NAMI has embarked on a project to build an online community that consists of a resource center and a social networking Web site specifically designed for young adults (ages 18 to 26) living with mental illness.
Young adult consumers have been driving the development of the online community, StrengthofUs, from the very beginning. We have been receiving and incorporating an incredible amount of input and feedback on various elements including design, applications and resource topics, and have been working on an ongoing basis with an Expert Advisory Group of young adult consumers.
We are now seeking additional young adults who are interested in becoming involved with any of the activities below. If you know of any young adults who would interested in participating, please have them email Dana Markey, Program Coordinator, at danac@nami.org.
1. WHAT DOES STRENGTH MEAN TO YOU?
In conjunction with the online community project, we would like to hear from young adults on “What Does Strength Mean to You?” This question can be answered in the following forms:
Artwork
Photographs
Short Vignettes
Poems
Videos
Submitted content will be reviewed for incorporation into the online community. The deadline for submissions is Monday, January 4th. Submissions should be sent to Dana Markey, Program Coordinator, at danac@nami.org.
2. BETA TESTING THE ONLINE COMMUNITY
StrengthofUs includes a social networking Web site where young adults can link with each other and their local communities by creating a profile, sending messages, participating in discussion groups, posting blogs and other content and using calendars.
We are seeking a group of young adults to actively participate in beta testing the social networking Web site and reviewing the online community as a whole. The beta test of the online community will begin in January.
Those interested in beta testing the Web site should contact Dana Markey, Program Coordinator, at danac@nami.org as soon as possible.
StrengthofUs will publicly launch in late March 2010. We are extremely excited for the opportunity to work with young adults on this project and address the unique needs of this age group. Thank you for your time and we look forward to hearing from you!
Detailed Project Description:
NAMI’s Online Community/Social Networking Website for Transition-Age Youth
NAMI’s Child & Adolescent Action Center (CAAC) has received a two year grant to develop an online community/social networking website for transition-age youth between the ages of 18 to 24. The website will be geared toward those who are living with a mental illness as well as those who want to learn more about mental health or how to support their friends or family members living with a mental illness.
The website will include information and resources on topics pertaining to mental health and transition-age issues, including:
· Advocacy
· College-Based Services and Accommodations
· Connection to Community Activities
· Employment
· Relationships
· Housing
· Independent Living, Social, and Coping Skills
· How to Support a Friend or Family Member with a Mental Illness
· Information on Diagnosing and Treating Mental Illness
· Peer Support and Services
· Strategies for Overcoming Social Isolation
· Social Security
Equally important, the website will also have a social networking component that will allow website users with shared interests and concerns, and those seeking information, to connect with one another and their local communities. The website will enable youth to create a profile and communicate with each other within a safe and secure environment.
In order to ensure an effective web community is developed, NAMI surveyed over 250 transition-age youth to collect their input and feedback on what they want and need from an online community/social networking website. NAMI has also created an Expert Advisory Group of transition-age youth to provide the young adult perspective and guide NAMI’s work throughout the development of the website. This group will provide ongoing guidance on the layout, design, content, and promotion of the website.
The website will be launched March 2010. For more information about this project, please contact Dana Markey, Child and Adolescent Program Coordinator, at danac@nami.org.
We are extremely excited to develop an online community/social networking website that will better meet the unique need of transition-age youth. Stay tuned for more details!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
2009 Voice Awards Put Mental Health Recovery On Center Stage
The Voice Awards Web site (www.voiceawards.samhsa.gov) has been updated! Check it out for information about the 24 films, television shows, and individuals that were honored at the 2009 Voice Awards event on Wednesday, October 14, at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, CA. There are also photos that capture red-carpet arrivals and award presentations, as well as the after-party celebration that was underwritten by our Program Participants. This year’s event was hosted by Academy Award-winning actor and mental health consumer Richard Dreyfuss, and brought together 500 guests from the entertainment industry and consumer and advocacy communities.
We encourage all of you to stay alert for television or film productions that meet the nominating criteria for award. The link to information about the nomination process and eligibility period for the 2010 Voice Awards can be found on the Web site. We’d like to acknowledge the efforts of all who contribute to SAMHSA’s goal to promote understanding and support for individuals with mental health issues.”
We encourage all of you to stay alert for television or film productions that meet the nominating criteria for award. The link to information about the nomination process and eligibility period for the 2010 Voice Awards can be found on the Web site. We’d like to acknowledge the efforts of all who contribute to SAMHSA’s goal to promote understanding and support for individuals with mental health issues.”
Monday, November 30, 2009
Why the holiday suicide myth persists
By Kim Painter, USA TODAY
You could blame George Bailey. In the 1946 holiday film It's a Wonderful Life, that fictional character contemplated suicide on Christmas Eve, possibly giving birth to the idea that suicides climb during the winter holidays.
But moviemaker Frank Capra had it wrong: Study after study shows no such link; in fact, suicide numbers peak in the spring and may even dip in December, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Still, the holiday suicide myth has amazing staying power.
For the past decade, Dan Romer, a researcher at the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, has been tracking mentions of suicide and the holiday season in stories published in U.S. newspapers from mid-November to mid-January. His first study, covering the 1999 holiday season, found that just 23% of stories debunked the myth and the rest reinforced it. By 2006, 91% of stories debunked the myth, and Romer took some credit: Publicizing the facts had nearly killed the myth, he thought.
He was wrong. In the 2007 season, the myth was back in half of stories, he says. And Romer just completed his analysis of 2008 holiday coverage. He found that 38% of stories supported the myth and 62% debunked it – an improvement he attributes partly to a myth-busting report published last December in the British Medical Journal.
He can't explain why nearly four in 10 stories still linked suicide and the holidays. "No one does it maliciously," he says. "I think they are trying to help people."
But the myth may harm people instead.
"It might unnecessarily put people on their guard or increase their anxiety," says Ronald Pies, a psychiatrist at Tufts University School of Medicine, via e-mail. Worse, he says, some people "on the brink" of self-harm might feel encouraged to follow through when they read or hear that holiday suicides are common. The myth might become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Romer agrees: "You don't want to convey the message that this is acceptable or that there's a good reason to do it."
But why does this particular myth persist?
One reason may be that the holidays fall during a time of year that can be trying for many people, says Paula Clayton, medical director of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. People with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) tend to become depressed as days get shorter and darker. They come out of their depression in the spring.
Meanwhile, some people do suffer short-term blues linked directly to the hubbub and stress of the holidays, she says. People in mourning for a loved one can feel especially sad as special days come and go without that person, she says.
Pies adds: "I certainly would expect that, in the present financial crisis, the usual blues would be intensified for many families facing loss of savings, unemployment, etc."
But, experts say, suicide is almost always the act of someone who has endured deep depression or another mental illness for months or years – not someone with a passing case of the blues.
The holiday suicide myth may detract attention from the real needs of people who might consider suicide at any time of year, Clayton says: "There are a lot of untreated people out there."
Meanwhile, researchers continue to look for the real patterns in suicidal behavior, says Alexander Crosby, a CDC researcher. "That can help us in terms of finding protective factors," he says.
And one protective factor, he says, is "connectiveness" – that is, how connected people are to friends, families and communities.
Fittingly enough, that was the very thing (along with an angel) that saved George Bailey after all.
You could blame George Bailey. In the 1946 holiday film It's a Wonderful Life, that fictional character contemplated suicide on Christmas Eve, possibly giving birth to the idea that suicides climb during the winter holidays.
But moviemaker Frank Capra had it wrong: Study after study shows no such link; in fact, suicide numbers peak in the spring and may even dip in December, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Still, the holiday suicide myth has amazing staying power.
For the past decade, Dan Romer, a researcher at the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, has been tracking mentions of suicide and the holiday season in stories published in U.S. newspapers from mid-November to mid-January. His first study, covering the 1999 holiday season, found that just 23% of stories debunked the myth and the rest reinforced it. By 2006, 91% of stories debunked the myth, and Romer took some credit: Publicizing the facts had nearly killed the myth, he thought.
He was wrong. In the 2007 season, the myth was back in half of stories, he says. And Romer just completed his analysis of 2008 holiday coverage. He found that 38% of stories supported the myth and 62% debunked it – an improvement he attributes partly to a myth-busting report published last December in the British Medical Journal.
He can't explain why nearly four in 10 stories still linked suicide and the holidays. "No one does it maliciously," he says. "I think they are trying to help people."
But the myth may harm people instead.
"It might unnecessarily put people on their guard or increase their anxiety," says Ronald Pies, a psychiatrist at Tufts University School of Medicine, via e-mail. Worse, he says, some people "on the brink" of self-harm might feel encouraged to follow through when they read or hear that holiday suicides are common. The myth might become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Romer agrees: "You don't want to convey the message that this is acceptable or that there's a good reason to do it."
