Monday, August 11, 2003
Lamotrigine in Mood Disorders Current Medical Research and Opinion article at
Medscape - "Lamotrigine is an anticonvulsant drug with good efficacy and safety in the treatment of epilepsy. There is now substantial evidence that lamotrigine is also useful in treating resistant depression, rapid cycling bipolar affective disorder, depressive episodes in bipolar affective disorder and in the maintenance phase or prophylaxis of bipolar affective disorder. There are possible roles in managing mood changes in borderline personality disorder, reducing chronic pain and treating schizoaffective disorder...." [Viewing
Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].
State fails in care of mentally ill kids (Michigan) Detroit News story - "State budget cuts are making it increasingly difficult to find and help thousands of Michigan children suffering from serious mental and emotional problems. Although the cuts have impacted every mental health program and service in Michigan, the effects are particularly drastic in children's mental health, which receives only a fraction of the money given to adult programs. Programs and treatment for Michigan's youth get only about 5 percent of the state's overall mental health budget...."
Some Autistic Children Make Remarkable Progress With Intensive Behavioral Program, Study Suggests
Ascribe Newswire item at PsycPORT - "A new study provides confirmation that some young autistic children can make remarkable progress when they participate in a specially designed intensive behavioral intervention program. The study by Ohio State University researchers is one of few that have rigorously examined the success of the Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) program, which some believe is the best way to treat autistic children. The preliminary results show the value of EIBI, said James Mulick, co-author of the study and professor of pediatrics and psychology at Ohio State University. He and his colleagues presented results of the research August 7 in Toronto at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association."
ADHD Treatment Discourages Children From Drug Abuse Later Story at
InteliHealth - "Treatment with stimulants such as Ritalin halves the chances that a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) will become a drug or alcohol abuser later, according to several studies reported here over the weekend. Although some animal research suggests that stimulants can 'prime' the brain for addiction, the medications 'help protect kids, reducing their risk for later substance use. . . . But they do not immunize them' against drug or alcohol problems, says psychiatrist Timothy Wilens of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He spoke on a panel at the American Psychological Association meeting."
The Many Faces of Depression Psychology Today article - "Depression is not a one-size-fits-all condition. Mental health professionals have long recognized that patients tend to display reasonably distinct clusters of clinical symptoms, and they increasingly regard such clusters as subtypes of depression."
Staff Memo Opposes Reduction In Beds at Williamsburg's Eastern State Hospital (Virginia) WAVY story - "Eastern State Hospital doctors have stepped up their opposition to a proposal to eliminate 43 beds as part of Virginia's effort to move more mentally ill patients into community-based programs. Staff members at the state mental hospital in Williamsburg argued against the reduction at public forums earlier this year. Then last month, the medical staff unanimously signed a memo opposing the plan."
Grants go to mental health (Minnesota) Pioneer Press story - "Under a unique collaborative effort, five Minnesota health plans have created a $3.5 million grant program to fund new community-based projects designed to address gaps in the state's mental health treatment network."
Community needs Beaufort Memorial's mental health unit (South Carolina) Op ed piece in the
Carolina Morning News by Guyla Daley, vice president of the NAMI - South Carolina - "We in the Lowcountry are very fortunate to have a 20-bed psychiatric unit in Beaufort Memorial Hospital. Since the budget cuts have decreased the number of available beds in Columbia, our loved ones would be sitting in the emergency rooms of Hilton Head Regional Medical Center or Beaufort Memorial Hospital for weeks waiting for a bed, like people in the rest of the state."
Troops' medical checkups shift to a new front: mental health Boston Globe story on Public Law 105-85 - "Many soldiers return from the battlefield with hidden scars, suffering from psychological trauma or physical illnesses that may not surface for weeks, months, or even years. The law's objective is to help them make the transition to normalcy by identifying underlying problems before they can fester. And its implementation represents the first time in US history that the effects of deployment and combat are being addressed before, during, and after a conflict."
