Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Who's Mentally Ill? Deciding Is Often All in the Mind June 12
New York Times story - "The release last week of a government-sponsored survey, the most comprehensive to date, suggests that more than half of Americans will develop a mental disorder in their lives. The study was the third, beginning in 1984, to suggest a significant increase in mental illness since the middle of the 20th century, when estimates of lifetime prevalence ranged closer 20 or 30 percent. But what does it mean when more than half of a society may suffer 'mental illness'? Is it an indictment of modern life or a sign of greater willingness to deal openly with a once-taboo subject? Or is it another example of the American mania to give every problem a name, a set of symptoms and a treatment - a trend, medical historians say, accentuated by drug marketing to doctors and patients?" [Viewing
New York Times resources requires registration, which is free].
Depression common in ex-service personnel but many fail to seek help Story at
Psychiatry Matters, based on research published in the
British Journal of Psychiatry - "Depression appears to be more common than post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in UK ex-military personnel, say researchers who also note that less than half of those with depression seek help. The findings highlight the need for the military to encourage a culture in which it is acceptable for personnel to consult professionals about psychiatric symptoms..."
Less Than Half of Enrollees Satisfied With Consumer-Directed Health Plans, Study Shows Item in the
Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report - "New research shows 'mixed results' for consumer-directed health plans -- high-deductible, low-premium insurance plans paired with savings accounts that consumers can draw on to pay for health services, the Wall Street Journal reports. Overall, participants are not foregoing health services but are 'frustrated by having to be health care consumers because medical price and quality information still is so hard to come by,' according to the
Journal."
Insured But Not Protected: How Many Adults Are Underinsured? This link is to the abstract of a study published in
Health Affairs - "...This study estimates that nearly sixteen million people ages 19-64 were underinsured in 2003. Underinsured adults were more likely to forgo needed care than those with more adequate coverage and had rates of financial stress similar to those of the uninsured. Including adults uninsured during the year, 35 percent (sixty-one million) were under- or uninsured..." The study is available in both
HTML and
PDF formats.
Magellan, WellPoint reach contract renewal deal Cincinnati Business Courier story - " Magellan Health Services Inc. will continue to manage behavioral health benefits for WellPoint Inc.'s Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio. The two sides reached an agreement that extends the relationship through Dec. 31, 2007, according to a news release. The contract had been set to expire at the end of 2005..."
Mental Health to Get $14 Million (South Carolina) Black Enterprise story - "State Mental Health officials will have as much as $14 million to buy and renovate buildings to house and treat the mentally ill once the State Hospital complex on Bull Street is sold. A temporary law approved last month allows most state agencies to keep half of what they make from the sale of property. The windfall money must go to pay for nonrecurring expenses, such as building improvements. That means half the profit from the planned sale of the 178-acre State Hospital grounds on Columbia's Bull Street will go to the Department of Mental Health."
