Tuesday, August 24, 2004

Telepsychiatry to Treat Depression Is Comparable to in-Person Treatment
Reuters Health News story at Medscape - "Patients treated through telepsychiatry are as satisfied and their symptoms remit as early as those treated in person, new study results suggest. Dr. Paul E. Ruskin, a psychiatrist at the VA Maryland Health Care System in Baltimore, and his team enrolled 119 veterans with depression in a randomized, control trial that comprised eight sessions over 6 months. Fifty-nine patients were assigned to remote treatment delivered by personal-computer-based videoconferencing equipment and cameras mounted on the monitors, and 60 were treated in person. Their findings are reported in the American Journal of Psychiatry for August." "med"  
  

Urgency in Therapeutic Intervention and Rapid Remission of Depression
An "Expert Interview" in Medscape Psychiatry and Health with Kiran Rabheru - "Depression is commonly underdiagnosed among the elderly, despite the importance of detecting it and the effectiveness of available medications. Medical editor Penelope Gray-Allan, on behalf of Medscape, discusses developments in the treatment of depression, focusing on older patients, with Canadian psychiatrist Kiran Rabheru, MD, Chair, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Associate Professor, Psychiatry, at the University of Western Ontario." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

The Importance of Treating the Underpinnings of Depression
An "Expert Interview" with Pierre Blier at Medscape - "Recent evidence suggests that symptom remission alone is not the best goal in the treatment of depression. Medical editor Penelope Gray-Allan, on behalf of Medscape, discusses developments in best practices with Canadian psychiatrist Pierre Blier, MD, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry, at the Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

A change in care: Veterans upset about mental health services (Montana)
Bozeman Daily Chronicle story - "As of Sept. 1, because of a contract change, ...local veterans will no longer get their weekly counseling sessions at Bozeman Counseling and Consulting paid for through the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs. The veterans, many of whom suffer from post traumatic stress disorder, will have to switch to new counselors even though they have built relationships with their current counselors..."  
  

Mental-health officials unveil new blueprint (Maine)
Maine Today story - "Mental-health officials are proposing a two-track approach to realign treatment programs for mentally ill Mainers. The new plan adds specific standards for a range of services the department must meet to satisfy a court order, and proposes a totally new, managed-care style alternative..."  
  

Mental health failures (Indiana)
Indianapolis Star editorial - "Over the past several years, as the economics of health care have forced cutbacks in government programs, increased the numbers of uninsured and depressed job creation, options for those who need mental health care have even more drastically diminished. Local hospitals have "downsized" or eliminated psychiatric services and clinics report waiting lists of several months. Meanwhile, health insurance -- even for those fortunate enough to have it -- rarely provides more than minimal mental health coverage. The problem is that whatever money we may be saving by failing to offer adequate mental health treatment is costing us a hundredfold elsewhere..."