But why does this particular myth persist?
One reason may be that the holidays fall during a time of year that can be trying for many people, says Paula Clayton, medical director of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. People with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) tend to become depressed as days get shorter and darker. They come out of their depression in the spring.
Meanwhile, some people do suffer short-term blues linked directly to the hubbub and stress of the holidays, she says. People in mourning for a loved one can feel especially sad as special days come and go without that person, she says.
Pies adds: "I certainly would expect that, in the present financial crisis, the usual blues would be intensified for many families facing loss of savings, unemployment, etc."
But, experts say, suicide is almost always the act of someone who has endured deep depression or another mental illness for months or years – not someone with a passing case of the blues.
The holiday suicide myth may detract attention from the real needs of people who might consider suicide at any time of year, Clayton says: "There are a lot of untreated people out there."
Meanwhile, researchers continue to look for the real patterns in suicidal behavior, says Alexander Crosby, a CDC researcher. "That can help us in terms of finding protective factors," he says.
And one protective factor, he says, is "connectiveness" – that is, how connected people are to friends, families and communities.
Fittingly enough, that was the very thing (along with an angel) that saved George Bailey after all.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Copycat effects after media reports on suicide: A population-based ecologic study.
Authors: Niederkrotenthaler, D., Till, B., Kapusta, N., Voracek, M., Dervic, K., & Sonneck, G. (2009). Social Science and Medicine, 69(7), 1085-1090.
The authors explored whether the risk of an increased number of suicides after a media report on suicide is associated with the social characteristics of the person whose suicide was reported. Celebrity status of the person whose suicide was reported was the only variable associated with an overall increase in the number of suicides after the media report of a suicide. That is, a suicide report involving a celebrity resulted in an increase in the total number of suicides in the 29 days following the report. However, the study also revealed three factors associated with an increase in the risk of “similar” suicides (that is, suicides of persons of the same sex, in the same age group, or who use the same method as the person whose suicide was reported in the media) over that same time period.
The study also revealed that media reports of the suicide of an individual convicted of, or suspected of, crimes were associated with a decrease in similar suicides. None of the variables were found to be associated with a post-media report increase in “dissimilar” suicides (that is, suicides by people in another age group, of the other sex, or who chose a different method). Nor was the density of media suicide reports found to be associated with an increase in suicides.
The authors concluded that increases in suicides after a media report of a suicide is most pronounced for:
The study also found that reports of the suicide of middle-aged people were more likely to be followed by similar suicides than reports of suicides of people in other age groups. The authors speculated that this may be a consequence of the fact that the study utilized newspaper reports and that most newspaper readers are middle-aged. They suggested that additional research should be conducted on media that target children, adolescents, and the elderly. The authors also noted that only a limited fraction of suicide reports in the media were followed by an increase in suicides. The research team used data on suicides from the nonprofit information center Statistics Austria during the period July 1996–September 2006 and reports on suicide in the 13 most widely read Austrian newspapers (which reach 74.2% of that country’s population) during the same time period. Among the celebrity suicides reported during this period were those of rock stars Falco and Michael Hutchence and British weapons expert David Kelly.
The authors explored whether the risk of an increased number of suicides after a media report on suicide is associated with the social characteristics of the person whose suicide was reported. Celebrity status of the person whose suicide was reported was the only variable associated with an overall increase in the number of suicides after the media report of a suicide. That is, a suicide report involving a celebrity resulted in an increase in the total number of suicides in the 29 days following the report. However, the study also revealed three factors associated with an increase in the risk of “similar” suicides (that is, suicides of persons of the same sex, in the same age group, or who use the same method as the person whose suicide was reported in the media) over that same time period.
- The first factor is celebrity status.
- The second factor is whether the person who was reported to have died by suicide was in the same age group as the people exposed to the support (that is, people seem to be more likely to imitate a suicide if the person who died by suicide was in their age group).
- The third factor was definitiveness. Definitively labeling a death as a suicide in a media report (rather than reporting it as a suspected suicide) increased the risk for similar suicides.
The study also revealed that media reports of the suicide of an individual convicted of, or suspected of, crimes were associated with a decrease in similar suicides. None of the variables were found to be associated with a post-media report increase in “dissimilar” suicides (that is, suicides by people in another age group, of the other sex, or who chose a different method). Nor was the density of media suicide reports found to be associated with an increase in suicides.
The authors concluded that increases in suicides after a media report of a suicide is most pronounced for:
- (1) people with social characteristics similar to the person whose suicide was reported, because they are more likely to identify with the deceased than other people; and
- (2) persons seen as socially superior (celebrities) and thus as role models to be imitated. Reporting a suicide of persons of whom society disapproves (i.e. criminals) was associated with a lower risk of copycat suicides.
The study also found that reports of the suicide of middle-aged people were more likely to be followed by similar suicides than reports of suicides of people in other age groups. The authors speculated that this may be a consequence of the fact that the study utilized newspaper reports and that most newspaper readers are middle-aged. They suggested that additional research should be conducted on media that target children, adolescents, and the elderly. The authors also noted that only a limited fraction of suicide reports in the media were followed by an increase in suicides. The research team used data on suicides from the nonprofit information center Statistics Austria during the period July 1996–September 2006 and reports on suicide in the 13 most widely read Austrian newspapers (which reach 74.2% of that country’s population) during the same time period. Among the celebrity suicides reported during this period were those of rock stars Falco and Michael Hutchence and British weapons expert David Kelly.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Survey Reveals Big Gap in Understanding of Depression
Arlington, VA— Americans do not believe they know much about depression, but are highly aware of the risks of not receiving care, according to a survey released today by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
See full survey results at http://www.nami.org/depression.
The survey provides a "three dimensional" measurement of responses from members of the general public who do not know anyone with depression, caregivers of adults diagnosed with depression and adults actually living with the illness.
"The survey reveals gaps and guideposts on roads to recovery," said NAMI Executive Director Michael J. Fitzpatrick. "It tells what has been found helpful in treating depression. It can help caregivers better anticipate stress that will confront them. It reflects issues that need to be part of ongoing health care reform."
"There are many treatment strategies," said NAMI Medical Director Ken Duckworth. "What often works is a combination of treatments that fit a person and their lifestyle. Research indicates that the combination of medication and psychotherapy are most effective. But physical exercise, prayer, music therapy, yoga, animal therapy and other practices all can play a role. The good news is that 80 percent or more of the public recognize that depression is a medical illness, affecting people of all ages, races and socioeconomic groups, which can be treated.”
Harris Interactive conducted the survey for NAMI on-line between September 29 and October 7, 2009. Participants included 1,015 persons who did not know anyone diagnosed with depression, 513 persons living with depression and 263 caregivers of a family member or significant other diagnosed with depression. The survey was made possible with support from AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly & Co. and Wyeth. NAMI does not endorse or promote any specific medication, treatment, product or service.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness. NAMI has over 1100 state and local affiliates that engage in research, education, support and advocacy.
See full survey results at http://www.nami.org/depression.
The survey provides a "three dimensional" measurement of responses from members of the general public who do not know anyone with depression, caregivers of adults diagnosed with depression and adults actually living with the illness.
- Seventy-one percent of the public sample said they are not familiar with depression, but 68 percent or more know specific consequences that can come from not receiving treatment—including suicide (84 percent).
- Sixty-two percent believe they know some symptoms of depression, but 39 percent said they do not know many or any at all.
One major finding: almost 50 percent of caregivers who responded had been diagnosed with depression themselves, but only about 25 percent said they were engaged in treatment. - Almost 60 percent of people living with depression reported that they rely on their primary care physicians rather than mental health professionals for treatment. Medication and "talk therapy" are primary treatments—if a person can get them—but other options are helpful.
Fifteen percent of people living with depression use animal therapy with 54 percent finding it to be "extremely" or "quite a bit" helpful. Those using prayer and physical exercise also ranked them high in helpfulness (47 percent and 40 percent respectively).
"The survey reveals gaps and guideposts on roads to recovery," said NAMI Executive Director Michael J. Fitzpatrick. "It tells what has been found helpful in treating depression. It can help caregivers better anticipate stress that will confront them. It reflects issues that need to be part of ongoing health care reform."
"There are many treatment strategies," said NAMI Medical Director Ken Duckworth. "What often works is a combination of treatments that fit a person and their lifestyle. Research indicates that the combination of medication and psychotherapy are most effective. But physical exercise, prayer, music therapy, yoga, animal therapy and other practices all can play a role. The good news is that 80 percent or more of the public recognize that depression is a medical illness, affecting people of all ages, races and socioeconomic groups, which can be treated.”
