Thursday, December 26, 2002
Combination treatment shows promise for schizophrenia VA Research Communications Services release - "Reporting in the January issue of the journal
Neuropsychopharmacology, Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center researchers and colleagues have found that combining the anticonvulsant drug divalproex with either olanzapine or risperidone-two commonly used antipsychotic drugs-significantly enhanced and hastened responses in patients suffering from acute psychotic episodes of schizophrenia."
Easier drug schedules help cognitively impaired HIV patients Press release from VA Research Communications Service on a study published in in the December 24 issue of
Neurology on the use of computerized pill bottles to track medication adherence. The study found that "HIV-infected patients with cognitive problems were far more likely to miss doses when they had to take pills three times a day, compared to once or twice per day."
Medscape Pharmacotherapy Journal Scan, December 2002 "...the clinician's guide to the latest clinical research findings in Clinical Drug Investigation, Clinical Therapeutics, Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics, British Journal of Pharmacology, and the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. Short summaries of feature articles include links to the article abstracts and full text, when available." [Viewing
Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].
Adolescent Angst or a Deeper Disorder? New York Times article by Jane Brody on depression among teenagers. Brody notes that "Someone looking for traditional signs of adult depression lethargy, weepiness and overt expressions of sadness may be misled by the irritable or angry adolescent." [Viewing
New York Times resources requires registration, which is free].
AMHC threatened with closure of wing, hangs on (Illinois) One the the Top 10 stories of the year selected by the staff of
The Telegraph - "The drastic cuts in the state budget this year affected thousands of individuals and facilities throughout Illinois and threatened one of Altons most venerable institutions. As part of his efforts to cut the budget in order to make up for an enormous decrease in state revenues, Gov. George Ryan ordered the civil division of the Alton Mental Health Center to close."
Plan to close Iowa mental-health institutions questioned Omaha World Herald story - "Western Iowa could lose one of its two state mental-health institutes under a proposal from a state panel, but closing down a facility won't be easy, officials said. ...The institutions are in the four corners of the state: Clarinda and Cherokee in the west and Independence and Mount Pleasant in the east. Each serves a different role in the state, making it hard to just shut down one or two."
Hospital might close its mental health unit (Maryland) Baltimore Sun story on the prospect of North Arundel Hospital's 15-bed facility in Glen Burnie closing - "the only place in the county where insured mentally ill patients can receive immediate short-term hospitalization. It also serves the uninsured, easing the burden on the crowded state hospital system." The story is based on comments by the hospital's president and CEO, who says that the ward "is losing money serving uninsured patients squeezed out of the shrinking state hospital system."
Future grim for addiction, mental health services (Oregon) Curry Coastal Pilot story - "County services for mental health patients and residents with addiction problems will be reduced Jan 1. to fall into line with a 27 percent cut in state funding through 2003 for Curry County Human Services."
Mental health court to serve local inmates (South Carolina) Post and Courier story - "A collaboration among the courts, police and a mental health agency has formed the state's first mental health court to provide social and medical services for defendants charged with nonviolent crimes in Charleston County. The new court - similar to the county's successful drug court - will be an option only for defendants charged with nonviolent crimes in general sessions and magistrate courts."
County urged to explore regionalizing mental health center (Wisconsin) Green Bay Press-Gazette story - "The debate about the fate of the Brown County Mental Health Center these days has focused on whether the operation should be privatized. But Supervisor Tom Lund of Suamico would like the Brown County Board to consider a third option: regionalization. Lund has submitted a request for the board to consider soliciting interest among counties throughout Northeastern Wisconsin in a regional mental health center."
Mental health reform: opportunity and risk (Virginia) An editorial in the
Virginian-Pilot on Gov. Warner's recently announced plans to close about 260 acute-care beds in state hospitals and transfer the money to local community service boards. The editorial notes that "Typically, the most successful transitions from institutions to community care occur when resources are plentiful enough to safeguard against patients falling through the cracks. That is not the case in Virginia today."
Conference will highlight approaches to mental health recovery (North Carolina) New Bern Sun Journal story on a a Jan. 8 Neuse community conference "on a new approach to dealing with mental health concerns" at which Mary Ellen Copeland will be the keynote speaker. The conference is sponsored by the Neuse Center, which was awarded a $60,000 grant "to fund a pilot program on the recovery method approach to treating mental illness earlier this year, one of two such pilot programs in the state examining the viability of the relatively new method being examined as the state restructures its way of caring for those with mental health problems."
Agencies get $2M to help homeless (Kentucky) Cincinnati Enquirer story on federal funds for northern Kentucky agencies that serve the homeless. Among the recipients is the Northern Kentucky Area Development District, which will receive $570,000 "to help fund a program that uses computers and the Internet to bring homeless advocates and agencies together and allows them to share information and find assistance for the homeless."
Review not the answer: psychiatrists (New Zealand) NZoom story - "Psychiatrists say a review of Auckland's mental health services and the promise of more money will not solve core problems in the system. In a long-awaited report, The Mental Health Commission has found the funding, delivery and monitoring of mental health services is unsatisfactory, and the region's acute inpatient services are overwhelmed."
