Monday, October 18, 2004

Mental Health Legislation Update
Summary at the NAMI web site of pending legislation - "As is being widely reported in the press, Congress has adjourned until after the upcoming November elections. Both the House and Senate will return in late November for a post-election 'lame duck' session that will be necessary to resolve a range of unfinished spending bills for the current fiscal year (FY 2005). These include appropriations bills funding a range of mental illness research and services programs including the FY 2005 budgets for NIMH, SAMHSA, VA and HUD."  
  

Newspapers Examine Impact of Health Care on Presidential Election
Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report item on coverage of health care issues and their role in the current presidential election campaign, with clickable links to many stories. See also, in the same source, Editorials, Opinion Pieces Address Presidential Candidates' Health Care Proposals.  
  

FDA: Chip Implant Can Be Used to Get Health Records
Btrief Reuters Health story at Medscape - "A computer chip that is implanted under the skin won U.S. approval on Wednesday for use in helping doctors quickly access a patient's medical history. The VeriChip, sold by Applied Digital Solutions Inc., is placed in the upper arm in a painless procedure that takes minutes, the company said. ... The FDA ruled in 2002 that it would not regulate financial, security or other uses of the chips. Privacy advocates have voiced worry about the speedy transfer of sensitive medical information via computer. Applied Digital said the data would be kept secure." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

Many Depressed Patients Have Bipolar Disorder
Medscape Medical News story - "Many depressed patients who fail to respond to repeated treatment with antidepressants may actually have bipolar disorder, according to new research. These patients are better treated with mood stabilizing drugs, possibly in combination with atypical neuroleptics. Clinicians who treat patients with depression are all too familiar with those who do not seem to respond to antidepressants or who respond for a while and then relapse. According to Verinder Sharma, MB, FRCP(C), many of these patients probably have bipolar disorder. Dr. Sharma is a psychiatrist at the Mood Disorders Program of St. Joseph's Health Care and a professor of psychiatry at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada. He presented his research into misdiagnosed bipolar disorder here at the 54th annual meeting of the Canadian Psychiatric Association." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

FDA Launches a Multi-Pronged Strategy to Strengthen Safeguards for Children Treated With Antidepressant Medications
October 15 FDA press release - "The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today issued a Public Health Advisory announcing a multi-pronged strategy to warn the public about the increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior ('suicidality') in children and adolescents being treated with antidepressant medications. The agency is directing manufacturers to add a 'black box' warning to the health professional labeling of all antidepressant medications to describe this risk and emphasize the need for close monitoring of patients started on these medications. FDA has also determined that a Patient Medication Guide (MedGuide), which will be given to patients receiving the drugs to advise them of the risk and precautions that can be taken, is appropriate, and is in the process of developing one. "  
  

Depression Drugs to Carry a Warning
Washington Post story reprinted at Yahoo - " The federal government ordered yesterday that all antidepressant drugs carry a prominent "black box" warning to alert doctors that the medications increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior among children and adolescents. Clinical trials showed that children taking antidepressants have a 4 percent risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior, compared with a 2 percent risk among children getting placebos, said regulators at the Food and Drug Administration..."  See also the AP story FDA Orders Strong Antidepressant Warnings and the New York Times story, F.D.A. Toughens Warning on Antidepressant Drugs. [Viewing New York Times resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

A fresh look at mental health
Guest column in the MetroWest Daily News (Boston) by Dennis J. McCrory, a psychiatrist who specializes in rehabilitation and recovery, and Richard A. Hogarty, emeritus professor of political science at UMass/Boston, both of whom serve on the Massachusetts Mental Health Planning Council. Their column starts with a reference to very visible individual stories of recovery, that "invite usto "take a fresh look at improving the quality of life for people who have mental illness."