Tuesday, April 01, 2003

NIMH launches public health campaign to reach men about depression
NIMH press release - "The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), one of the National Institutes of Health, today announced the launch of the first national campaign to raise awareness that depression is a major public health problem affecting an estimated 6 million men annually. Research suggests that men are less likely to seek treatment for this serious illness; data also show that men die by suicide at four times the rate of women."  
  

Anxiety and Depression Comorbidity
Medscape Psychiatry & Mental Health article - "There has been growing interest and concern about the high rates of comorbidity of anxiety disorders and depression, now clearly documented in both epidemiologic and clinical samples. The presence of comorbidity has been repeatedly shown to have a negative impact on course, including elevated rates of suicidality, greater severity of the primary disorder, greater impairments in social and occupational functioning, and poorer response to treatment." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free.]  
  

CASA Report: Alternative-to-Prison Program Reduces Crime
Article in Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly at Medscape - "Drug-addicted, nonviolent felony offenders with multiple arrests and an incarceration history achieved significantly lower recidivism and higher employment through a drug treatment program than did comparable offenders who were sent to prison, according to a report released last week by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

Information on Illnesses and Treatments
This new section of the NAMI web site provides detailed brochures, fact sheets and information on treatment of a wide variety of mental illnesses from anorexia nervosa to schizophrenia.