Monday, June 20, 2005
The Symptoms, Neurobiology, and Current Pharmacological Treatment of Depression Journal of Neuroscience Nursing article at
Medscape - "Depression as a medical disorder increasingly is being recognized and treated. The mood of an individual with major depression is often described as sad, hopeless, or discouraged, and there are many physical symptoms associated with depression. Pharmacologic treatments for depression have advanced greatly since the development of the first therapies, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). Many medications, such as tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), currently are available to help combat this health problem. Newer medications have eliminated many of the side effects associated with older therapies, and treatments in development are designed with the goal of further improving on efficacy while eliminating side effects..." [Viewing
Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].
AMA Council on Scientific Affairs Says Antidepressants Are Safe for Adolescents Reuters Health story at
Medscape - "A new report from the American Medical Association's Council on Scientific Affairs (CSA) suggests that anti-depressants, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as fluoxetine (Prozac), are appropriate therapies for the treatment of depression in teenagers. Moreover, the CSA reports states that even off-label usage is justified if physicians use prudent clinical judgment. The CSA report, which was discussed at an AMA reference committee hearing Sunday, was immediately endorsed by delegates representing the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the American Academy of Pediatrics..." [Viewing
Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].
The Medicaid Explosion Washington Post editorial - "Cost control is a daunting task, in large part because rising costs aren't mostly due to any problem with Medicaid itself. Rather, they stem from the growing ranks of the uninsured, the aging of the U.S. population and the rising costs of health care generally -- none of which are amenable to easy fixes. The biggest driver in rising Medicaid costs is the 40 percent increase in people enrolled in the last five years. This reflects the economic downturn and the decline in the availability and affordability of employer-sponsored health insurance. Meanwhile, Medicaid is no longer a program primarily for poor children and mothers: The elderly and disabled account for about 25 percent of beneficiaries but more than 70 percent of spending. Most significantly, because Medicare doesn't cover most long-term care and because only a sliver of Americans purchase long-term care insurance, Medicaid ends up picking up that expensive tab: The program accounts for 43 percent of all spending on long-term care...."
Gee, Fixing Welfare Seemed Like a Snap New York Times article on "Medicaid's Tentacles" - "Remember the hot debate over the transformation of the American welfare system? When President Bill Clinton signed the welfare reform act in 1996, which gave states wide latitude in determining benefits, the federal government believed it had changed the way the country thought about antipoverty programs. But if overhauling welfare as we knew it gave politicians headaches almost a decade ago, fixing Medicaid - the nation's largest antipoverty program - will give them ulcers..." [Viewing
New York Times resources requires registration, which is free].
Prisons in South Carolina may face legal problems Charlotte Observer story - "Low state funding and concerns about the treatment of mentally ill prisoners could create legal problems for South Carolina's Corrections Department, its director says. Agency director Jon Ozmint says he sat down earlier this year with lawyers from a Columbia law firm that has been looking into how the prisons take care of mentally ill inmates. The firm -- Nelson, Mullins, Riley and Scarborough -- confirmed this week that it has prepared a lawsuit involving mental health issues that could be filed soon. Officials of the firm would not elaborate on their plans."
Processes of Mental Health Service Use By Adolescents With Depression Journal of Nursing Scholarship study reprinted at
Black Enterprise based on open-ended interviews with 52 young adults who were depressed as adolescents, four of their parents, and eight professionals who work with adolescents who are depressed, which concludes that "Mental health service use by adolescents with depression involved complex and fluid interactional processes among the depressed adolescents, their parents or caretakers, and mental health care providers. Strategies are needed to avoid creating the pitfalls that concern adolescents and their families."
Glaring inequalities for people with mental disorders addressed in new WHO effort WHO press release - "Today the World Health Organization (WHO) is giving countries an important new legal tool to help address the often unacceptable conditions in which people with mental disabilities live. There are more than 450 million people with mental, neurological or behavioural problems throughout the world. In many countries, they are among the most vulnerable and the least legally protected. Nearly a quarter of all countries have no mental health legislation, while many more have legislation that poorly protects the human rights of people with mental disorders, or does not reflect currently accepted mental health practices. ... WHO is providing support to an increasing number of countries implementing progressive mental health laws that respect, protect and fulfil the rights of people with mental disorders, with the aim of improving their lives and well-being. As part of this ongoing effort, today WHO announces the publication of a landmark book which will guide countries and support stakeholders in creating mental health legislation. The
WHO Resource Book on Mental Health, Human Rights and Legislation includes input from consultations with hundreds of experts and stakeholders throughout the world, leaders in psychiatry, psychology, law, and human rights, as well as representatives from mental health service users, family groups and NGOs." See also the complete
WHO Resource Book on Mental Health, Human Rights and Legislation (PDF format) and the news story
WHO urges laws to protect the mentally ill (
Seattle Post Intelligencer),
