Friday, December 19, 2003

Uninsured more likely to suffer substance abuse, less likely to get treatmentNewsRx story reprinted at PsycPORT - " When it comes to alcohol and drug addiction, people without health insurance are more likely both to suffer from substance abuse and to face barriers to treatment. A study of 25,500 people in the U.S. interviewed in 1998 as part of the National Household Study on Drug Abuse found that only 9% of people lacking health insurance and suffering from drug or alcohol dependence had received any treatment in the past year. Data also showed that non-Hispanic whites were three times more likely than blacks to receive substance abuse treatment or counseling. .."  
  

Baclofen Holds Promise For Cocaine TreatmentPress release reprinted at Science Daily - " The anti-spasticity medication baclofen holds promise for helping cocaine abusers overcome their addiction, a study by a UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute researcher finds. No medication currently holds U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for treatment of cocaine addiction. Published in the Dec. 15 edition of the peer-reviewed Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, the randomized, double-blind study found that baclofen used in conjunction with substance abuse counseling significantly reduced cocaine use in recovering addicts compared to placebo coupled with counseling. The study was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse as part of a project to screen medications with potential for treating cocaine dependence. "  
  

What's Next for Managed Mental Health?Article by Leonard Holmes at About Mental Health - " Managed care has dramatically changed mental health care in the United States. Paperwork has skyrocketed as clinicians are required to fill out detailed forms to request additional sessions. "Behavioral healthcare" companies have been born as mental health care has been "carved-out" of insurance plans to be managed separately. What's in store for the future? As research continues to blur the distinction between mind and body the current system begs for change. Some believe that current trends - including the push toward parity legislation - will result in mental health benefits being reunited with (or "carved-in" to) benefits for physical health. ... Patients with co-occurring mental and physical disorders are poorly treated under the current system. .."