Final Report to the President: President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health
The New Freedom Commission today issued its long-awaited final report, and this page at their web site indexes a variety of related documents, including a web-based version of the final report (with an executive summary) and an Adobe Acrobat version of the full report. The executive summary notes that "To achieve the promise of community living for everyone, new service delivery patterns and incentives must ensure that every American has easy and continuous access to the most current treatments and best support services. Advances in research, technology, and our understanding of how to treat mental illnesses provide powerful means to transform the system. In a transformed system, consumers and family members will have access to timely and accurate information that promotes learning, self-monitoring, and accountability. Health care providers will rely on up-to-date knowledge to provide optimum care for the best outcomes. .... Transforming the system so that it will be both consumer and family centered and recovery-oriented in its care and services presents invigorating challenges. Incentives must change to encourage continuous improvement in agencies that provide care. New, relevant research findings must be systematically conveyed to front-line providers so that they can be applied to practice quickly. Innovative strategies must inform researchers of the unanswered questions of consumers, families, and providers. Research and treatment must recognize both the commonalities and the differences among Americans and must offer approaches that are sensitive to our diversity. Treatment and services that are based on proven effectiveness and consumer preference - not just on tradition or outmoded regulations - must be the basis for reimbursements."

See also National Council on Disability Applauds Presidential Mental Health Report, the NMHA press release, President’s Commission Offers Prescription for Broken Mental Health System, the initial statement by SAMHSA Director Charles Curie, the AP story reprinted at PsycPORT, New Ways Sought to Treat Mentally Ill, and President's Commission Reports on America's Crumbling Mental Health System and Mental Health Commission Report Underscores Need for Mental Health Parity (both from US Newswire). Links to additional follow-up stories will be posted as they appear.

  
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Genes for depression play role in mood disorders, shorter lifespan
Mental Health Weekly Digest story at the NAMI web site - "Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have completed the first survey of the entire human genome for genes that affect the susceptibility of individuals to developing clinical depression."  
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Clinical Update in Bipolar Disorders: Second-Generation Antipsychotics in the Maintenance Therapy of Bipolar Disorder
A new CME unit from Medscape. [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
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Aripiprazole Safe, Effective in Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder
Medscape Medical News Story - "Aripiprazole is safe and effective for the treatment of positive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, according to the results of a four-week, double-blind trial published in the July issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
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Michigan's Mentally Ill: Crisis in Care
This page indexes all the stories over the last three days in a "Special Report" by the Detroit News. See, especially, Granholm vows to fix mental health system on Gov. Jennifer Granholm's call for a special commission to study the growing crisis in care for the mentally ill, Patients caught in gap between policy, reality, Money tight, pay low at group home facilities, Mental care system sows web of despair, Critics: Patients moved out too quickly and a timeline of changes in the state in Caring for the mentally ill.  
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