Monday, June 30, 2003
Adult ADHD Often Undiagnosed by Primary Care Physicians PR Newswire story reprinted at the NAMI web site- "Inadequate clinical training, inexperience and the lack of a well-validated screening tool are major barriers prohibiting primary care physicians from diagnosing ADHD in adults, according to a national survey released today by New York University School of Medicine. The survey also revealed that primary care physicians would take a more active role in treating adult ADHD if these issues were addressed."
Mental ailments in children being linked to strep Boston Globe story on "a growing body of research, though still controversial" which suggests that "one child in every 1,000 suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder linked to strep. ... among children who do have OCD, up to one-half of those cases could be strep-related, said one specialist, Dr. Tanya Murphy of the University of Florida."
Nurse quits over mental care in jails (Arizona) Arizona Republic story - "A nurse with Maricopa County's Correctional Health Services said he was so concerned about the lack of staffing and poor psychiatric care in the jails, he resigned earlier this month. 'I felt my license was in jeopardy,' said Leonard Sines, who worked as a nurse in the system for about three years."
Hispanics have more depression than other ethnic groups Health News (UK) story - "Hispanics are more likely to be diagnosed as having major depression than European Americans and African Americans, according to a US study. Prior research had shown African Americans had higher rates of schizophrenia and lower rates of depression that European Americans. It had been suggested that this findings might also be true for Hispanics. ... To address this issue, Dr Shula Minsky, from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Piscataway, and colleagues investigated whether Hispanics presenting for mental health treatment showed major differences in presenting symptoms, clinical severity and psychiatric diagnosis compared to European and African Americans."
County gets grant for mental health court (Oregon) News-Register story - "With funding from the federal Bureau of Justice Assistance and a climate of eagerness among criminal justice professionals involved in the project, Yamhill County may have the state's first mental health court up and running within months. The recently awarded grant is one of just 23 in the nation, including one in Lane County."
Kids losing mental health insurance (Texas) The first story in a two-part series on children's insurance cuts in the
Times Record - "Children won't be able to use a popular insurance to pay for mental health therapy anymore, a situation that could threaten the youths' welfare and increase the Helen Farabee Regional MHMR Center's workload. ... The 78th Legislature opted against letting residents use CHIP to pay for mental health therapy for children. On Sept. 1, the program will no longer pay for mental health services. That means more youths might head for Helen Farabee even at a time that the center is adjusting to cuts of its own."
Facility to merge mental health services (South Carolina) Story in
The State - "Kershaw County Mental Health will get much-needed relief early next year when a new facility will bring several services under one roof. Construction began earlier this year on a nearly 12,000-square-foot building in Dusty Bend, slated to open in January. The new center will bring together services housed in three different Camden locations: the Lafayette Avenue clinic that provides adult services; and two in Dusty Bend that administer children's services and a living skills program."
