PULSE EXECUTIVE EDITION is a free service of the Centre for Community Change International, selecting links to reports, articles, major news stories and Internet resources from CCCI's PULSE news service for leaders of mental health and consumer advocacy organizations. PULSE is researched, edited and designed by Bill Davis.
Monday, February 03, 2003
ADHD: a women's issue
Feature article in the new APA Monitor on gender bias in research on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, based on research published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. The lead author if the article notes that "girls experience significant struggles that are often overlooked because their ADHD symptoms bear little resemblance to those of boys."
More protections for patients and psychologists under HIPAA
Feature article in the APA Monitor on the HIPAA provisions "psychotherapy notes provision," which "recognizes that certain kinds of mental health information need to be protected more than other types of information.....HIPAA affords psychotherapy notes more protection--most notably from third-party payers--than they'd been given in the past. Under HIPAA, disclosure of psychotherapy notes requires more than just generalized consent; it requires patient authorization--or specific permission--to release this sensitive information."Children's Stimulant Prescriptions Vary
AP story at InteliHealth - "Prescription rates for Ritalin and similar attention deficit disorder drugs -- both widely praised and widely maligned -- vary dramatically across the nation, new research indicates."Bush Administration Will Propose Innovative Improvements in States' Health Coverage for Low-Income Americans
January 31 HHS press release - "HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced today that the President will propose a sweeping new plan to enable states to improve health insurance coverage for low-income Americans. The plan gives states the upfront investment and flexibility to design health care programs that best meet the needs of their citizens and expand coverage to more people, including the mentally ill, chronically ill, those with HIV/AIDS and those with substance abuse problems."More in College Seek Help for Psychological Problems
New York Times article on a study of college students seeking psychological counseling which "found that their emotional difficulties are far more complex and more severe than those seen in the past." [Viewing New York Times resources requires registration, which is free]. See also the APA press release Dramatic increases seen in college students' mental health problems over last 13-years and the full article, Changes in Counseling Center Client Problems Across 13 Years (Adobe Acrobat format).Prescription drug abuse by teens increasing
American Medical News story based on the the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse and highlighting the current Food and Drug Administration and SAMHSA effort designed to raise awareness about the increasing rates of abuse.At 18, mental patients face perilous change (Massachusetts)
Boston Globe story - "In a mental health system with plenty of weak points, analysts are increasingly focusing on the period around a person's 18th birthday -- a juncture where, they say, patients often take a disastrous turn toward homelessness, criminal behavior, and a revolving-door cycle of crisis, hospitalization, and release. Beginning on their 18th birthdays, patients lose access to a broad array of state services, including mental-health case workers, day programs, and monitoring at schools or by probation officers."