Wednesday, February 04, 2004

Few disabled kids with psychosocial problems receive mental healthcare
Northwestern University press release at EurekAlert - "A study by a Northwestern University researcher has found that less than half of disabled children with psychosocial problems receive mental healthcare services. Moreover, the study found differences by age, race/ethnicity and insurance coverage that suggest inequalities nationwide in access to treatment, underidentification of need and substantial variability in the mental health treatment for children with disabilities. According to Whitney P. Witt, assistant professor of medicine and researcher at the Center for Healthcare Studies at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, receipt of mental healthcare services was most strongly related to children's poor psychosocial adjustment; communication and social and learning-related functional impairments; public health insurance; and financial family burdens."  
  

Public Awareness Programs Can Reduce The Duration Of Untreated Psychosis
JAMA press release at InteliHealth - "People experiencing their first symptoms of a psychotic mental illness, such as schizophrenia, sought treatment sooner if they lived in areas with public programs to raise awareness of psychotic illnesses, symptoms and treatment, according to an article in the February issue of The Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals."