Wednesday, September 04, 2002
The Best Way to Cope? Even Experts Aren't Sure New York Times story - "As the anniversary of Sept. 11 approaches, bringing with it disturbing memories and emotions, mental health experts say the best strategy for many Americans may be to plan exactly what they will do and where they will be on that day." [Viewing
New York Times resources requires registration, which is free].
Doctors Consider Diagnosis for 'Ill' Relationships Washington Post story reprinted at
PsycPORT - "Some of the nation's top psychiatrists are advocating the creation of an entirely new category of mental illness that could profoundly alter the practice of psychiatry and result in tens of thousands of families being diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder."
Mental Health Evaluation? Nobody's Home Washington Post story reprinted at PsycPORT on problems encountered by consumers trying to use mental health benefits because, according to an official of the Maryland Psychological Association, "even therapists who are signed up as in-network providers for various insurers prefer not to take patients covered by managed care plans, because reimbursements are so low and restrictions so numerous."
Three Risk Factors Cited in Violent Behavior Among People With Severe Mental Illness Duke University press release on a study led by researchers at Duke University Medical Center which indicates that people with sever mental illness "are highly unlikely to become violent toward others unless they have additional risk factors combined with their psychiatric disorder" and emphasized a combination of three factors - having been a victim of violence during childhood, living in a neighborhood where violence is common, and having a substance abuse problem.
A Change of Mind Washington Post story on cognitive therapy, which, due to managed care, evidence-based practice and changing notions of behavior, is "the fastest growing and most rigorously studied kind of talk therapy, the subject of at least 325 clinical trials evaluating its efficacy in treating everything from depression to schizophrenia. For reasons both economic and cultural, it has begun to unseat neo-Freudian psychodynamic therapy as the dominant form of treatment in private and institutional practices around the country."
Health Insurers Still Struggling With a Service on the Internet New York Times story on "a venture by seven big health insurers to take control of electronic services that link them with patients and doctors" which industry officials say has encountered financial trouble, as "recruiting thousands of doctors to pay for everyday transactions that some insurance companies provide free has taken longer than expected." [Viewing
New York Times resources requires registration, which is free].
White House takes stand on high school drug CNN story on new guidelines issued last week by the Office of National Drug Control Policy suggesting that high school students who use drugs should be treated and counseled, not simply suspended or expelled.
Recovery Month 2002 September is Recovery Month, and this web site from CSAT includes a wide variety of resources on events and activities, as well as links to publications and online recovery resources.
CMHA - Ontario Division: Mental Health Notes "Mental Health Notes (MHN) is the free weekly newsletter of the CMHA, Ontario Division highlighting news and events in the field of mental health. Our goal is to provide an interesting and topical resource for mental health professionals, government policy makers, consumer/ survivors, family members, health journalists and all others affected by and interested in mental health issues."
