Friday, April 30, 2004
Depression Precedes Eating Disorder in Some WomenReuters Health story at
Yahoo - "Women with eating disorders who have attempted suicide may have had a depressive disorder long before their problems with food began, the results of a small study suggest. Researchers found that among 27 eating-disorder patients with a history of suicide attempts, two thirds had major depression before the onset of the eating disorder. That compares with just one of 27 patients who had never attempted suicide."
High Doses of Older Antidepressants Seen RiskyReuters Health story at
Yahoo - "There appears to be an association between the risk of sudden cardiac death and use of relatively high doses of the tricyclic type of antidepressants (TCAs), investigators report. However, the risk is not increased with the newer type of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), or TCAs at doses less than 100 milligrams per day, according to results of a study published in the
Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics..."
Women Twice as Likely to Suffer Depression as Men According to Harvard Mental Health LetterPR Newswire item reprinted at
PsycPORT - "Worldwide, almost twice as many women as men are dealing with depression, according to the May issue of the
Harvard Mental Health Letter. One out of eight women will have an episode of major depression at some time in her life. Women are also more vulnerable to bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorder, and dysthymia (low-level, long-term depression)..."
US Warns J&J on Claims About Antipsychotic DrugMedscape Medical News story - "U.S. regulators have warned Johnson & Johnson unit Janssen Pharmaceuticals that a letter sent to doctors about its Risperdal drug to treat schizophrenia and bipolar mania is misleading. In a warning disclosed on Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration told Janssen that its November letter failed to disclose information added to Risperdal's labeling about excess blood sugar and diabetes and minimized the risk of serious events including coma and even death. The FDA also said the letter fails to recommend regular testing for diabetes and 'misleadingly claims that Risperdal is safer than other atypical antipsychotics.' " [Viewing
Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].
NAMI Walks 2004Press release at the NAMI web site - "Tens of thousands of Americans will take to the streets beginning this weekend, May 1-2, to raise public awareness that recovery from mental illnesses is possible. NAMIWALKS are part of the Campaign for the Mind of America, sponsored by NAMI (the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) during Mental Health Month." See also the page at the site devoted to
NAMI Walks.
State closes pyschiatric hospital (New York)Newsday story - "A 107-bed psychiatric hospital closed Friday after being cited by state regulators for numerous deficiencies. The state on Monday ordered Four Winds Psychiatric Hospital to surrender its operating certificate by Friday or face its revocation. The closing left 226 employees without jobs. .."
Minnesotan Honored with Prestigious Mental Health AwardPR Newswire story at
Yahoo - "After more than 30 years of work as a relentless mental health advocate, Minnesota State Advisory Council on Mental Health and Mental Health Association of Minnesota member, Bill Conley is recognized as the 2004 Welcome Back Award honoree for his efforts toward destigmatization of depression. ... Always interested in the mechanics of things, including those of society, its politics and solutions, Mr. Conley has puzzled over legislation that marginalizes people with depression and other mental illnesses. He began his work after answering an employment advertisement for a lobbyist and has been eradicating unfair policy ever since. During his tenure with the Mental Health Association of Minnesota, Mr. Conley has eliminated irrelevant mental health hospitalization questions, worked to increase access to care and helped erase stigma in the workplace." See also the web site of the
Welcome Back Awards.
Officials optimistic local mental health services will improve under new system (North Carolina)Tryon Daily Bulletin story - "Mental health officials say they believe Polk County patients could see better service under a new, more privatized system that took effect here this month. The former Rutherford-Polk Area Mental Health Authority has been disbanded, and The Western Highlands Local Management Entity (LME) was created in its place. The former, state-run authority provided care directly to patients. The new LME only administers care, connecting patients with a private provider. Mental health professionals initially voiced concern that the new system, part of a major statewide reform, would put patients in rural areas at a disadvantage. They said rural areas are less likely to have a suitable number of private mental health care providers, and patients would be forced to travel great distances for help..."
Group urges better coordination of mental health, education services (Pennsylvania)Wilkes Barre Times Leader story - "Emotionally disturbed children who need mental-health treatment and instruction outside regular public-school classrooms are often caught between two state agencies that do not pay attention to their educational needs, a legal advocacy group said Thursday. The Education Law Center in Philadelphia is calling for better cooperation between the Department of Public Welfare and the Department of Education in the state's 'partial-hospitalization' programs, said Janet Stotland, the center's co-director...."
The Military's Mounting Mental Health ProblemsStory at
AlterNet - "Over the past year there have been an unusually high number of suicides among U.S. troops in Iraq, and hundreds of soldiers experiencing psychological problems have been evacuated from the country. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's recent announcement authorizing the extension – by at least three months – of the tours of duty of some 20,000 soldiers set to return home, and the possibility of intensified urban warfare may add to the stress suffered by soldiers serving in Iraq. In response, the U.S. has increased the use of combat stress control teams, established a toll-free crisis hotline for service members having problems dealing with stress, and set up recuperation centers where soldiers can chill out for a few days before returning to the front lines. Questions about whether these actions are too little too late, and how the soldiers will be treated when they return home remain to be answered..."
