Monday, May 24, 2004

Study Reveals Hidden Cost of Depression: Large Amounts of Extra Help for Depressed Seniors
Ascribe Newswire story reprinted at PsycPORT - "A new study reveals that depression among senior citizens carries a huge unrecognized cost: many extra hours of unpaid help with everyday activities, delivered by the depressed seniors' spouses, adult children and friends. Even moderately depressed seniors, the University of Michigan study finds, require far more hours of care than those without any symptoms of depression, regardless of other health problems they may have."  
  

Jailing the ill
Miami Herald story reprinted at PsycPORT on the "nationwide failure to care for the severely mentally ill, a situation created over the last 40 years by the closing of psychiatric hospitals in Florida and other states. Those institutions -- often bleak warehouses for the "insane" -- were supposed to be replaced by local treatment centers that would get patients functioning in the community. But mental health experts widely agree that the new system never received enough funding and has offered fragmented services at best. With the safety net frayed to threads, untold thousands of people suffering schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or major depression have gone untreated, often homeless and wandering the streets, unable to guide their unruly minds through the straight lines of society." See also Justice System: Jailing A Mental Patient Can Be Expensive from the same source.  
  

World Health Organization asked to keep buprenorphine as a treatment option for heroin addiction
Article at aidsmap - "A group of activists and physicians has asked the World Health Organization (WHO) to prevent the proposed reclassification of buprenorphine as a narcotic. If successful, this will allow the use of the drug as a treatment for heroin addiction to continue, helping to curb the transmission of HIV through intravenous drug use. Buprenorphine can help heroin users to move from illicit substance use to recovery programmes by reducing craving and withdrawal symptoms and reducing the ‘high’ experienced after taking heroin. Unlike the similar drug methadone, which is used for the treatment of heroin addiction under restricted access, buprenorphine has a low abuse potential and can be given to patients in the primary care setting."  
  

Behavior at Age 10 May Predict Later Depression
Reuters Health story at Yahoo - "A child's behavior during the preteen years may predict whether he or she will experience depression, violent behavior or social phobia as a young adult, new research findings suggest. In a decade-long study, the researchers collected data for 765 children between the ages of 10 and 11 years old. At follow-up, they found that those who reported fighting, stealing or other conduct problems were almost four times as likely as their more well-behaved peers to have experienced depression or violent behavior by 21 years old."  
  

Maker to Pull Antidepressant Off Market
AP story at Yahoo - "The maker of Serzone will pull the controversial antidepressant off the U.S. market next month, blaming a decline in sales rather than concern about a risk of liver failure. The end to U.S. sales comes after Serzone was pulled off the market in many other countries, and as maker Bristol-Myers Squibb was under mounting pressure from lawsuits. Serzone has been linked to dozens of cases of liver failure and injury, including at least 20 deaths. A Bristol-Myers spokesman confirmed the decision in an interview Wednesday, a day after the company notified wholesalers that distribution would end June 14."  
  

ERs don't treat mental patients fairly
Story in the Seattle Post Intelligencer - " Hospital emergency rooms routinely refuse treatment for medical conditions of people regarded as 'mentally ill.' Attorney Susan Stephan, author of the recent book, Unequal Rights: Discrimination Against People with Mental Disabilities and the Americans with Disabilities Act, surveyed people with 'mental illness' who went to ERs for medical conditions. Stephan's survey concluded ERs trivialize our medical conditions, or refuse to treat our medical conditions until after a psychiatric exam, or involuntarily commit us to the psychiatric ward when we need treatment for a non-psychiatric medical condition..."  
  

Training helps police deal with mentally ill (Illinois)
Story in The Telegraph - "In each of two hours of simulated situations, counselors from Community Counseling Center portrayed people with mental illness, acting as they might when police are called. After each mini-drama, facilitator Elliott Fredland of the Chicago Alternate Policing Strategy program critiqued the officers’ techniques in dealing with the mentally ill person..."  
  

Kane courts want to help mentally ill (Illinois)
Daily Herald story - "Officials at the Kane County courthouse would like to institute a mental health court program, an additional specialty court similar to those addressing drug crimes and domestic violence. But the money and a judge whose courtroom would work part-time with the mentally ill are not available. Though there has been tremendous residential growth in Kane, Kendall and DeKalb counties, which share the 16th Judicial Circuit, the number of judges serving the area has been stagnant for a decade..."  
  

Mental Health Crisis Center now in limbo (Mississippi)
Story in the Daily Leader - "Some local elected officials met with Gov. Haley Barbour and representatives from the Department of Mental Health Wednesday afternoon to discuss the status of Brookhaven's Mental Health Crisis Center. Bishop and District 92 Rep. Dr. Jim Barnett expressed their concerns that Brookhaven's crisis center was the only one of seven not already built, despite funding approval two years ago. ... Billy Buford, a member of the state Board of Mental Health, said that as of Thursday, every state mental hospital was full with a waiting list of more than 100 people needing treatment..."  
  

Mental health reforms hurt clients (North Carolina)
Kinston Free Press story - "...direct counseling at Eastpointe will no longer be available come July 1. Many others in similar situations may have to find alternative ways to receive help in the public service system under a mental health reform ordered by the state. Some local civic groups and Eastpointe officials brainstormed Wednesday about implementing a service delivery system for people who would no longer be eligible for direct services from Eastpointe beginning in July. Under a mental health reform system, the mental health and substance abuse agency will be required to refer some clients to churches, non profits and civic groups for help."  
  

Walkers support awareness of mental illness (Michigan)
Holland Sentinel - "Rain forced the third annual Walk & Roll to promote awareness and education of the mentally ill indoors Friday. However, it didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the participants. More than 200 people showed up at Westshore Mall for the Walk & Roll for Mental Health Awareness and Stamp Out Stigma Gathering. The purpose was to promote awareness of mental illness and developmental disabilities and erase the stigma associated with mental illness..."  
  

Post-Crescent honored by mental health group (Wisconsin)
Story in the Appleton Post-Crescent - "Saturday The Post-Crescent was the recipient of the NAMI Wisconsin media award of the year for its positive and informative portrayal of mental health at the organization’s annual convention held at the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel. ... The PC was honored for an editorial in favor of insurance parity for mental illnesses, a feature story and another editorial endorsing the merger of NAMI Neenah/Menasha and NAMI Outagamie County to form NAMI Fox Valley. Several human-interest stories, including one on Friendship Place in Neenah that sensitively put a face on mental illness, were also noted."  
  

Mental health site to be auctioned (South Carolina)
Sun-News story - "...The revolutionary campus that grew up on Bull Street is expected to go on the auction block, a casualty of changing philosophies and $50 million in budget cuts in three years. Only 60 patients remain on the Bull Street campus - all chronically ill children - along with a few temporary rehabilitation residents. Advocates for the mentally ill generally support the campus' sale. But they say the state is being shortsighted if it uses the proceeds from the sale of the 178-acre campus - estimated at $32 million - to help balance the general fund rather than boost mental health care. Department of Mental Health officials also want at least a portion of the proceeds to transfer the remaining children off campus and move any equipment and staff that remain..."  
  

Wellington mental health crisis needs action now (New Zealand)
Story at Scoop - "Green MP Sue Bradford says the Minister of Health must take swift and immediate action to solve the staffing crisis at Wellington Hospital's mental health unit before another tragedy strikes. A rape allegation reported today has followed earlier deaths and injuries among patients attributed to staff shortages at the unit..."