Wednesday, March 30, 2005

Antidepressant Use Initially Tied to Higher Myocardial Infarction Risk Reuters Health story at Medscape - "Users of tricyclic antidepressants or serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) appear to be briefly at a heightened risk of having a first acute myocardial infarction, UK researchers report. However, they say that this may be due to depression-related effects rather than to the agents themselves. In the April issue of Heart, Dr. Laila J. Tata of the University of Nottingham and colleagues note that there have been inconsistent findings on the influence of antidepressants on cardiovascular disease outcomes." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

Half of U.S. Kids Face Parent Substance Abuse - Study Reuters Health story - "Half of all U.S. children live in a house where a parent or other adult uses tobacco, drinks heavily or uses illegal drugs, according to a report released on Tuesday. These adults are three times more likely to abuse their children and four times more likely to neglect them than parents who do not abuse alcohol or drugs or use tobacco, said the report from Columbia University's National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse."  
  

State Medicaid Disease Management: Lessons Learned from Florida Report, in Adobe Acrobat format, from the Health Strategies Consultancy and Duke University. See also the related press release - "Private sector disease management programs designed to improve health outcomes and reduce health care spending need to be fundamentally changed to address the unique needs of low-income Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries, says new research released today by Health Strategies Consultancy and Duke University.

The findings, released today at a national Medicaid Conference sponsored by Health Strategies, were based on interviews with 27 key stakeholders who interacted with the Florida: A Healthy State program, including care managers, program administrators, medical directors, state officials, disease groups, and other community organizations..."

  
  

More mental health services paid by public Brief UPI story reprinted at PsycPORT - "A report released Tuesday shows more mental health services are being paid by U.S., state and local government programs than by private insurance. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration said public sources paid for 63 percent of mental health spending in 2001, up from 57 percent in 1991. Public sources paid for 76 percent of substance abuse treatment in 2001, up from 62 percent in 1991..." See also the related SAMHSA press release and the full study, "National Expenditures for Mental Health Services and Substance Abuse Treatment 1991-2001," published in Adobe Acrobat format by Health Affairs.  
  

The Beginning of Hope: Kevin's Law to Aid Mentally Ill (Michigan) Treatment Advocacy Center press release at US Newswire - "Effective today, Kevin's Law enables Michigan to better help those who refuse treatment because of incapacitating symptoms of illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The package of bills known as Kevin's Law (SB 683-86) was championed by Sens. Tom George (R, 20th District) and Virg Bernero (D, 23rd District) and signed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm in December. Kevin's Law allows judges to order outpatient treatment for people with untreated severe mental illnesses who meet specific criteria, including a recent history of hospitalizations, incarcerations, or behavior dangerous to themselves or others because of their illness. Forty-two (42) states allow the use of this effective treatment mechanism, known as assisted outpatient treatment)..."  
  

Wisconsin Lawmakers Consider Boosting Addiction Coverage Story at Join Together - "The Wisconsin Assembly is weighing a measure that would double the minimum group-insurance coverage requirements for addiction and mental-health care, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported March 28. The bill, AB-252, sponsored by state Sen. Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay), would raise minimum coverage requirements from $7,000 to $18,300. The coverage level was last adjusted in 1985. Hansen said the change is long overdue, noting that $7,000 barely covers a week's stay in a hospital-based treatment program."  
  

Mental health care missing for most Minnesota children who need it Minnesota Public Radio story - "Most young people in this country who need mental health treatment aren't getting it. Federal officials say 80 percent of the young people in this country who need help dealing with mental illness are not receiving care. A Minnesota study says less than a third of the state's children are getting the mental health care they need. The experts say there aren't enough mental health care workers and health care companies aren't making mental health a priority."  
  

Racism census for mental health care (UK) Guardian story - "The first census of mental health units to establish the extent of discrimination against black and minority ethnic patients will be carried out throughout the NHS and private hospitals in England and Wales tomorrow. Health inspectors will look into the ethnic and religious characteristics of all in-patients and their experience of seclusion or injury while on hospital premises. The Count Me In census follows allegations of institutional racism in mental health services made last year by Sir John Blofeld, a retired high court judge..."  
  

Forget the mental health bill (UK) Opinion column in The Guardian - "By September it will be seven years since the government began attempts to reform mental health law to introduce compulsory treatment in the community. Following the report last week of a pre-legislative scrutiny committee of MPs and peers, who evidently did not think very much of the latest draft bill, things seem scarcely any further forward. Where do we go from here? The coming general election offers an opportunity for reflection and, in the event of another Labour victory, quiet burial of the big-bang approach to reform. Instead, (presumably) new ministers should take a deep breath, revisit the 1983 Mental Health Act (since amended), and consider how it could be modified further to meet their main objectives..."