Thursday, December 30, 2004

Mental health in general practice and primary care (New Zealand)
Paper (in Adobe Acrobat format) in the New Zealand Family Physician - "Mental disorders are recognised as a major public health problem and the management of mental health problems places an increasing burden on health services. A World Health Organization (WHO) study of the global burden of disease assessed that mental disorders make up five of the 10 leading causes of disability worldwide. While the management of these problems takes place predominantly in general practice and primary care settings, historically there has been a reluctance to acknowledge the role and importance of general practitioners and to provide appropriate support for them to deliver effective services..."  
  

Jail mental health unit gets a needed reprieve (Massachusetts)
Story in The Republican - "In a state prison system that has come under heavy criticism for its emphasis on warehousing inmates rather than rehabilitating them, Hampden County Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr. stands out as someone who is getting it right. One of the ways the sheriff gets it right dates back to 1994 when he established an acute-care unit at the jail for an estimated 25 percent of inmates with mental-health problems..."  
  

The Legacy of Madness
Column in the Hartford Advocate by Lisa Lieberman on the challenges of having a parent with mental illness - "...Children of the mentally ill live with the fear that we may be genetically prone to our parents' disorders. Some play it safe, as I have done, afraid to take risks, afraid that if we let ourselves go too much we might succumb to the family curse. Others choose not to have children, worried about passing on the genes for the disease. Such fears are not unfounded. Recent studies show that close relatives of people with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or major depression are more likely to develop these diseases than the average person, but scientists haven't succeeded in isolating the genes involved in the transmission of even the most common disorders. The genetic brew is too complex, and so we're left to worry and watch ourselves for the slightest sign of our parents' illnesses. At the same time, we're afraid to acknowledge the illnesses, afraid that we'll be judged on the basis of their disorders -- as the daughter of a schizophrenic father or the son of a depressed mother. Given the stigma that still surrounds mental illness in our society, who would want to be defined in that way? ..."  
  

Troubled LA hospital could lose funding after failing inspection (California)
AP story at the San Luis Obispo Tribune - "A troubled South Los Angeles hospital could lose nearly $200 million in funding next month after failing a federal inspection of procedures used to restrain aggressive psychiatric patients. Earlier this month, Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center received its second warning in six months about Los Angeles County police using Taser stun guns to subdue mental patients. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said the county-owned hospital was putting patients in "immediate jeopardy" by not first trying less extreme methods. Hospital officials responded by pledging to start replacing officers with mental health workers to calm patients. They said workers would be retrained to handle patients without resorting to stun guns or restraints. But federal regulators found hospital employees were still following improper procedures during mock drills conducted Tuesday..."  
  

Web-based tool to help clinicians make schizophrenia treatment decisions
Vanderbilt University Medical Center press release at EurekAlert - "A new Web-based tool will be available January 1, 2005 to help clinicians determine the best medication for patients with schizophrenia. An international team led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center's Herbert Meltzer, M.D., recently completed the new algorithms, or step-by-step protocols, which will provide clinicians a resource as they make treatment decisions. The value of the algorithms was recently acknowledged by the World Health Organization (WHO), which has committed to establishing a Web link to the algorithms from its Web site. This will allow clinicians and patients worldwide to access the algorithms."  
  

Report outlines new battle plan for autism (Pennsylvania)
PhillyBurbs.com story - "The state task force charged with recommending ways to improve the organization, financing and delivery of services and treatment for Pennsylvania residents with Autism Spectrum Disorder released Wednesday what it calls its 'blueprint for change.' The 280-member task force's final report includes five "major" recommendations it believes that state lawmakers need to immediately address when the legislative session reconvenes. Such initiatives will help people and families grappling with the mysterious lifelong brain disorder that severely impairs communication skills and social interaction, according to the task force."  
  

New law allows court-ordered treatment for mentally ill (Florida)
Story in the Sun Sentinel on a new law that takes effect Jan. 1 - "Until now, the state could commit a mentally ill person only if a judge deemed the person a threat to themselves or others. Short of that risk, a person was released. Under the change, Florida courts will be able to order that mentally ill people undergo community-based treatment if they have a history of not taking their medications and have behaved violently once in the past three years."  
  

Growing drug problems among young people could eventually swamp the country's mental health services (New Zealand)
NZ City story - "Substance abuse experts say growing drug problems among young people could eventually swamp the country's mental health services. The warning comes from WellTrust, an agency established in Wellington to help young people with drug and alcohol problems. Director Pauline Gardiner says the average age of those now being referred is 11 and a half. Several 7 and 8 year olds are also being treated, some displaying early signs of illnesses such as paranoias and hallucinations. ..."  
  

Law requires treatment for mentally ill (Michigan)
Holland Sentinel story - "A mentally ill person who does not follow prescribed treatment could be ordered to receive outpatient treatment under legislation signed Wednesday by Gov. Jennifer Granholm. For a judge to order treatment, an individual must have been hospitalized, jailed, imprisoned or have acted violently within the previous two years. Family members or others also can intervene to help the mentally ill get treatment before hurting themselves or others..."