Thursday, March 27, 2003

Depression in Black
Washington Post story - "While African Americans suffer from depression at rates similar to the general population, they may express the illness differently and may be less likely to seek help, according to Maryland psychiatrist Marilyn Martin."  
  

Dual Diagnoses, New Perspectives
Article in Medscape General Medicine - "Patients who present to us with so-called "dual diagnoses" of a primary psychiatric disorder and a substance abuse disorder represent some of the most difficult challenges clinicians can face. Often, the substance abuse precludes in some way the treatment for the psychiatric disorder. For example, attendance and compliance may be compromised or the direct effects of the substance abuse may negate or reverse the effects of the treatment. When clinicians look to the literature for guidance in dealing with these difficult situations, they find virtually no data..." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

UK Replaces Team Reviewing Safety of SSRIs
Reuters Health story at Medscape - "Britain's Department of Health said on Wednesday that it had disbanded an expert group reviewing the safety of widely prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant drugs, such as GlaxoSmithKline's top-selling Seroxat and Eli Lilly's Prozac. The decision follows reports that two members of the expert group held shares in Glaxo and that one witness who was called to give evidence did not fully disclose all his links with the pharmaceutical industry." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

PET Scanning Can Predict Response to Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
Reuters Health article reprinted at Medscape - "PET scanning can predict which patients with major depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are likely to respond to treatment with serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs), according to a report in the March issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

Kansas Senate Passes Bill Promoting Treatment
Story at Join Together - "On a 26-to-14 vote, the Kansas Senate passed a bill that would require judges to place nonviolent offenders convicted of drug possession into community treatment programs rather than prison, the Newton Kansan reported March 15."  
  

Mental health program will be maintained (Oregon)
Story in The Oregonian - "Multnomah County will keep its mental health outpatient contract with the state on a month-to-month basis, the county's chief operating officer said Tuesday."  
  

Pair honored for aiding mental health advocates (Arizona)
Arizona Republic story on Phoenix police Lt. Steve Haynes and Eric Raider, of ValueOptions, who received the first Jack Harvey Memorial Award from the Mental Health Advocates Coalition of Arizona for their work implementing Crisis Intervention Team training at the Phoenix Police Department.  
  

Lawmakers join rally against mental health cuts (Texas)
News-Journal story - "Democratic lawmakers joined hundreds of people outside the Capitol on Wednesday, protesting proposed cuts to mental health services they say will force more people to prison and push state budget problems to local governments."