Harris Interactive conducted the survey for NAMI on-line between September 29 and October 7, 2009. Participants included 1,015 persons who did not know anyone diagnosed with depression, 513 persons living with depression and 263 caregivers of a family member or significant other diagnosed with depression. The survey was made possible with support from AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly & Co. and Wyeth. NAMI does not endorse or promote any specific medication, treatment, product or service.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness. NAMI has over 1100 state and local affiliates that engage in research, education, support and advocacy.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Antidepressants 'work instantly'
Antidepressants get to work immediately to lift mood, contrary to current belief, UK researchers say.
Although patients may not notice the effects until months into the therapy, the team say they work subconsciously.
The action is rapid, beginning within hours of taking the drugs, and changes negative thoughts, according to the Oxford University researchers.
These subtle, positive cues may add up over time to lift the depression, the American Journal of Psychiatry reports.
It may also explain why talking therapies designed to break negative thought cycles can also help.
“ We found the antidepressants target the negative thoughts before the patient is aware of any change in feeling subjectively ”
Lead researcher Dr Harmer
Lead researcher Dr Harmer
Psychiatrist Dr Catherine Harmer and her team at Oxford University closely studied the reactions of 33 depressed patients and 31 healthy controls given either an antidepressant or a dummy drug.
The depressed patients who took the active drug showed positive improvements in three specific measures within three hours of taking them.
These patients were more likely to think about themselves in a positive light, rather than dwelling on their bad points, the researchers said.
They were also more likely to see the positive in others.
For example, if they saw a grumpy person they no longer internalised this to think that they must have done something wrong to upset the person.
New drugs
This was despite feeling no improvement in mood or anxiety.
Dr Harmer said: "We found the antidepressants target the negative thoughts before the patient is aware of any change in feeling subjectively.
"Over time, this will affect our mood and how we feel because we are receiving more positive information."
She said the findings could help scientists looking for new drugs to treat depression.
Dr Michael Thase, a psychiatrist from the University of Pennsylvania, said the findings challenged conventional wisdoms and were potentially "paradigm-changing".
But he said much more research was needed.
"The highest research priority is to confirm that the rapid effects observed in this study are predictive of eventual clinical benefit."
He said it was possible that switching off the negative thoughts was a crucial part of the therapy.
Alternatively, it might merely be a sign that the drug was beginning to work at the cell level in the brain.
Paul Farmer, chief executive of Mind, said: "This research may contribute to our understanding of how our bodies respond to antidepressants, but the changes recorded can't always be felt by patients and it can be some weeks before they begin to feel the symptoms of depression easing.
"We must also remember that the side-effects of medication can often be felt straight away long before the benefits really kick in, and this will always affect people's experiences in the initial stages of treatment."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/8304782.stm
Published: 2009/10/26 00:37:16 GMT
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Virtual reality tackles 'shell shock' By Fergus Walsh
A virtual reality computer programme is being used to treat Iraq war veterans in the US.
The soldiers are able to relive the sights, the sounds and even the smells of warfare.
In a small windowless room a US marine puts on a 3D headset and picks up a dummy rifle.
Sergeant Robert Butler has been a marine for nearly 20 years and done two tours of Iraq.
After his last stint he returned with post traumatic stress disorder - what was once called shell shock.
Now he can finally deal with painful memories of the horrors of war.
Sergeant Butler believes his psychological problems stem from a patrol in 2005 where he witnessed the death of a father and his teenaged son who were killed after being caught up in a fire fight.
His son was about the same age as the boy who died.
Recluse
"When I first came back I was just a complete recluse and avoided outside contact," he said.
Initially he was reluctant to join the virtual Iraq programme.
"I thought PTSD was something the doctors dreamed up for job security," he said.
“ Our different senses are very powerful cues to our memory ”
Commander Scott Johnston Clinical psychologist
Commander Scott Johnston Clinical psychologist
"But I'd hit the point in my life where I felt I had zero control and was about to lose the one thing in my life that meant the most which was my family, so I was prepared to try anything."
Sergeant Butler demonstrates the computer scenario which was used to help him.
On a computer screen I can see the same image projected onto Sergeant Butler's visor.
He is in the front seat of a Humvee armed vehicle patrolling the streets of Iraq; each time he turns his head, the viewpoint on the screen changes.
Sights, sounds and smells
An explosion ahead cracks the front windscreen and you see that the virtual soldier sitting alongside him is wounded, blood streaming down his arm.
The platform, on which Sergeant Butler is sitting, vibrates, to add to the sense of reality.
And there are not just the sights, sounds and vibrations of war, there are also the smells.
These come from a machine which can release the scent of burning rubber, Middle Eastern spices, cordite, diesel fuel - even body odour.
Commander Scott Johnston, a clinical psychologist, runs the programme at the Naval Medical Center San Diego.
He said: "Our different senses are very powerful cues to our memory.
"Instead of allowing the person to continue to avoid these memories and haunt them, if we bring them out into the daylight and really face them we can decrease the negative effects on the individual."
Unlocking thoughts
This begins to explain how the programme is supposed to work.
The theory is that by repeatedly running the computer scenario it enables soldiers with PTSD to unlock and then discuss troubling wartime experiences which have been buried away.
After each thirty minute session on the computer, the soldiers have an hour of talking therapy with a psychologist.
"I'm a completely changed person", says Sergeant Butler.
"Am I 100%? No, because PTSD will always be part of my life; those memories never go away.
"But it definitely has helped me to take steps and file that information.
"It does come up, it gets processed like any other memory and I'm able to do the things a lot more now than before the war."
Commander Johnston says the preliminary results are exciting.
"We found that 30 out of 40 of our subjects were able to return to full duty so we are now starting to implement it across the different services for our returning warriors."
Many British as well as American troops have suffered psychiatric problems after serving in the Middle East.
But the Ministry of Defence in London has yet to be convinced by the virtual Iraq programme.
It says for some years it's been exploring the possible uses of virtual reality in treating mental health conditions, but this is still very much "work-in-progress".
Colleges See Rise In Mental Health Issues
October 19, 2009
They may not tell their roommates or even close friends, but on college campuses all across the United States, more students than ever before are seeking psychiatric help, according to recent national surveys of campus therapists.
And it's not just for homesickness and relationship problems, says the University of Michigan's Daniel Eisenberg. He directs the Healthy Minds Study, a multicenter study that queries primarily students, but also a sampling of college counselors, about mental health issues, including the prevalence of clinical depression, anxiety and eating disorders on campus. Eisenberg says his findings dovetail with those of a large national survey of counseling center directors, led by the University of Pittsburgh's Robert Gallagher.
For the full story, follow the link below:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113835383
They may not tell their roommates or even close friends, but on college campuses all across the United States, more students than ever before are seeking psychiatric help, according to recent national surveys of campus therapists.
And it's not just for homesickness and relationship problems, says the University of Michigan's Daniel Eisenberg. He directs the Healthy Minds Study, a multicenter study that queries primarily students, but also a sampling of college counselors, about mental health issues, including the prevalence of clinical depression, anxiety and eating disorders on campus. Eisenberg says his findings dovetail with those of a large national survey of counseling center directors, led by the University of Pittsburgh's Robert Gallagher.
For the full story, follow the link below:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113835383
Thursday, September 24, 2009
8.3 Million U.S. Adults Considered Suicide Last Year
THURSDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- A national survey has found that more than 8 million adults in the United States seriously considered suicide last year, with younger adults the most likely to contemplate taking their own lives.
In addition to nearly 8.3 million thinking about committing suicide, 2.3 million made a plan to do so, and 1.1 million actually attempted it, according to a federal government study released Thursday.
The findings are from data collected in a 2008 survey of 46,190 people aged 18 or older. It's the first national scientific survey of its size to examine this public health issue, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
The study found significant age-related differences in the risk of suicidal thoughts, planning and attempts. For example, adults aged 18 to 25 were far more likely (6.7 percent) to have seriously considered suicide than those aged 26 to 49 (3.9 percent) and those aged 50 and older (2.3 percent). Similar disparities were found in suicide planning and attempts.
Females had marginally higher levels of suicidal thoughts and behaviors than males. Only 62.3 percent of those who attempted suicide received medical attention for their suicide attempts, while only 46 percent of those who attempted suicide stayed in a hospital overnight or longer for treatment of their suicide attempts.
Substance abuse was associated with increased risk of seriously considering, planning or attempting suicide, the report showed. People with substance abuse disorders were more than three times as likely to have seriously considered suicide as those without substance abuse disorders -- 11 percent versus 3 percent. Those with substance abuse disorders were four times more likely to have planned a suicide (3.4 percent versus 0.8 percent) and nearly seven times more likely to have attempted suicide (2 percent versus 0.3 percent).
