Tuesday, February 08, 2005

Suicide Rates Have Decreased With Increased Use of SSRIs, New-Generation Non-SSRIs  Medscape Medical News story - "Suicide rates have dropped in association with increased use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) and new-generation non-SSRIs, according to the results of an analysis of a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) national vital statistics study published in the February issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry. However, the investigators acknowledge that this type of data cannot demonstrate causal relationships." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

Evaluating Cultural Competence Among Behavioral Health Professionals Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal article in Adobe Acrobat format - "Persistent racial and ethnic disparities in access and utilization of behavioral health services have highlighted the need for cultural competence among providers. In response, many agencies are now implementing education and training programs to ensure that behavioral health professionals improve their skills when serving diverse ethnic, racial, and cultural populations. The evaluation of these trainings is vital to ensure that they both improve the cultural competence of providers and promote recovery among persons with severe mental illnesses. This paper discusses the philosophical and practical issues related to measuring cultural competence, based on the evaluation of statewide cultural competence trainings for behavioral health professionals. The evaluation process illustrates the challenges of operationalizing cultural competence, balancing the needs of program implementers and evaluators, and developing a robust and feasible evaluation design, which assesses outcomes both for persons in recovery and providers. "  
  

What is Collaborative Mental Health Care? A paper by the Canadian Collaborative Mental Health Care Initiative (Adobe Acrobat format). As noted in CMHA/Ontario's Mental Health Notes, the paper "introduces the collaborative mental health care framework, which is based on research and an analysis of existing collaborative mental health care initiatives. Besides the key elements that define collaborative care, the framework identifies four fundamentals to implementing successful collaboration: policies, legislation and funding regulations, sufficient funds, evidence-based research and community needs."  
  

Study Questions Suicide-Antidepressant Link Story at Ivanhoe - "Curtailing the use of newer antidepressants because of recent reports that they may increase the risk of suicide in adolescents may be likened to throwing the baby out with the bathwater, according to researchers from UCLA. The report suggests these drugs, known as serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs, are true life-savers and are responsible for a significant reduction in the overall rate of suicide since they were introduced in the 1980s."  
  

Health plan for vets called inadequate  Story in The Oregonian - " The Bush administration's proposal to fund health care for veterans is "woefully inadequate" to meet the needs of soldiers coming home from Iraq and tocontinue treatment for those who fought in other wars, Rep. Darlene Hooley said Monday. Hooley, D-Ore., and Rep. Brian Baird, D-Wash., asked the president to increase funding for veterans health services to meet growing needs as thousands of troops return after combat in Iraq. ... Baird said veterans' health services have been underfunded since the war began, and that not catching up now, especially for soldiers suffering post traumatic stress and other mental health needs, means there could be casualties at home. " See also the paper's related editorial.