Friday, September 10, 2004

Health Premiums Continue to Outpace Inflation
See Reuters Health story at Medscape - "The rate of increase in health insurance premiums slowed slightly in 2004, according to a new survey, but health costs continue to rise five times faster than worker wages or general inflation. Consumers are also paying a larger share of their own health bills, as employers pass costs along, found the survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research and Educational Trust. Since 2000, the average worker's monthly premium has risen from $28 to $47, and the contribution for family coverage has risen from $135 to $222." See also Employer Health Benefits 2004 Annual Survey at the Kaiser Family Foundation web site.  
  

FDA Resisting Antidepressant Probe-Lawmakers
Reuters story at Yahoo - "Republican lawmakers on Thursday charged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration with hindering a congressional probe into whether the agency suppressed a possible link between antidepressant use and suicidal behavior in youth. Rep. Joe Barton, chairman of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, said the FDA has been uncooperative during the committee's seven-month inquiry..."  
  

More global deaths through suicide than war and murder
AFP story at Yahoo - "Almost one million people kill themselves each year and the number, which exceeds the death toll from murder and war, may hit 1.5 million by 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said. But suicide is largely preventable, through better surveillance of favourite methods -- namely pesticides, guns and painkillers -- and a greater focus on support groups, the UN's health agency said. In a bid to raise awareness on the issue, WHO and the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) will hold their second annual World Suicide Prevention Day on Friday." See also the web site of the International Association for Suicide Prevention, the WHO resources on suicide and on suicide prevention, and the country-by-country charts and reports.  
  

Suicide-prevention bill goes to president
Statesman-Journal story - "Congress approved a youth suicide prevention bill Thursday by U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith, giving the Oregon lawmaker a tribute to the son who took his own life a year ago. Smith, a Republican from Pendleton, said he hoped that the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act would provide a lifeline to other young people at risk for suicide. ... The legislation authorizes but does not guarantee $82 million over three years for grants to state and tribal governments to develop or improve mental-health programs, referral services and suicide-education and training programs. Colleges and universities also could compete for grants for mental-health-screening programs. The bill also establishes a clearinghouse for information about suicide and about effective suicide-prevention efforts."  
  

County, feds partner on human services programs (Wisconsin)
Green Bay News-Chronicle story - "Brown County has received approval from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration to work on implementing new practices in the county's Human Services department. County officials including County Executive Carol Kelso and human services director Allen Parks went to Washington to negotiate the agreement earlier this year to secure financial and technical support. Parks said the first project will be a focus on combined mental health and substance abuse disorders among adolescents."  
  

Breathing and mental health problems widespread among Ground Zero rescue and recovery workers
Mount Sinai Hospital/Mount Sinai School of Medicine press release at EurekAlert - "Preliminary data from screenings conducted at The Mount Sinai Medical Center show that both upper and lower respiratory problems and mental health difficulties are widespread among rescue and recovery workers who dug through the ruins of the World Trade Center in the days following its destruction in the attack of September 11, 2001. ... Of the 1,138 screened workers and volunteers whose responses were analyzed for the MMWR reports, 51% percent met the pre-determined criteria for risk of mental health problems. The responses also indicated that the participants' risks for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was four (4) times the PTSD rate in the general male population."  
  

New 24-hour help hot line now available (North Dakota)
Grand Forks Herald story - "A new three-digit hot line now is available to North Dakotans who need emergency food and financial assistance, affordable mental health services or suicide intervention services. Residents can dial 211, a universally recognizable number that makes a connection between callers and the appropriate community-based organizations and government agencies. The number is a 24-hour toll-free, statewide crisis intervention, information and referral service. There are no answering machines and no voicemail systems, so callers will speak directly with a crisis management specialist."  
  

Mental health agency to serve fewer patients (Texas)
Houston Chronicle story - "State officials have agreed to let the Mental Health and Mental Retardation Authority of Harris County serve fewer patients this year but said they will keep monthly tabs on the local agency as it rolls out a new program for rationing care. No other mental health agency in Texas will receive such hands-on treatment. ... Steven Schnee, MHMRA's executive director, had asked the state to allow the agency to serve 8,400 patients instead of the 8,830 stipulated in its contract. Schnee said the agency could face a $17 million shortfall if it is forced to implement a new treatment model required by the state. The Texas Legislature last year mandated, but did not fund, the implementation of a businesslike approach to rationing treatment..."