"This study offers a far greater understanding of just how pervasive the risk of suicide is in our nation, and how many of us are potentially affected by it," Eric Broderick, SAMHSA acting administrator, said in a news release from the agency.
"While there are places that people in crisis can turn to for help like the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline [1-800-273-TALK], the magnitude of the public health crisis revealed by this study should motivate us as a nation to do everything possible to reach out and help the millions who are at risk -- preferably well before they are in immediate danger," Broderick said.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Tough economy can take its toll on your health
The Dallas Morning News - September 07, 2009
Sep. 7--The longest recession since World War II has wreaked havoc on consumers' personal finances and thrown millions out of work.
The emotional upheaval from the sick economy also has resulted in physical ailments, such as headaches, backaches, neck aches and insomnia.
In other words, the economy can be bad for your health.
"We are seeing more people who are feeling overwhelmed," said Dr. Charles Herlihy, a psychiatrist and medical director at Texas Health Springwood Hospital. "It begins to take a toll on them emotionally, physically."
The margin for economic security is razor-thin these days, raising the stress level for many.
"Retirees are worried about having enough income to pay their bills. Some question if they can stay retired," said Lynn Lawrance, a certified financial planner at Financial Network Investment Corp. in Dallas.
"Many who are still employed are kicking like crazy to keep their head above water now, let alone worry about retirement," she added.
One of the worst scenarios is when people feel that they've lost control of their personal finances.
"They really spiral down into significant depression when they don't have control over their finances," said Dr. Art Mollen, an osteopathic family physician and author of Healthonomics: The Handbook for Balancing Your Physical & Financial Checkbooks.
"Once it affects mental function, it's going to affect their physical function," he said. "They may lose weight, they may gain weight, depending on how the depression is affecting them."
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine questioned 250 homeowners going through foreclosure in Philadelphia and found that 47 percent showed symptoms of depression, with 37 percent exhibiting signs of major depression.
The rate was especially high considering previous research showed that only about 12.8 percent of people living in poverty were depressed, the study found.
"Although the health status of homeowners has traditionally tended to be better than that of renters, the financial and emotional stress of foreclosure may undermine the potential benefits of homeownership," said the study, which will appear in the October edition of the American Journal of Public Health.
It's no surprise that the researchers found deep attachment to homes.
"There is a sense of hope when people buy their homes," said Craig Evan Pollack, an internist who recently completed a fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and is now an associate scientist at Rand Corp.
"The difference between those dreams and hopes and [the] reality that people are finding themselves in may be part of the stress that people are feeling, and a sense of sadness as well."
Losing control
Money and all its aspects are important symbols of success, power, dominance and accomplishment.
"Everyone likes to have a certain amount of control in their life, and all of a sudden when they're losing their home, they're losing their job, that affects their overall self-confidence," said Mollen, medical director and founder of the Mollen Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz.
The first step in regaining control over your finances is acknowledging what you've lost, said Todd Mark, vice president of education at Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Dallas.
"If you've got a financial crisis, what is the root cause?" he said. "Is it lack of income or has your income been steady? Is it an unplanned expense that you weren't prepared for?"
For example, if you got caught with an unexpected car repair bill, you can avoid that in the future by stashing away savings for emergencies.
Likewise, if your debt is out of control, stop charging on credit cards and start paying off that bill. If you're having trouble making payments, contact your creditors quickly and see if they will work with you.
Action plan
"You can only regain control once you analyze where you are, what your potential challenges are and develop an action plan of tackling those as a goal of moving forward positively," Mark said.
Make a brutally honest assessment of your finances and be patient.
"Say to yourself, 'It took me years to get into this debt, and it will take me years to get out of it,' " Mark said.
There are certain aspects of your finances you can't control.
"When stuff happens, what you do or don't do is critical," Lawrance said. "If you're passive, it's easy to feel that you have no control. If you become proactive and take charge of what you can, you'll feel like you still have some control."
Her remedy?
Take a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle. "In the first column, write what you can control or influence. In the other column, put what you can't control."
For example, you can't control the economy, but you can cut back your spending and do side jobs to increase your income.
"You may have to work longer hours," Lawrance said, but you should balance that with exercise, a healthy diet and plenty of sleep.
"Make sure you include items for your career, for your physical, financial and mental health and relationships," she said.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
The Soloist - Events in Bozeman, MT
Wednesday, September 9th - 7:30 pm - Brick Breeden Fieldhouse - MSU - free
Convocation Address by The Soloist author Steve Lopez
Friday, September 1th - 7:00 pm - Bozeman Public Library - Free
The Soloist Movie Showing
Convocation Address by The Soloist author Steve Lopez
Friday, September 1th - 7:00 pm - Bozeman Public Library - Free
The Soloist Movie Showing
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
ABC Primetime to Cover Issue of Mental Health Treatment
Tonight ABC Primetime will focus on the important issue of mental health treatment. Check your local guides for more information.
Tonight's segment will highlight the Bruce family tragedy and the Mad Pride movement.
Tonight's segment will highlight the Bruce family tragedy and the Mad Pride movement.
Workplace Suicides Set Record
The U.S. Department of Labor reported last week a record 28 percent rise in workplace suicides, further evidence of the impact of the recession on the mental health of Americans. The total number of people who completed suicide last year was 251, the highest figure since the agency's Bureau of Labor Statistics began reporting. The total number of people who died on the job dropped 10 percent. That was the lowest number since 1992. (The Associated Press, 8/21/09)
Friday, August 21, 2009
October PBS Program Will Focus on Mental Health Reform
MINDS ON THE EDGE: Facing Mental Illness is a multi-platform media project that explores severe mental illness in America. The centerpiece of the project is a television program that will air on PBS stations in October 2009. The program, MINDS ON THE EDGE: Facing Mental Illness, effectively illuminates challenging ethical issues as well as systemic flaws in program and policy design, service coordination, and resource allocation that are contributing to a mental health system that is widely acknowledged to be broken. MINDS ON THE EDGE also provides a glimpse of many solutions that are currently being implemented across the country. These innovations, many shaped by the guidance and expertise of people with mental illness, offer promising solutions and hopeful direction to transform the mental health system. For more information about this project, visit http://www.mindsontheedge.org/.
Elderly people who committed suicide, described by those who knew them.
“Why do they become vulnerable when faced with the challenges of old age?"
Abstract from Suicide Prevention Resource Center
June 12, 2009
[International Psychogeriatrics] The majority of elders who die by suicide share a few similar patterns in their life histories, personal relationships, and personalities, according to a small study. They have survived considerable difficulties in life and many have become “action-oriented achievers,” usually in a work context. Those who knew them best describe them as strong-willed, stubborn, and so “closed” they could not be known at a personal level. Identifying elders with these characteristics may be a key to engaging those who are least able to either seek or accept help. [Read more]
Dating Web Site Matches Mentally Ill Singles
Friday, February 06, 2009
Associated Press
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Lynne had someone to spend Christmas and New Year's with this year. And that's unusual.
"It's been a long time since I've been with anybody for the holidays," the 50-year-old Albuquerque native said recently. "That was different."
Many people find dating stressful. But, for Lynne, who was diagnosed with depression, anxiety and other mental disorders at 19, dating invariably ends in disaster.
But about a month ago, Lynne began seeing a 53-year-old man she met through a dating web site designed specifically for people with mental illness.
The site — TrueAcceptance.com — was launched last year by an Albuquerque social worker to help people like Lynne find healthy relationships.
Read the full story here.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Farmer suicides spotlight lack of mental health care in rural America
The Michigan Messenger
7/23/09
7/23/09
Crisis help lines for agricultural workers are serving an important support role for farmers in economic distress. However, accessing mental health care can be a challenge in rural farming areas, with some residents having to travel long distances to access a mental health service provider.
“To farmers there is a real kinship with the land and livestock,” explained Dr. Mike Rosmann, executive director of AgriWellness. “Ownership of a family farm — sometimes a farm that has been in the family for generations — is the triumphant result of a multitude of struggles. Losing the farm or the livestock is viewed as an ultimate loss, one that brings shame to the generation that has let down its forebearers and has dashed the hopes of successors.”
