Monday, November 01, 2004

Pediatricians Fail to Recognize Teen Substance Abusers
Health Day News story - "Pediatricians may think they know whether a teenage patient is using alcohol or drugs and to what extent, but a new study finds doctors greatly misjudge the problem. More than 60 percent of the time, pediatricians knew their young patients had used alcohol or drugs, but in most cases the doctors thought the problem was less severe than it actually was, the study found. ... The study, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, appears in the November issue of Pediatrics." See also the article in Pediatrics, "Are Clinical Impressions of Adolescent Substance Use Accurate?" which is also available in Adobe Acrobat format.  
  

Mental Disorders Rife in Assisted Living Homes
Reuters Health story at Yahoo - "Behavioral symptoms and mental health problems are prevalent among elderly individuals living in facilities that provide residential care or assisted living, new study results suggest. 'Exploring behavioral symptoms in residential care/assisted living facilities may ... help planners design appropriate environments, and ultimately improve residents' and their caregivers' quality of life,' Dr. Ann L. and colleagues suggest in their article in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society..."