Monday, February 02, 2004

Research-based help for teens in jeopardy
Article in the February APA Monitor - "Nine experts at a November symposium spoke on what's driving some young people to abuse substances, court legal trouble, bully peers and attempt suicide. The meeting, 'What's killing our kids? Behavioral misadventures,' was the fourth in an annual public lecture series at Brown University... "  
  

Debating access to scientific data
Article in the February APA Monitor - "Any psychologist who has followed the science media over the past year has likely caught wind of the debate over 'free access' or 'open access,' terms used to describe free, unrestricted public Internet access to scientific information. Fueled by a San Francisco-based group called the Public Library of Science (PLoS), the movement's idealistic aim is to keep taxpayers from what PLoS calls 'paying twice' for scientific data: once when they fund the government agencies that sponsor research, and again when they pay online fees to access scientific journal articles. The problem could be stopped, PLoS advocates argue, by changing the financial nature of science publishing from a system based on subscription fees--which they deride as overly profit-based--to one based on fees paid up front by authors. The plan has a few strong supporters and many critics, both among science publishers and scientists themselves. While advocates praise the plan for its democratizing agenda, critics say it fails to account for the realities of publishing. .."  
  

Street nurse earns prestigious honour (Canada)
January 22 Toronto Star story, brought to our attention by CMHA/Ontario's Mental Health News on Cathy Crowe - "The men and women on the streets don't yet know about the honour Cathy Crowe will receive today. But they most certainly know her track record... Crowe will receive the Atkinson Charitable Foundation's Economic Justice Award. The prestigious prize, which honours her tireless and passionate work on behalf of society's most marginalized, will help her continue to get that message through."  
  

Delivering interventions for depression by using the internet
British Medical Journal article based on research which found that "Intention to treat analyses indicated that information about depression and interventions that used cognitive behaviour therapy and were delivered via the internet were more effective than a credible control intervention in reducing symptoms of depression in a community sample" - and concluded that "Both cognitive behaviour therapy and psychoeducation delivered via the internet are effective in reducing symptoms of depression."  
  

Webcast: The Road To Recovery
Information on a webcast scheduled for Wednesday, February 4, 3:00-3:30 EST that "...demonstrates successful awareness-raising strategies employed by communities - large and small - throughout the Nation and provides helpful tips for replicating those successes where you live." See also the related flier (Adobe Acrobat format).  
  

Prescription For Suicide?
Feature article in Time - "For years a small but vocal group of patients and doctors have insisted that certain antidepressants, including Paxil, Zoloft, Prozac and other medications known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), carry an unacceptable risk of antisocial behavior and suicide in kids who take them. Many clinicians and most pharmaceutical companies disagree. Major depression is a dangerous illness that in itself can lead to suicide, and they insist that the benefits of these drugs outweigh the risks. But drug firms also refuse to release all their research... The issue is coming to a head. By last December, the British Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, the equivalent of the FDA, had declared Celexa, Effexor, Lexapro, Luvox, Paxil and Zoloft (but not Prozac) too risky for kids under 18. Two weeks ago, a task force of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology fired back, saying that despite the risk of potentially serious side effects, it's riskier to withhold the drugs. Now comes the FDA probe, which began with an investigation of Paxil launched in the fall of 2002..."  
  

SAMHSA Adds Sixth Accreditation Body For Methadone Programs
SAMHSA press release - "The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) today announced the addition of the National Commission for Correctional Health Care as an approved accreditation body to conduct accreditation surveys for initiation, renewal and continued accreditation of opioid treatment programs in jails and corrections facilities that provide methadone to patients addicted to heroin or prescription pain medications."  
  

More Youth Entered Substance Abuse Treatment in 2001
SAMHSA press release - " More youth entered substance abuse treatment facilities in 2001, with most of the increase due to abuse of marijuana, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced today. The data is part of the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) for 2001, the most recent complete year of data on admissions to substance abuse treatment at facilities that receive public funding."  
  

Gov. Johanns Unveils Report Confirming Feasibility of Mental Health Reform (Nebraska)
Southwest Nebraska News story - "Gov. Mike Johanns and State Senator Jim Jensen presented a report today compiled by a prominent health care expert which concludes that the proposed mental health reform plan, introduced by Sen. Jensen as LB 1083, can be achieved. The Lewin Group report is titled Balancing New Adult Behavioral Health Community Supports. The Executive Summary of the report concludes that, 'Lewin not only believes that the Road to Recovery is a highly principled plan… we believe that the Road to Recovery is achievable on the timeline, and for the budget, laid out by Governor Johanns and Senator Jensen.'”  
  

Mental health agency $84 million in black (Arizona)
Story in the Arizona Republic - "The Virginia-based company hired to provide mental health services to the Valley's poor and uninsured has made a total before-tax profit of $84 million, a 6.5 percent profit margin, in this state since getting the contract in 1998, an analysis by The Arizona Republic shows. The company, ValueOptions, is one of two bidders for a new state contract, which is expected to be awarded later this month. Its profitability is likely to be reviewed as the state evaluates competing bids from ValueOptions and Phoenix-based Schaller Anderson Inc., also a for-profit company. Mental health advocates are divided about whether the profits are reasonable..."  
  

Official indifference to mental health crisis (Virginia)
Story in the Virginian-Pilot on waiting lists for services - "...The list for adults with serious mental illnesses stands at 5,030, with little direct relief in sight. The waiting list for children with serious emotional disturbances is 1,314 people long, with equally bleak prospects. Only three states spend less per capita than Virginia on community care for the mentally ill and the mentally retarded. In 2002, Virginia’s per-capita spending on community service for the mentally ill was $1.58, barely half the national average of $3.07."