Doctors miss depression nearly 50% of the time
General practitioners often have great difficulty properly diagnosing cases of depression, according to the results of a new study. An analysis of more than 50,000 patients finds that doctors miss true cases of depression about half the time and incorrectly diagnosis it in 19 percent of healthy people. Writing in the journal The Lancet, the researchers said: "Our results should not be interpreted as a criticism of GPs for failing to diagnose depression but rather a call for better understanding of the problems that non-specialists face." (Sciencedaily, 8/03/09)
Psychiatric Drugs Gain Acceptance
A growing number of Americans now have a positive opinion on psychiatric medications, a new study contends. About five out of six people surveyed felt psychiatric medications could help people control psychiatric symptoms. But many also expected the medications could help people deal with day-to-day stress. "This finding calls for a more targeted and selective approach in public information campaigns aimed at improving public understanding of the proper uses of psychiatric medications," said the lead author of the report, Dr. Rami Mojtabai, of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. (The Los Angeles Times, 7/31/09)
MSU receives $800,000 grant to train mental health nurse practitioners
Montana State University's College of Nursing has received a three-year, $814,021 grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration to prepare nurses to be family psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners.
The new distance-based graduate option has been developed to shore up a shortage of primary mental health care providers across Montana, according to Patricia Holkup, who directs the program. "The faculty at the College of Nursing are delighted to have this opportunity to address the stark need in Montana for primary providers in mental health care," Holkup said. "The development of the new option within the state-supported Master of Nursing graduate degree program represents a collaborative effort between state-wide mental health representatives and faculty from the MSU College of Nursing."
Family psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners are advanced practice nurses who provide a full range of psychiatric services to individuals and families, Holkup said. Special emphasis will be placed on preparing advanced practice nurses to deliver psychiatric mental health care to a diverse range of families and individuals living in rural communities.
Most of the state has been designated as a mental health professional shortage area, Holkup added.
The curriculum will take five semesters to complete, and six nurses will begin taking core classes this fall semester. The graduate nursing courses will be taught using Web-based distance learning technologies. Supervised clinical rotations will be completed in the students' home communities whenever possible.
In addition, a post-master's certificate will be offered.
Nurses interested in learning more about the option should visit the College of Nursing's Web site at
http://www.montana.edu/nursing/academic/mn.htm or contact Lynn Taylor, the graduate program's administrative assistant, at lynnt@montana.edu or
(406) 994-3500.
Applications for admission for the fall of 2010 are due Feb. 15, 2010.
The new distance-based graduate option has been developed to shore up a shortage of primary mental health care providers across Montana, according to Patricia Holkup, who directs the program. "The faculty at the College of Nursing are delighted to have this opportunity to address the stark need in Montana for primary providers in mental health care," Holkup said. "The development of the new option within the state-supported Master of Nursing graduate degree program represents a collaborative effort between state-wide mental health representatives and faculty from the MSU College of Nursing."
Family psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners are advanced practice nurses who provide a full range of psychiatric services to individuals and families, Holkup said. Special emphasis will be placed on preparing advanced practice nurses to deliver psychiatric mental health care to a diverse range of families and individuals living in rural communities.
Most of the state has been designated as a mental health professional shortage area, Holkup added.
The curriculum will take five semesters to complete, and six nurses will begin taking core classes this fall semester. The graduate nursing courses will be taught using Web-based distance learning technologies. Supervised clinical rotations will be completed in the students' home communities whenever possible.
In addition, a post-master's certificate will be offered.
Nurses interested in learning more about the option should visit the College of Nursing's Web site at
http://www.montana.edu/nursing/academic/mn.htm or contact Lynn Taylor, the graduate program's administrative assistant, at lynnt@montana.edu or
(406) 994-3500.
Applications for admission for the fall of 2010 are due Feb. 15, 2010.
10% of Americans Take Antidepressants
US Antidepressant Use Rises
The number of Americans using antidepressants doubled from 1996 to 2005, while the number seeing psychiatrists continued to fall, a study shows. About 10 percent of Americans—or 27 million people—were taking antidepressants in 2005, according to research published in the Archives of General Psychiatry. The findings highlight the need for doctors who are not psychiatrist to be trained to diagnose and manage depression so patients get effective treatment, said the study’s lead author, Mark Olfson, a professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute. (USA Today, 8/03/09)
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Study: Depression seen in children as young as 3
CHICAGO – Depression in children as young as 3 is real and not just a passing grumpy mood, according to provocative new research.
The study is billed as the first to show major depression can be chronic even in very young children, contrary to the stereotype of the happy-go-lucky preschooler.
Until fairly recently, "people really haven't paid much attention to depressive disorders in children under the age of 6," said lead author Dr. Joan Luby, a psychiatrist at Washington University in St. Louis. "They didn't think it could happen ... because children under 6 were too emotionally immature to experience it."
Previous research suggested that depression affects about 2 percent of U.S. preschoolers, or roughly 160,000 youngsters, at one time or another. But it was unclear whether depression in preschoolers could be chronic, as it can be in older children and adults.
Luby's research team followed more than 200 preschoolers, ages 3 to 6, for up to two years, including 75 diagnosed with major depression. The children had up to four mental health exams during the study.
Among initially depressed children, 64 percent were still depressed or had a recurrent episode of depression six months later, and 40 percent still had problems after two years. Overall, nearly 20 percent had persistent or recurrent depression at all four exams.
Depression was most common in children whose mothers were also depressed or had other mood disorders, and among those who had experienced a traumatic event, such as the death of a parent or physical or sexual abuse.
The new study, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and released Monday in the August issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, did not examine depression treatment, which is highly controversial among children so young. Some advocates say parents and doctors are too quick to give children powerful psychiatric drugs.
Though sure to raise eyebrows among lay people, the notion that children so young can get depressed is increasingly accepted in psychiatry.
University of Chicago psychiatrist Dr. Sharon Hirsch said the public thinks of preschoolers as carefree. "They get to play. Why would they be depressed?" she said.
But depression involves chemical changes in the brain that can affect even youngsters with an otherwise happy life, said Hirsch, who was not involved in the study.
"When you have that problem, you just don't have that ability to feel good," she said.
And, in fact, Luby said she has separate, unpublished research showing that chemical changes seen in older children also occur in depressed preschoolers.
Dr. Helen Egger, a Duke University psychiatrist who also has studied childhood depression, said it is common among people in her field to first see depressed kids in their teens. Their parents will say symptoms began very early in childhood, but they were told, "Your child will grow out of them," Egger said.
Typical preschoolers can be moody or have temper tantrums, but they quickly bounce back and appear happy when playing or doing everyday activities. Depressed children appear sad even when playing, and their games may have themes of death or other somber topics. Persistent lack of appetite, sleep problems, and frequent temper tantrums that involve biting, kicking or hitting also are signs of possible depression, Egger said.
Luby said another sign is being preoccupied with guilt over common mishaps. For example, a depressed 3-year-old who accidentally breaks a glass might keep saying, "Mommy, I'm sorry I did that," and appear unable to shake off that sense of guilt for days, she said.
University of Massachusetts psychologist Lisa Cosgrove said she is skeptical about the accuracy of labeling preschoolers as depressed, because diagnostic tools for evaluating mental health in children so young aren't as well tested as those used for adults.
And Cosgrove said that while early treatment is important for troubled children, "we just have to make sure that those interventions aren't compromised" by industry pressure to use drugs.
Previous research has suggested that rising numbers of preschoolers are taking psychiatric drugs, including Prozac, which is used to treat depression.
Egger said that there is little research on the effects of psychiatric medicine in very young children, and that psychotherapy should always be tried first.
Dr. David Fassler, a University of Vermont psychiatry professor, stressed that depression in very young children is still pretty rare. However, without treatment, "it can have a devastating and often lasting effect on a child's social and emotional development," he said.
"Hopefully, studies such as this will help parents, teachers, and pediatricians recognize the signs and symptoms of preschool depression so they make sure young children get the help they need and deserve," Fassler said.
Friday, July 17, 2009
I Was a Baby Bulimic
New York Times
July 15, 2009
I have neither a therapist’s diagnosis nor any scientific literature to support the following claim, and I can’t back it up with more than a cursory level of detail. So you’re just going to have to go with me on this: I was a baby bulimic.
Maybe not baby — toddler bulimic is more like it, though I didn’t so much toddle as wobble, given the roundness of my expanding form. I was a plump infant and was on my way to becoming an even plumper child, a ravenous machine determined to devour anything in its sights. My parents would later tell me, my friends and anyone else willing to listen that they’d never seen a kid eat the way I ate or react the way I reacted whenever I was denied more food. What I did in those circumstances was throw up.
(Continue reading here.)
July 15, 2009
I have neither a therapist’s diagnosis nor any scientific literature to support the following claim, and I can’t back it up with more than a cursory level of detail. So you’re just going to have to go with me on this: I was a baby bulimic.
Maybe not baby — toddler bulimic is more like it, though I didn’t so much toddle as wobble, given the roundness of my expanding form. I was a plump infant and was on my way to becoming an even plumper child, a ravenous machine determined to devour anything in its sights. My parents would later tell me, my friends and anyone else willing to listen that they’d never seen a kid eat the way I ate or react the way I reacted whenever I was denied more food. What I did in those circumstances was throw up.
