Friday, February 11, 2005

Team Approach Studied in Treating Depressed Teens (California) Daily News story reprinted at MentalHelpNet - "Ventura County doctors, nurses and therapists participated in a new study which looked at the benefits of a team approach in treating depressed teens. Ventura County Medical Center and Ventura County Behavioral Health participated in the UCLA-led study, which also includes the Rand Corp. and Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Los Angeles."  
  

Zyprexa and Zyrtec Substitution Errors May Lead to Adverse Events, Relapse of Schizophrenia or Bipolar Disorder A Medscape Alert - "The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Eli Lilly & Co. have notified healthcare professionals via letter of reports of medication dispensing or prescribing errors involving olanzapine (Zyprexa, made by Eli Lilly & Co.) and ceterizine HCl (Zyrtec, made by Pfizer, Inc.), according to an alert sent yesterday from MedWatch, the FDA's safety information and adverse event reporting program. The medication errors included instances of ceterizine HCl substitution for prescribed olanzapine (and vice versa), which could lead to adverse events and potential relapse in patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

Herb as good as depression drug BBC story - "A German study has added weight to the argument that a herbal remedy is an effective treatment for depression. Researchers compared the effectiveness of St John's wort to anti-depressant drug paroxetine in treating moderate and severe depression. The team found half of those with the condition improved when given the herb, compared with a third using the drug, the British Medical Journal reported. UK experts said the study of 244 people should be treated with caution. The study also found patients on paroxetine - also known as Seroxat - suffered more side effects."  
  

Canadian regulators order attention-deficit drug withdrawn USA Today story - "Canadian regulators ordered a drug for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder off the market because of reports that it has been linked to 20 sudden deaths and a dozen strokes, including some among children. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, however, said it had evaluated the same reports on Adderall XR and doesn't believe the data warrants similar action in the United States. In a statement late Wednesday, Health Canada said it is asking makers of related stimulants used to treat the commonly diagnosed condition to provide a thorough review of their worldwide safety data. "  
  

Social Support May Stave Off Depression in Women Reuters Health story at Yahoo - "Feeling loved and supported by family and friends appears to protect women -- but not men -- from major depression, new research reports. In a study of more than 1,000 opposite sex twin pairs, investigators found that women who felt they had relatively little social support had a higher risk of major depression, a condition that affects women more than men. The perception of social support had a much smaller influence on men's risk of depression, the authors report in the American Journal of Psychiatry."  
  

Blue Cross to take back oversight of some Magellan Health patients (Massachusetts) Boston Globe story - " Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts is scaling back its contract with Magellan Health Services, the national for-profit company that oversees mental health treatment for 1.1 million of the insurer's members. ... Connecticut-based Magellan, which emerged from bankruptcy a year ago, has had a rocky history in Massachusetts, where some providers and patients have complained about being denied outpatient therapy or hospital stays."  
  

Mental health services faulted (Hawaii) Honolulu Star-Bulletin story - "Even after getting an 18-month extension to bring its community mental health services up to federal standards, the state of Hawaii continues to fall behind, according to the most recent report from a court-appointed special master. In his report submitted in U.S. District Court here yesterday, the special master, U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin Chang, said, 'That (the state) had failed to make meaningful progress with regard to system of care development is disappointing and troubling...' "  
  

Mental Health Advocates Concerned About TennCare Changes WTVF story - "Mental health advocates said Thursday they’re concerned TennCare changes could mean more people with mental illnesses will end up on the streets or in jail. Current studies show one in five inmates have some kind of mental illness. Advocates said that number will grow if people don't get the medicine and services they need. Mental health experts from across the state met in Nashville Thursday. They're searching for ways to soften the blow when 100,000 people with mental illness lose benefits."  
  

Crisis in children's mental health (Canada) Toronto Star story - "For years, they have pleaded for money and services to help children who are depressed, violent or suicidal. This week, parents and professionals caring for kids with mental illness got a sign that maybe somebody is starting to pay attention. On Monday, about 30 medical experts, advocates and parents from across Canada and even Britain came to Toronto to deliver their plea at a special roundtable on children's mental health. The meeting was aimed at moving the issue higher up on the public health agenda. Those listening included Senator Michael Kirby, chair of a federal committee reviewing Canada's mental health system, and Bill Wilkerson, head of a national initiative to address mental health in the workplace, and the organizer of the meeting..." See also, at the same source, Tackling the issue of teen suicide - "Canada holds the unhappy distinction of having the worst adolescent suicide rate among the world's leading industrial powers. Every year, 300 kids between the ages of 10 and 19 kill themselves. ...  [T]he tragedy is largely preventable. Depression among young people — which accounts for 75 to 90 per cent of suicides — can easily be treated. Problems that seem overwhelming to a teenager with an undiagnosed mental illness are usually manageable, once he or she gets help. The trouble is 80 per cent of these kids suffer in silence. Their condition is never identified or treated. Their parents run themselves ragged, trying to convince doctors, teachers, social workers and school board officials that something is wrong."