Friday, December 10, 2004

Psychiatrists Learn to Argue For Treatment of Offenders
A December 3 story at Psychiatric News - "Long-term data will be valuable in convincing policymakers about the effectiveness of treatment rather than incarceration for people with mental illness. Treatment of mental illness in the community, rather than in the criminal justice system, can save communities and local taxpayers money over time. But reversing the widespread criminalization of mentally ill people requires an educated cadre of clinicians to make the case before legislators that diversion of individuals with mental illness from jails and prisons and into treatment in the community is the right thing to do. And it will also require long-term follow-up studies to prove the point..."  
  

Study Pursues a Genetic Link to Depression
New York Times story - "Scientists in North Carolina have discovered a genetic variation that could predispose people to depression and may help explain why some people who develop the condition get no relief from drug treatments. The findings, posted yesterday in the online edition of the journal Neuron, may allow researchers to develop a test for genetic vulnerability to depression and to create more effective treatments." "nyt" See also, at the Neuron web site, the article Loss-of-Function Mutation in Tryptophan Hydroxylase-2 Identified in Unipolar Major Depression (Adobe Acrobat format).  
  

Study into disabled learner health (UK)
Story at DeHaviland - "A new investigation into healthcare provision for people with learning disabilities and those with mental health problems has been launched by the Disability Rights Commission (DRC). The organisation is concerned that people with mental health problems or learning difficulties have significantly worse health than the rest of the UK population. The investigation will focus on provision of primary care services, such as access to GPs and will also look at whether healthcare professionals are failing to recognise problems or diagnosing them too late."  
  

Operation Soul Recovery: New Book Sheds Light on Mental Illness Epidemic
Trafford Publishing press release at eReleases - "What if every town in America had a safe place for people to go during times of emotional distress? That's the idea presented in a book just released by Trafford Publishing. Written by first-time author Sheryl J. Stevens [the book]... warns of the repercussions of ignoring mental illness and lays out a strategy for solving the problem. Inspired by Stevens' youngest daughter's twenty-year battle with addiction and the inability of existing recovery systems to help her, the book details a radical plan to heal addiction and mental illness - and, in the process, to heal society itself. But before the U.S. can set about addressing mental and emotional disorders on a broad scale, said Stevens, the country must recognize that addiction and mental illness, and the violence and criminal behavior they cause, are reaching crisis levels."  
  

Mental health beds cut (Canada)
London Free Press story - "St. Joseph's Regional Health Care will eliminate a 24-bed mental health ward at the former London psychiatric hospital, its management at odds yesterday with workers over whether the reduction will harm the mentally ill. ...The area, called specialized adult, is for those suffering mental illness serious enough that a stay of months or years is likely..."  
  

Mental health foundation offers aid to nonprofits (Texas)
Brief Houston Chronicle story - "The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health is offering$4.6 million in grant-making initiatives to help mental health service providers bridge short-term funding gaps. The foundation's Special Mental Health Services Initiative is asking for proposals from nonprofit mental health organizations — both public and private — that provide direct mental health services to children, adults or families..."