(Continue reading here.)
Vets’ Mental Health Diagnoses Rising
New York Times
July 16, 2009
A new study has found that more than one-third of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans who enrolled in the veterans health system after 2001 received a diagnosis of a mental health problem, most often post-traumatic stress disorder or depression.
The study by researchers at the San Francisco Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco, also found that the number of veterans found to have mental health problems rose steadily the longer they were out of the service.
(Continue reading.)
July 16, 2009
A new study has found that more than one-third of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans who enrolled in the veterans health system after 2001 received a diagnosis of a mental health problem, most often post-traumatic stress disorder or depression.
The study by researchers at the San Francisco Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco, also found that the number of veterans found to have mental health problems rose steadily the longer they were out of the service.
(Continue reading.)
College Students With Depression Twice As Likely to Drop Out
College students with depression are twice as likely as their classmates to drop out of school, new research shows. But the study also indicates that lower grade point averages depended upon a student's type of depression. "The correlation between depression and academic performance is mainly driven by loss of interest in activities," said Daniel Eisenberg, assistant professor at the University of Michigan School of Public Health and principal investigator of the study. "This is significant because it means individuals can be very depressed and very functional, depending on which type of depression they have.” (ScienceDaily, 7/7/09)
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Children of Bipolar Parents Progress Along Pathway to Bipolar Disorder
02 July 2009
Journal of Affective Disorders
MedWire News: The offspring of bipolar disorder patients have an increased risk for anxiety, sleep, mood, and substance use disorders, which, in turn, places them at an increased risk for bipolar disorder, say Canadian scientists.
A broad range of symptoms and disorders from across the spectrum of psychiatric problems have been diagnosed in bipolar offspring. It has not been established, however, whether or not there is a predictable clinical sequence from non-specific, non-mood psychopathology to specific, mood psychopathology in offspring.
Read the full article here.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Treatment of Depression in Adults Should Consider Children
Physicians and other health care professionals who treat adults with depression also should consider the effects of the illness on their patients' children, according to a new report from the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine. “Depression interferes with quality of parenting and puts children of all age levels at risk for poor health and development," said Mareasa Isaacs, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based National Alliance of Multi-Ethnic Behavioral Health Associations. "The message is that it's really important to look at depression as something that affects not only the individual, but the children and other members of the family." (AAFP News, 7/3/09)
The 10 by 10 Campaign - Wellness Update
Volume 7
July 6, 2009
Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Greetings! This is the summer 2009 update on the 10 by 10 Campaign to promote wellness for people with mental illnesses and reduce early mortality by 10 years over the next 10 year time period. In This Issue:
-Guest Columnist
-The truth about madness
-Wellness: What You Need to Know
-Risk: Fatal illness more likely in bipolar patients
-Mood disorders common in polycystic ovary syndrome
-Moving nation from sick care toward wellness care
-General exercise guidelines for people with disabilities
-Depression in cancer patients: inquire or don’t, but be concerned
-Studies try to tease apart the links between depression and hearth disease
-Social rejection linked with pain in depresses patients
-Poor mental health, asthma risk linked?
-Loneliness as harmful as smoking and obesity, say scientist
-Happenings All Over the Country
-Spread the Word
-An active campaigner for the Pledge for Wellness
-Quotes-of-the-Month
(To read the newsletter, click here.)
July 6, 2009
Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Greetings! This is the summer 2009 update on the 10 by 10 Campaign to promote wellness for people with mental illnesses and reduce early mortality by 10 years over the next 10 year time period. In This Issue:
-Guest Columnist
-The truth about madness
-Wellness: What You Need to Know
-Risk: Fatal illness more likely in bipolar patients
-Mood disorders common in polycystic ovary syndrome
-Moving nation from sick care toward wellness care
-General exercise guidelines for people with disabilities
-Depression in cancer patients: inquire or don’t, but be concerned
-Studies try to tease apart the links between depression and hearth disease
-Social rejection linked with pain in depresses patients
-Poor mental health, asthma risk linked?
-Loneliness as harmful as smoking and obesity, say scientist
-Happenings All Over the Country
-Spread the Word
-An active campaigner for the Pledge for Wellness
-Quotes-of-the-Month
(To read the newsletter, click here.)
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Schizophrenia Linked to Higher Risk of Dying From Cancer
From HealthDay News
Cancer is the second leading cause of death for people with schizophrenia, after suicide, a new French study reports. Researchers from the University of Reims in France found that people with schizophrenia die from cancer at four times the rate of the general population, making it the second leading cause of death in that group. The study, published online in Cancer, said that doctors should pay closer attention to cancer prevention and early detection in people with schizophrenia. Lung cancer was a leading killer among men, possibly due to the high rate of smoking in the group. Among women, the risk of dying from breast cancer was significantly higher than in the general population. The higher death rate might be due to several factors, including a delay in diagnosis and less compliance to treatment. (HealthDay News, 6/23/09)
Cancer is the second leading cause of death for people with schizophrenia, after suicide, a new French study reports. Researchers from the University of Reims in France found that people with schizophrenia die from cancer at four times the rate of the general population, making it the second leading cause of death in that group. The study, published online in Cancer, said that doctors should pay closer attention to cancer prevention and early detection in people with schizophrenia. Lung cancer was a leading killer among men, possibly due to the high rate of smoking in the group. Among women, the risk of dying from breast cancer was significantly higher than in the general population. The higher death rate might be due to several factors, including a delay in diagnosis and less compliance to treatment. (HealthDay News, 6/23/09)
Friday, June 26, 2009
Frontline: The New Asylums
Note: This program was aired in 2005, but is worth watching.
PBS Frontline: POV
Fewer than 55,000 Americans currently receive treatment in psychiatric hospitals. Meanwhile, almost 10 times that number -- nearly 500,000 -- mentally ill men and women are serving time in U.S. jails and prisons. As sheriffs and prison wardens become the unexpected and often ill-equipped caretakers of this burgeoning population, they raise a troubling new concern: Have America's jails and prisons become its new asylums?
In "The New Asylums," FRONTLINE goes deep inside Ohio's state prison system to explore the complex and growing issue of mentally ill prisoners. With unprecedented access to prison therapy sessions, mental health treatment meetings, crisis wards, and prison disciplinary tribunals, the film provides a poignant and disturbing portrait of the new reality for the mentally ill.
Watch the full program here.
PBS Frontline: POV
Fewer than 55,000 Americans currently receive treatment in psychiatric hospitals. Meanwhile, almost 10 times that number -- nearly 500,000 -- mentally ill men and women are serving time in U.S. jails and prisons. As sheriffs and prison wardens become the unexpected and often ill-equipped caretakers of this burgeoning population, they raise a troubling new concern: Have America's jails and prisons become its new asylums?
In "The New Asylums," FRONTLINE goes deep inside Ohio's state prison system to explore the complex and growing issue of mentally ill prisoners. With unprecedented access to prison therapy sessions, mental health treatment meetings, crisis wards, and prison disciplinary tribunals, the film provides a poignant and disturbing portrait of the new reality for the mentally ill.
Watch the full program here.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Media Opportunity: Depression Stories Wanted
From NAMI National:
A reporter working on a story about major depression would like to speak with someone who lives with depression and can share his or her candid experiences about how family helped them work through their depression. Specifically, she is interested in someone who can give examples of steps a person can take to ask their loved ones for help. For this story she cannot consider candidates with bipolar disorder.
Please send your name, phone number and a brief description of your experience (250 words or less) to Christine Armstrong. NAMI will not release any personal information to the media without your explicit consent.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Great Falls woman shares pain of suicide to help others
Cynde Jacobsen shared the story of her husband's suicide on a Great Falls news broadcast this week. She is a Center for Mental Health Foundation Board Member and longtime mental health advocate. Watch the video here. Cynde will be a keynote speaker at tomorrow's Beautiful Minds walk.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Report Finds Rural Mental Health Issues Overlooked
Rural Americans remain underserved in terms of health insurance coverage and mental health providers, a new report finds. The Center for Rural Affairs report, “Mental Health: Overlooked and Disregarded in Rural America,” points out that major depression rates in some rural areas significantly exceed those in urban areas. Teens and older adults in rural areas have significantly higher suicide rates than their urban counterparts. It calls for health care reform that includes an affordable, meaningful public health insurance option. And any such reform should also ensure that all Americans, rural and urban, have reasonable access to quality mental health care. (The Grand Island Independent, 5/29/09)
Good Mood Can Run a Long Time After Workout
Moderate exercise may lead to a happy day, a recent study shows. It has long been recognized that moderate exercise can cause mood improvement; however a study at the University of Vermont shows that better moods can be sustained up to 12 hours after the exercise is over.
