Rural Proofing the National Service Framework for Mental Health
"The Rural Proofing project was funded by NIMHE, in response to the mechanism, introduced in the Government's 2000 Rural White Paper, to assess all major polices for their rural impact and adjustments made. The project was managed by Mind and the National Mental Health Partnership.
The initial intention was to rural proof the English adult NSFMH, however the resulting document is more than that. As we researched the project it became clear that there was no single repository for rural issues that impact on mental health. We have therefore produced a document that has considered not only the adult NSFMH, its Standards and underpinning programmes, the Mental Health Policy Implementation Plan and the NHS Plan, but also other significant issues relevant to rural communities..." - Keith Elder, Rural Minds Development Manager.
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
Item in CMHA/Ontario's Mental Health Notes = "Depression does not have a lasting effect on one’s ability to function once recovery begins, according to a study in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica. The findings suggest that doctors should treat depression (and anxiety) aggressively even in patients who have been ill for a long time. The study examined how the length and severity of depression and the length of time in recovery are associated with inability to perform daily activities, go to work, function without problems at work, and interact socially."
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Reuters Health story at Medscape - "Olanzapine and fluoxetine appear to be safe and effective agents for treating women with borderline personality disorder, study findings suggest. Olanzapine as monotherapy or combined with fluoxetine seems to be better for treating the chronic dysphoria and impulsive aggression associated with this disorder. There are no recent studies comparing the efficacy of one class of psychotropic medication to another for borderline patients, Dr. Mary C. Zanarini, at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts, and her team note in their paper in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry for July. Their 8-week study compared olanzapine, an atypical antipsychotic, and fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor." "med"
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Medscape Medical News Alert - "The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Pfizer have notified healthcare professionals by letter of revisions to the warnings section of drug labeling for ziprasidone (Geodon), according to an alert sent today from MedWatch, the FDA's safety information and adverse event reporting system. The warning refers to the increased risk of hyperglycemia and diabetes in patients treated with ziprasidone and other atypical antipsychotics. The FDA has received reports of hyperglycemia, in some cases extreme and associated with ketoacidosis, hyperosmolar coma, or death in patients treated with these medications. Some cases of hyperglycemia have resolved upon discontinuation of the atypical antipsychotic while others have required continued antidiabetic treatment." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].
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University of Buffalo press release at Newswise - "Teachers nationwide say about five percent of children in their classrooms have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and they estimate another 5 percent have ADHD but are undiagnosed, according to a survey conducted by University at Buffalo graduate student Gregory Fabiano and William Pelham, Jr., UB distinguished professor of psychology, pediatrics and psychiatry. Many of these children likely will be placed on psychoactive medication by their family physician, often prompted by their child's school. For parents of children who will be diagnosed with ADHD during the upcoming school year, Pelham, a national authority on ADHD treatment, has this important message: There is an effective alternative to medication for treating ADHD."
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National Institute of Health press release - "Using brain imaging, neuroscientists at the NIH’s National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) have pinpointed the site of a defect in a brain circuit associated with a specific thinking deficit. Their study demonstrates how a rare genetic disorder, Williams Syndrome, can offer clues as to how genetic flaws may translate into cognitive symptoms in more common and complex major mental disorders. Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg, M.D., Karen Berman, M.D., and colleagues, traced the thinking deficit to a circuit at the back of the brain that processes locations of objects in the visual field. The researchers report on their Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) study in the September 2, 2004 Neuron."
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Copyright 2003 © Bill Davis.
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