

Massachusetts groups build momentum for child mental health system change: bill emphasizes coordination, early identification.
May 12, 2008... Care providers, parent groups and others committed to improving children's mental health services in Massachusetts are giving a concerted push to state legislation introduced in 2007 that would equip child-serving entities with the resources...

Study examines increasing trend of antipsychotic use in children, adolescents.
May 12, 2008... A new study aimed at investigating the trends in antipsychotic prescribing to children and adolescents in the United Kingdom general practice has found that while the overall prevalence of antipsychotics doubled over a 13-year period, the...

Treating older adults with mental health disorders.(National Council Conference)
May 12, 2008... With the senior population growing at an accelerated rate, it is more important than ever for them to have programs available to assist them, said presenters during a session at this month's National Council for Community Behavioral...

Study reveals mental disorders cost society billions in unearned income.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Survey)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... Major mental disorders cost the nation at least $193 billion annually in lost earnings alone, according to a new study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The study was published in the May 2008 issue of the American...

Senators request resignation of VA mental health director.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Veterans Affairs )(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... In light of evidence that Veterans Affairs Mental Health Director Ira Katz, Ph.D. may have been involved in an attempt by the VA to cover up the actual number of suicide attempts each year among veterans, Democratic Senators Daniel Akaka...

Washington state involves community in MH system overhaul.(STATE WATCH)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... Washington Governor Chris Gregoire's Mental Health Transformation Project (MHTP), "Partnership for Recovery and Resiliency," stems from a 2007 report that highlights a preventive approach to mental health policy. Supported by a five-year...

NAMI releases new brochure on women and depression.(RESOURCES)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has released a new brochure, Women and Depression, which describes the unique ways in which depression manifests itself in women, including experiences such as post-partum depression and...

Bill Dinwiddie.(NAMES IN THE NEWS)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... Bill Dinwiddie has been appointed chief executive officer of the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania (MHASP), the group reported on May 6. Dinwiddie is currently the vice president of Behavioral Health Services of Horizon...

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).(CALL FOR APPLICATIONS)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has issued a call for applications for its FY 2008 cooperative agreement for the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)-Center for Excellence. The program's...

Coming up ...(Brief article)(Calendar)
May 12, 2008... Mental Health America is hosting its Annual Conference featuring the Inaugural Promotion and Prevention Summit on June 4-7 at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.mentalhealthamerica.net. ...

In case you haven't heard ...(Report)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... A recent study finds that while government-funded psychiatric care is not available to the majority of peoples inhabiting the most remote corners of the world, in the isolated province of Imbabura in the highlands of Ecuador traditional...

National Council Conference urges advancing behavioral healthcare agenda.(Conference news)
May 5, 2008... The presidential elections, the economic downturn and the need to preserve and strengthen the nation's behavioral healthcare treatment system were among the key issues discussed at this year's National Council for Community Behavioral...

Vermont advocates abandon carve-out prohibition: new bill opts for regulatory approach.
May 5, 2008... After Vermont mental health advocates earlier this year advanced the idea of addressing access-to-care problems by barring insurers from subcontracting their behavioral health coverage administration to another management entity, that...

Agencies, consumers, community partners receive National Council awards.
May 5, 2008... The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare handed out a variety of awards for excellence during its annual training conference last week in Boston. Each year the National Council honors leaders and top organizations--e.g.,...

U.S. Senators sponsor legislation to support field of social work.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Addressing a nationwide short-age of social workers, U.S. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-M.I.), both trained social workers, have introduced S. 2858, the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young Jr. Social Work...

Antidepressants account for small portion of suicide drop in elderly.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... A steady decrease in the rate of suicide across several nations has been partially attributed to an increase in use of antidepressants, particularly the relatively new selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). However, a recent study...

Study investigates clergy's ability to recognize/treat mental illness.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Clergy members generally feel unprepared to recognize mental illness, according to a study published in the April issue of Psychiatric Services. Jennifer L. Farrell, M.D., and Deborah A. Goebert, Dr.P.H., with the Department of Psychiatry at...

Texas to create comprehensive Child Study Center.(STATE WATCH)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Central Texas faces what Kevin Stark, Ph.D., calls a "critical short-age" of mental health services for children and adolescents, reported the University of Texas at Austin, where Stark is a professor in the Department of Educational...

N.Y. OMH a key player in outreach program for military families.(STATE WATCH)(New York State Office of Mental Health )(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) Commissioner Mike Hogan, Ph.D., believes there is a "greater need than ever for supports and practical assistance to (military) families..." As New York's Fort Drum is the country's largest point...

Centerstone, CBH and quinco finalize merger.(BUSINESS)(Center for Behavioral Health)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... As of May 1, Centerstone, Center for Behavioral Health (CBH) and Quinco Behavioral Health Systems merged to form a not-for-profit parent organization called Centerstone (www.centerstone.org), the nation's largest provider of community-based...

Film explores depression, suicide among doctors.(RESOURCES)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... It is estimated that 300 to 400 doctors take their own lives each year. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has launched a nationwide outreach campaign, featuring a one-hour, high definition public television...

Grants for Hispanic Higher Education Fund.(CALL FOR APPLICATIONS)
May 5, 2008... The National Resource Center for Hispanic Mental Health is accepting applications for its Hispanic Higher Education Scholarship Fund, which supports 20 undergraduate college students of Hispanic background who are bilingual and interested in...

Coming up ...(Brief article)(Calendar)
May 5, 2008... Families for Depression Awareness is hosting "Here Comes the Sun: Concert for Youth Suicide Prevention" to help raise awareness of youth depression and suicide. The concert will be held at the Emerson Umbrella Theater in Concord, Mass. on May...

In case you haven't heard ...(Report)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Your mind isn't as complex as you think. In fact, it's surprisingly simple, according to a study by researchers with the University of Missouri. Nelson Cowan, Ph.D., and his colleagues performed a simple memory experiment and found that...