Monday, February 24, 2003

Treatment Strategies in Bipolar Affective Disorders
A new CME unit at Medscape - "As with all psychiatric disorders, treatment strategies in bipolar disorder must be based on an overall management plan that incorporates both pharmacologic and psychological approaches." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

Digitally, the VA Leads the Way
Feature article in Managed Care - "For the past 20 years, the VA has labored at one of the most advanced electronic medical records in the country ­ and is giving the technology away. Private vendors object that it relies on outdated software."  
  

Long-Term Antidepressant Use Cuts Relapse
AP story reprinted at InteliHealth on research published last week in the Lancet medical journal which suggests that "most patients treated for depression should remain on medication after their gloom has lifted."  
  

N.S. sets standards for mental-health care (Canada)
Story in the Globe and Mail - "Nova Scotia has rolled out formal standards designed to ensure adequate care for the mentally ill. Health Minister Jane Purves announced Thursday that the province will now be able to go ahead with more concrete proposals, having put 'a clear plan' in place."  
  

Carter Advocates Mental Health Funding
Story in the Salt Lake Tribune on comments made by Rosalyn Carter while visiting the state "about the challenges facing the movement to improve mental health services, including reducing the stigma associated with mental illness."  
  

Mental Health agency struggles with budget (South Carolina)
Story at The State on the financial crisis attributed to state budget cuts, which notes, however, that "a recent state audit suggests the agency wouldn't be in such dire straits if it did a better job collecting more than $24 million in fees owed by patients and insurance companies."  
  

Mental health group: cut sponsor links (UK)
Sunday Herald story - "Scotland's largest mental health organisation has called for an end to drug company sponsorship of psychiatry lectures."  
  

Mental-health reporting honored with Polk Awards
Hoosier Times story on journalism awards, including an award for Clifford J. Levy of the New York Times for his yearlong series about the plight of 15,000 mentally ill adults housed in poorly supervised New York state-licensed facilities.  
  

Police officers join the front line in helping spot mental illness (Missouri)
Story in the Business Journal of Kansas City on Crisis Intervention Training for police and local mental health court pilot programs.  
  

Hundreds finding help in new psychiatric ER (Indiana)
Story at IndyStar.com - "Open only since September, the city's sole psychiatric emergency room has treated hundreds of patients and begun to clear the way for more improvements in helping the mentally ill in crisis situations. In June, the organization that runs the ER at Wishard Memorial Hospital expects to begin training local police for a crisis intervention team that could be called to help in situations involving mental illness -- a move that would direct more patients to the emergency room."  
  

Mental health: Involuntary help (Florida)
Opinion piece in the Florida Times Union that begins by noting that "Florida sheriffs say the police are now the de facto agency for administering the provisions of the Baker Act, Florida's law on mental health patient care."  
  

Panel backs plan to return $77M for DPHHS programs (Montana)
Montana Forum story - "After staring down an $80 million budget deficit that threatened the state’s most vulnerable citizens, a subcommittee Thursday tentatively adopted a funding package that would add $77 million back into the Department of Public Health and Human Services for fiscal 2004 and 2005."