"There are other studies that show there is acute improvement in mood after exercise, but we found those improvements are more durable than we thought," says Jeremy Sibold, an assistant professor in the University of Vermont's Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Science.
That's an especially important finding for people who have depression or stress, he says.
"Daily exercise can improve your mood and mitigate some of the stressors of your day," Sibold says. "It's clear that exercise is critical for both physical health and mental health."
(USA Today 6/2/09)
Mental Health Education Program for Service Members and Their Families Unveils New Name and Enhancements
Military PathwaysTM offers anonymous mental health screenings year-round, by phone or online
Not all wounds happen on the battlefield. Some are not even physical. But all wounds need attention. To better reflect the multitude of educational offerings for military members and their families, we have changed the name of our military program from the Mental Health Self-Assessment Program® to Military Pathways. Read more>Friday, June 5, 2009
Mental TV Series
On May 26, FOX-TV aired the pilot episode of Mental, a "medical mystery drama" in which a new director of mental health services shakes up other psychiatrists at a Los Angeles hospital through “unorthodox methods” in treating psychiatric conditions and promoting recovery. Full episodes can be access on the FOX-TV site . NAMI StigmaBusters is interested in receiving comments.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Worries About Weight Tied to Teen Suicide Attempts
US News & World Report
5/18/09
Teens who are overweight—or believe they are—are more likely than other teens to attempt suicide, according to a new study. Researchers looked at more than 14,000 high school students to determine if there is a link between suicide attempts and body mass index. The study, which appears online in the Journal of Adolescent Health, found that teens who were overweight and those who believed they were overweight were more likely to attempt suicide than those who weren't and those who didn't believe they were overweight.
5/18/09
Teens who are overweight—or believe they are—are more likely than other teens to attempt suicide, according to a new study. Researchers looked at more than 14,000 high school students to determine if there is a link between suicide attempts and body mass index. The study, which appears online in the Journal of Adolescent Health, found that teens who were overweight and those who believed they were overweight were more likely to attempt suicide than those who weren't and those who didn't believe they were overweight.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Mad Pride
Newsweek
May 2, 2009
A new generation of activists is trying to change the treatment and stigma attached to mental illness. Welcome to Mad Pride, a budding grassroots movement, where people who have been defined as mentally ill reframe their conditions and celebrate unusual (some call them "spectacular") ways of processing information and emotion.
Read the full story and comments expressing caution and and assessment of the reality of mental illness.
May 2, 2009
A new generation of activists is trying to change the treatment and stigma attached to mental illness. Welcome to Mad Pride, a budding grassroots movement, where people who have been defined as mentally ill reframe their conditions and celebrate unusual (some call them "spectacular") ways of processing information and emotion.
Read the full story and comments expressing caution and and assessment of the reality of mental illness.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
SAMHSA Report States Majority of America’s 2 Million Adolescents Suffering from Depression Episodes Did Not Receive Treatment in the Past Year
A new report, Major Depressive Episode and Treatment among Adolescents, reveals that 8.2 percent (2 million) youths aged 12 to 17 experienced at least one major depressive episode in the past year. Only about two-fifths (38.9 percent) of these adolescents received treatment during this period according to the report by the Substance Abuse and mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The report is drawn from SAMHSA’s 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), which collected data from a representative sample of approximately 22,000 adolescents throughout the United States. The full report is available here.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Even meager levels of physical activity can improve the mood of people with serious mental illnesses
from: Science Daily January 15, 2009
A new study from Indiana University suggests that even meager levels of physical activity can improve the mood of people with serious mental illnesses (SMI) such as bipolar disorder, major depression, and schizophrenia.
"We found a positive association between physical activity level and positive mood when low to moderate levels of physical activity are considered," said study author Bryan McCormick, associate professor in IU's Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies. "Physical activity interventions that require lower levels of exertion might be more conducive to improving transitory mood, or the ups and downs people with SMI experience throughout the day."
McCormick said physical activity often is advocated in addition to psychiatric treatment for people with SMI because of the significant health concerns common to this population. The low levels of physical activity also common to this population poses a major hurdle, however.
For this study, physical activity is considered most forms of sustained movement, such as house cleaning, gardening, walking for transportation or formal exercise.
"The challenge is how to use naturally motivating activities that people have in their everyday lives to get them out and engaged," McCormick said.
A new study from Indiana University suggests that even meager levels of physical activity can improve the mood of people with serious mental illnesses (SMI) such as bipolar disorder, major depression, and schizophrenia.
"We found a positive association between physical activity level and positive mood when low to moderate levels of physical activity are considered," said study author Bryan McCormick, associate professor in IU's Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies. "Physical activity interventions that require lower levels of exertion might be more conducive to improving transitory mood, or the ups and downs people with SMI experience throughout the day."
McCormick said physical activity often is advocated in addition to psychiatric treatment for people with SMI because of the significant health concerns common to this population. The low levels of physical activity also common to this population poses a major hurdle, however.
For this study, physical activity is considered most forms of sustained movement, such as house cleaning, gardening, walking for transportation or formal exercise.
"The challenge is how to use naturally motivating activities that people have in their everyday lives to get them out and engaged," McCormick said.
HealthyPlace.com Mood Tracker
from: www.healthyplace.com/mood-journal/
The HealthyPlace Mood Tracker is a unique, easy to use, daily tracking system that enables you to keep track of your moods and the feelings and actions behind them. In addition, the HealthyPlace.com Mood Tracker, using a scientifically validated algorithm, measures when your mood is dangerously depressed or elevated (manic) and can send an alert to your doctor or therapist via email or fax and include a copy of your recent mood journal entries (with your authorization, of course). Our mood journal system can also send a text message alert to a family member or caregiver’s cell phone advising them to look in on you.
Many mental health professionals recommend the use of a mood journal as a tool for managing bipolar disorder, depression, or other mood disorders. By using the mood tracking system on a regular basis, you can begin to see patterns evolve and learn to detect the early onset of cycles so you can take preventative action. The mood journal also allows you to see other factors that have a positive or negative effect on your moods and symptoms so you can concentrate on the positive and avoid the negative ones.
The HealthyPlace Mood Tracker is a unique, easy to use, daily tracking system that enables you to keep track of your moods and the feelings and actions behind them. In addition, the HealthyPlace.com Mood Tracker, using a scientifically validated algorithm, measures when your mood is dangerously depressed or elevated (manic) and can send an alert to your doctor or therapist via email or fax and include a copy of your recent mood journal entries (with your authorization, of course). Our mood journal system can also send a text message alert to a family member or caregiver’s cell phone advising them to look in on you.
Many mental health professionals recommend the use of a mood journal as a tool for managing bipolar disorder, depression, or other mood disorders. By using the mood tracking system on a regular basis, you can begin to see patterns evolve and learn to detect the early onset of cycles so you can take preventative action. The mood journal also allows you to see other factors that have a positive or negative effect on your moods and symptoms so you can concentrate on the positive and avoid the negative ones.
Being Bullied Linked to Future Psychiatric Problem
Children who are repeatedly bullied are twice as likely to have psychotic symptoms as children who aren’t abused, researchers say. A study asked 6,437 children about bullying and psychiatric symptoms when they were turning 13. The researchers, who report their findings in the Archives of General Psychiatry, found that children who were bullied repeatedly between ages 8 and 10 were more likely to have psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, or thought disorders. (US News & World Report, 5/4/09)
Friday, May 8, 2009
American Heart Association Urges Screening Cardiac Patients for Depression
From the LA Times
Healing an injured or poorly functioning heart requires attention to a patient's mental well-being as well as to his or her physical health -- so much so that in October [2008], the American Heart Association recommended that doctors screen all heart patients for depression with a short questionnaire.
The American Psychiatric Association also endorsed this advisory, but some researchers think the blanket recommendation goes too far.
Dozens of studies have found depression occurring alongside heart disease. Whereas 4% to 10% of the general population reportedly suffers from depression, that number shoots to 15% to 40% in heart disease patients. But a survey found that about half of cardiologists don't address their patients' mental states.
"Depression is diagnosable, easily treatable and can make such a difference in the long-term outcome," says Dr. Carolyn Robinowitz, a psychiatrist in Washington, D.C. If doctors heed the new advisory, she says, "I think we will save a lot of lives."
"We would advocate that clinicians be more aware of depression. . . . We're just not advocating that everyone be handed a questionnaire." says lead author Brett Thombs, a psychologist at McGill University in Montreal.
Read the full article.
Healing an injured or poorly functioning heart requires attention to a patient's mental well-being as well as to his or her physical health -- so much so that in October [2008], the American Heart Association recommended that doctors screen all heart patients for depression with a short questionnaire.
