Monday, May 17, 2004

Emergency Departments See Dramatic Increase in People with Mental Illness Seeking Care
NMHA press release - "A recent upsurge in people with mental illness seeking treatment in emergency departments is taking a significant toll on patient care and hospital resources nationwide, according to a new survey of emergency physicians conducted by the nation’s leading mental health organizations and the American College of Emergency Physicians. Six in 10 emergency physicians surveyed report that the increase in psychiatric patients is negatively affecting access to emergency medical care for all patients, causing longer wait times, fueling patient frustration, limiting the availability of hospital staff and decreasing the number of available emergency department beds..."  
  

Promoting Mental Health: Concepts - Emerging Evidence - Practice
World Health Organization report in Adobe Acrobat format that offers "a discussion on the concepts of mental health and mental health promotion, and a description of the relationship of mental health to mental illnesses; a rationale for the place of mental health promotion within public health, alongside prevention of mental illness and the treatment and rehabilitation of people living with mental illnesses and related disabilities; the various perspectives that open when considering mental health as a public health issue, the types of evidence that exist in this area, and the feasibility of mental health promotion strategies; examples of the interventions possible and the responsibility of various sectors; and a way forward of activities that could be undertaken immediately within a variety of resource settings..." See also WHO ATLAS study, noted here some time ago - "a comprehensive and systematic attempt to understand the mental health resources in the world."   
  

As many as 22,000 Iraq, Afghan war veterans already seek care from VA
Napa News story - "Nearly 18,000 soldiers who have returned from Iraq have sought care at VA health facilities, officials reported at the end of March. A separate report in mid-April said 4,000 troops from the war in Afghanistan sought care, although there is some overlap from those who served in both conflicts. ... Mental disorders were diagnosed in 16 percent of the Afghanistan veterans and 15 percent of the Iraqi veterans. ... With thousands more veterans expected to seek benefits and health care, the VA faces its biggest challenge since the early 1990s. Officials are well aware of the stakes."