Friday, September 17, 2004
Canada, Provinces Strike Health DealReuters Health story at
Medscape - "Canada's federal government has agreed to pump extra billions into the ailing public health care system in return for a commitment by the country's provinces to cut waiting times for treatment, federal and provincial officials said early on Thursday. The development capped three days of sometimes acrimonious negotiations between the two sides on how to reform the universal medicare system, which is funded jointly by Ottawa and the provinces but run solely by the latter."
An Advance in Understanding Fear-processing CircuitryScripps Howard story reprinted at
PsycPORT on a report published Wednesday in the journal
Neuron - "The same structure of the brain that makes people fearful is also critical in helping overcome fears, researchers have found in a study that may help guide new treatments of some mental illnesses. A walnut-sized region called the amygdala, at the base of the brain, is the center of the fear-processing circuitry _ getting sensory signals of apparent danger and responding with chemical alerts out to various parts of the body. While the structure directs this 'fight-or-flight' response, it also affects emotions and disrupts rational thought, sometimes to extremes that are disabling mental illnesses.
Americans support health care regulationNewsday story - "Rising health care costs and shrinking coverage have prompted a significant majority of Americans to support government regulation - or even universal health care, according to a survey released yesterday. Two-thirds of those surveyed said they supported a health care 'guarantee,' similar to the Canadian or British systems, according to the survey, which was issued by Results for America, a division of the Civil Society Institute, a Newton, Mass.-based think tank."
Advocates for mentally-ill recognize Collins with award (Maine)Story in the
Kennebec Journal - "U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, last week was presented with an award by the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill for her work on behalf of mentally-ill children and their families. Collins received the award from Carol Carothers, executive director of the organization's Maine chapter."
Mental health center update OKd (Wisconsin)Green Bay Press Gazette story - "A committee’s show of support Wednesday for renovating the Brown County Mental Health Center was “a giant leap forward” in the process of determining the future of the aging facility, county Executive Carol Kelso said. On a 7-0 vote, the Brown County Human Services Committee recommended moving forward with architectural and engineering phases in a $12.8 million renovation..."
Mental Health Crisis: More Violent Patients (Nevada)KLAS-TV story - "The state only has 140 mental health beds in Las Vegas, not enough to keep up with demand. For example, according to the state, 500 prisoners at the Clark County Detention Center are receiving treatment for mental illness. Hospitals shoulder the burden for the state. This situation has been desperate for a long time; now it's becoming dangerous..."
Study Examines Older Chinese Migrant Mental Health (New Zealand)Press release at
Scoop - "Findings from the first New Zealand survey of older Chinese migrants were reported today at an international mental health conference held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Auckland. The research was conducted by AUT’s Professor Max Abbott and members of the AUT Centre for Asian and Migrant Health Research... Professor Max Abbott said a survey of 162 older Chinese migrants found a quarter had depressive symptoms. While similar to rates for older people generally, he said some sub-groups were at high risk for depression and that more could be done to help these people."
