Tuesday, February 03, 2004

Ending Discrimination Against People with Alcohol and Drug Problems
This report (in Adobe Acrobat format) was published last year but remains noteworthy - "People with alcohol or other drug disease face public and private policies that restrict their access to appropriate health care, employment, and public benefits, discouraging them from seeking treatment, robbing them of hope for recovery, and costing society millions of dollars. Join Together, a project of Boston University School of Public Health, formed a national policy panel in the spring of 2002 to address this discrimination. The panelists developed the two principles and ten recommendations contained in this report, relying principally upon the written and oral testimony which they received." See also the Join Together web site, which is excellent.  
  

Parents urge FDA to warn of antidepressant suicide risk
USA Today story - "Parents and doctors need more explicit warnings that some widely used antidepressants are suspected of sometimes causing suicidal behavior in children and teenagers, scientific advisers told the government. That doesn't mean the drugs shouldn't ever be used in children, nor is there actual proof yet that the suicide risk is real, advisers to the Food and Drug Administration cautioned Monday as the agency opened public hearings on a controversy sparked when Britain last year declared most newer antidepressants unsuitable for use by depressed minors."  
  

Mental health watchdog bares its teeth (Virginia)
Story in the Virginian-Pilot - "For years, mental health advocates fought to give teeth to the watchdog agency that monitors state services. Finally, a year and a half ago, the late, unlamented Department for Rights of Virginians with Disabilities closed shop. A new oversight agency, the Virginia Office for Protection and Advocacy, opened its doors. Now, many of the old conflicts of interests and barriers, inherent when a cash-starved government polices itself, are gone. An independent board, rather than the governor, appoints VOPA’s director. In-house lawyers, rather than the same attorney general’s office that represents the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation & Substance Abuse, oversee legal decisions. And instead of begging and cajoling state officials to supply information, VOPA officials are insisting — in court — that the state live up to its legal responsibilities to the mentally challenged..."  
  

Racial Differences in Mental Health Care
Ivanhoe Newswire item based on a study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry - "A new study finds racial differences exist in the way mental illness is treated. Researchers say the study shows much improvement is needed. Mental illness is a common problem for the elderly. Around 20 percent of the adult population will experience some mental disorder including depression, anxiety, and age-related cognitive impairment. While treating mental illness in the elderly is complicated, recent studies show a disparity based on race. Researchers from the University of Minnesota conducted a study to examine the quality of mental health care received by elderly patients enrolled in Medicare+ Choice plans."  
  

Mental health: full-time work
Star News editorial - "The mentally ill, their families and their communities have gotten more bad news, as if they needed any. The man North Carolina hired two years ago to reform its mental health services has started doing substantial work on the side, has applied for yet another job in another state, and has put his North Carolina house up for sale. His wife has already left the state. Between a quarter and a half of Richard J. Visingari's working time will be spent on the consulting work. Yet we'll still pay him his full salary..."