The American Psychiatric Association also endorsed this advisory, but some researchers think the blanket recommendation goes too far.
Dozens of studies have found depression occurring alongside heart disease. Whereas 4% to 10% of the general population reportedly suffers from depression, that number shoots to 15% to 40% in heart disease patients. But a survey found that about half of cardiologists don't address their patients' mental states.
"Depression is diagnosable, easily treatable and can make such a difference in the long-term outcome," says Dr. Carolyn Robinowitz, a psychiatrist in Washington, D.C. If doctors heed the new advisory, she says, "I think we will save a lot of lives."
"We would advocate that clinicians be more aware of depression. . . . We're just not advocating that everyone be handed a questionnaire." says lead author Brett Thombs, a psychologist at McGill University in Montreal.
Read the full article.
PBS Program: Mental Illness and Life after Prison
A rare and intimate look into the lives of mentally ill offenders struggling to make it on the outside. This year alone, over 700,000 people will leave prison, more than half of them mentally ill. Typically, these offenders leave prison with a bus ticket, $75 in cash, and two weeks worth of medication. Within 18 months, nearly two-thirds will be re-arrested.
View Frontline's new program ' The Released,' which documents what happens to offenders with mental illness when they leave prison.
View Frontline's new program ' The Released,' which documents what happens to offenders with mental illness when they leave prison.
Libraries do balancing act as mentally ill find refuge
From the Denver Post
4/29/2009
4/29/2009
They're gathered outside the library before the doors open — the man in the Winnie the Pooh sweatshirt talking loudly to no one, the guy crouched behind the book drop, his torn backpack overflowing with everything he owns.
Some, the ones sleeping on the streets, head straight for the bathroom to wash their faces and brush their teeth. Others immediately stake out a nook in the four-story Denver Public Library near downtown, settling in for the day.
Many libraries across the country have become day shelters for the mentally ill, a consequence of the country's lack of treatment programs for people with mental disorders, experts say.
Read the full article.
Teen Online-Moderated Support Groups
From Families for Depression Awareness
FFDW has launched a Teen Forum, please spread the word! The teen online-moderated support groups are a safe place for teens (ages 12-19) to talk about issues related to their own or a family member's mood disorder. This is a supportive environment, moderated by adults, in which teens can share ideas and thoughts about how to help one another.
Click here to download the flier and spread the word!
FFDW has launched a Teen Forum, please spread the word! The teen online-moderated support groups are a safe place for teens (ages 12-19) to talk about issues related to their own or a family member's mood disorder. This is a supportive environment, moderated by adults, in which teens can share ideas and thoughts about how to help one another.
Click here to download the flier and spread the word!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Live Your Life Well
From Mental Health America:
Live Your Life Well is a website designed to help people cope better with stress and create more of the life they want.
Maybe you're holding down two jobs or can't find work. Maybe you're the parents of young children or the children of aging parents. Maybe you face a rush of daily demands or one potentially life-changing challenge. Whatever your situation, this site is designed for you.
The non-profit Mental Health America has been working for 100 years to promote well-being for all Americans. Now we have put together the 10 Tools to Live Your Life Well. Based on extensive scientific evidence, these tools can help you relax, grow and flourish. They can help you Live Your Life Well.
Study Gives Broader Picture of College Mental Health
One in every four college students who has sought mental health assistance in campus counseling centers has seriously considered suicide, according to a new study. The study, which was released by the Center for the Study of Collegiate Mental Health at Penn State University, found that of the 28,000 students questioned who received mental health services at 66 campus counseling centers nationwide, 11 percent had seriously considered suicide only before they began college, six percent only after starting college, and eight percent both prior to and after beginning college. (The Harvard Crimson, 4/23/09)
Mental Health Family Tree
To help you uncover personal and family behavior patterns that may be associated with depression or bipolar disorder, Families for Depression Awareness developed the Mental Health Family Tree builder. After completing a simple questionnaire, you can print an easy-to-read "family tree" that maps the existence of behaviors associated with depression or bipolar disorder in your family. You can then share this family tree with your doctor or family.
"If I had built my Mental Health Family Tree earlier, it would have given my doctor and me a clearer picture of what I was dealing with," says Renee Rosolino. "It would have helped us realize that my father's constant mood swings and irritable behaviors may have been more than upsetting personality traits - he may have had bipolar disorder. Knowing this earlier could have helped my doctor differentiate my bipolar disorder from depression, and led to effective treatment and the happier life I have now much faster." - Renee Rosolino, Patient
"The Mental Health Family Tree is very useful in helping guide the differential diagnosis process (between depression and bipolar disorder) and in helping determine which treatment may be best for the patient." -Jean Endicott, Ph.D, Columbia University
"If I had built my Mental Health Family Tree earlier, it would have given my doctor and me a clearer picture of what I was dealing with," says Renee Rosolino. "It would have helped us realize that my father's constant mood swings and irritable behaviors may have been more than upsetting personality traits - he may have had bipolar disorder. Knowing this earlier could have helped my doctor differentiate my bipolar disorder from depression, and led to effective treatment and the happier life I have now much faster." - Renee Rosolino, Patient
"The Mental Health Family Tree is very useful in helping guide the differential diagnosis process (between depression and bipolar disorder) and in helping determine which treatment may be best for the patient." -Jean Endicott, Ph.D, Columbia University
Friday, May 1, 2009
Federal Government Seeks Public Comment on Issues Related to the Implementation of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act signed into law in October 2008 consolidated longstanding efforts at the national and state level to establish parity between the financial health coverage for mental health/substance abuse conditions, and physical health disorders. The three federal government agencies principally responsible for implementing this law – the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor and the Internal Revenue Service -- are issuing a request in the Federal Register seeking information and advice from the public addressing critical issues surrounding the best ways to implement the law and fulfill its objectives.
Among the issues that the departments are seeking information on are issues related to the most efficient and cost-effective ways of implementing this law. In addition, this request for information seeks information that would be helpful in the development of regulations needed to implement this law.
The Federal Register announcement can be accessed at: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-9629.pdf
Want information on Federal mental health grants, publications, meetings, policies, programs and other useful material for mental health consumers? Join the CMHS Consumer Affairs Listserv at: http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/listserv/
Friday, April 17, 2009
Task Force Recommends Routine Screening of Adolescents for Clinical Depression
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force now recommends routine screening of adolescents 12 to 18 years of age for clinical depression when systems are in place to ensure accurate diagnosis, treatment, and follow up. The Task Force found insufficient evidence to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening children 7 to 11 years of age for clinical depression. The Task Force reviewed new evidence on the benefits and harms of screening children and adolescents for clinical depression, the accuracy of screening tests administered in the primary care setting, and the benefits and risks of treating clinical depression using psychotherapy and/or medications in patients 7 and 18 years of age. The recommendations appeared in the April issue of Pediatrics. To read the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s (AHRQ) press release and access the recommendation, visit http://www.ahrq.gov/news/press/pr2009/tfaddeppr.htm.
Family Ties Provide Protection Against Young Adult Suicidal Behavior
ScienceDaily (Apr. 15, 2009)
Adolescents and young adults typically consider peer relationships to be all important. However, it appears that strong family support, not peer support, is protective in reducing future suicidal behavior among young adults when they have experienced depression or have attempted suicide.
New research that will be presented April 17 at the annual meeting of the American Association of Suicidology shows that high school depression and a previous suicide attempt were significant predictors of thinking about suicide one or two years later. But, those individuals who had high levels of depression or had attempted suicide in high school were less likely to engage in suicidal thinking if they had strong family support and bonds.
Adolescents and young adults typically consider peer relationships to be all important. However, it appears that strong family support, not peer support, is protective in reducing future suicidal behavior among young adults when they have experienced depression or have attempted suicide.
New research that will be presented April 17 at the annual meeting of the American Association of Suicidology shows that high school depression and a previous suicide attempt were significant predictors of thinking about suicide one or two years later. But, those individuals who had high levels of depression or had attempted suicide in high school were less likely to engage in suicidal thinking if they had strong family support and bonds.
Creating a Pamphlet to Educate Parishioners about Mental Illness
From: NAMI FaithNet Newsletter April 2009
Two Portland Catholic mental health experts have written a pamphlet for national distribution to help educate parishes about ways to be supportive of mentally ill parishioners. The pamphlet provides simple suggestions for supporting and ministering to people with mental illness, insisting that no one needs to be a mental health expert to help others.
Read the full article.
Two Portland Catholic mental health experts have written a pamphlet for national distribution to help educate parishes about ways to be supportive of mentally ill parishioners. The pamphlet provides simple suggestions for supporting and ministering to people with mental illness, insisting that no one needs to be a mental health expert to help others.
Read the full article.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)