Mental Health in the Headlines: Week of July 29, 2013
Mental Health in the Headlines is a weekly newsletter providing the latest developments at Mental Health America and summaries of news, views and research in the mental health field. Coverage of news items in this publication does not represent Mental Health America’s support for or opposition to the stories summarized or the views they express.
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TODAY’S HEADLINE
Unemployment rates for people with mental health conditions rose more than twice as much than the general population during the recession…more
NEWS FROM MENTAL HEALTH AMERICA
Watch C-SPAN’S Coverage of the Opening Plenary of Mental Health America’s 2013 Annual Conference
View the White House National Conference on Mental Health
Marketplace reports on the M3 Screener
Mental Health America Urges Immediate Screening for Most Common Mental Illnesses
Help Make Parity a Reality: Tell Your Story.
The MHA Career Center matches the best employers with the best talent in the mental health field. Find your employment match at http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/mhacareercenter.
NEWS FOR THE FIELD
2013 National Forum on Data & Analytics in Healthcare: eHealth Initiative is proud to present the National Forum on Data and Analytics in Healthcare on August 1-2 at the Gaylord National Resort Hotel and Convention Center. The event will bring together providers, payors, researchers, clinicians, and industry leaders from across the nation focused on the use of analytics to improve healthcare. Click here to view the agenda. Use coupon code “LASTDAY” to receive a $100 discount on registration. Download the brochure here.
National Association of Broadcasters Launches PSA Campaign for Mental Health: The National Association of Broadcasters has launched a new mental health awareness campaign to publicize the National Suicide Prevention Hotline and provide an online community for people affected by mental illness. The campaign includes public service announcements for TV and radio, which will run nationwide. The spots feature young people encouraging their peers to speak up about mental health issues and ask for help if they need it. NAB also created a new website OK2Talk, where people can view resources and post their thoughts about mental health. In addition to downloadable versions of the PSAs, NAB has made available web banners, a toolkit for reporters, and other media resources on its website. Mental Health America is partner in the campaign.
Kennedy Forum on Community Mental Health—Local Events: On October 31, 1963, President John F. Kennedy, signed the Community Mental Act in law, opening a new era for mental health. On October 23 and 24, 2013, the inaugural Kennedy Forum on Community Mental Health will convene in Boston to celebrate 50 years of progress in meeting the goals President Kennedy articulated in 1963 and to set forth an agenda for a united mental health community to follow. To open this event to as many people as possible and to give its message of community inclusion the widest possible exposure, the Kennedy Forum will develop materials enabling local groups to hold Forums in their own communities. Materials will include: a webcast of featured speakers at the Gala Dinner to be held at the JFK Library in Boston on October 23; edited videos of speakers and panelists at the Kennedy Forum Conference to be held in Boston on October 24; materials on President Kennedy’s 1963 vision for community care, the gains that have been made in pursuit of it over the past 50 years, and today’s opportunities to expand that vision based on cultural, scientific, and legislative advances; and a Consensus Paper developed by a panel of respected mental health, substance use, and developmental disability leaders on the future of community services. For more information, please contact Bill Emmet at thekennedyforum@gmail.com or 508-549-5799.
National Dialogue on Mental Health--Toolkit: In over 50 communities, planning has begun for the community conversations of the National Dialogue on Mental Health. The community conversations page at mentalhealth.gov describes the basic parameters for these events, and the online map at www.creatingcommunitysolutions.org shows the full range of places and organizations involved. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has also released a Toolkit for Community Conversations About Mental Health to support communities interested in holding discussions about mental health using consistent information and approaches. The Toolkit has three parts: an "Information Brief," a "Discussion Guide" and an "Organizing Guide." These components will help communities and individuals start a conversation about mental health and help identify innovative and creative actions to meet the mental health needs of our Nation. The toolkit is available at o http://www.samhsa.gov/communityconversations/ and http://www.mentalhealth.gov/talk/community-conversation/index.html.
VA Mental Health Summits: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will be hosting mental health summits at each of the 152 VA medical centers across the country over the next several weeks. The announcement was made during the Military Family Mental Health Conference at the White House. The mental health summits will provide an opportunity for VA facilities to establish and enhance positive working relationships with their community partners. Furthermore, these summits will help encourage community engagement in order to better address and understand the broad mental healthcare needs of veterans and their families. More information and dates can be found at http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/summits.asp
Presidential Proclamation on the Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
IN THE NEWS
British Unemployment in Recession Worse for People with Mental Health Conditions: Unemployment rates for people with mental health conditions rose more than twice as much than the general population during the recession, according to British researchers. The study used data in 27 European Union countries from more than 20,000 people in 2006 and again in 2010. At the start of the study, unemployment was at 7.1 percent for people without mental health conditions, compared to 12.7 percent for the general population. In 2010, this rose to 9.8 percent and 18.2 percent, respectively. The study also found that men and individuals with lower levels of education were significantly more likely to be unemployed after the recession. In 2010, 21.7 percent of men with mental health problems were unemployed, compared to 13.7 percent in 2006, the researchers report. Living in a country where a higher proportion of individuals believed that people with mental health problems were dangerous was associated with higher levels of unemployment for those people, according to the researchers. The study also found that, in addition to higher unemployment, men with mental health problems and individuals with lower levels of education were less likely to seek help. They also had more negative attitudes to mental health, which may require specific forms of outreach, the researchers suggest. (Psychcentral.com, 7/27/13)
Suicides in Virginia Reached 13-Year High in 2011: Suicides in Virginia were at a 13-year high in 2011, according to a report from the state medical examiner's office. Virginians are three times more likely to die from suicide than homicide, according to the report on the most recent data available. Older, white males were the most likely to take their own lives. The medical examiner’s office said unemployment, relationship problems and lack of access to mental health resources all contribute to rising numbers. The data is used to update Virginia’s suicide prevention efforts. (Associated Press, 7/25/13)
British Study looks at Costs of Mental Illness: Health systems could be "overwhelmed" by the costs of coping with mental illnesses if nothing is done now to boost investment in research, neuroscientists said last week. Publishing a study that put the estimated costs of brain disorders in Britain alone at more than 172 billion a year, they said mental illness research needed to attract the same funding levels as illnesses such as cancer and heart diseases to be able to reduce the burden The study, published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, found that in 2010, there were around 45 million diagnoses of brain disorders in Britain. The diagnosed illnesses included more than 8 million cases of anxiety disorder and nearly 4 million cases of mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder. Annually, the five most costly disorders in terms of medicines, health care and indirect costs such time off work and as loss of productivity were dementia, psychotic disorders, mood disorders, addiction and anxiety disorders. A Europe-wide study published in 2011 put the total costs of brain disorders at almost $1 trillion and said the region was facing a political, social and financial "ticking bomb." (Reuters, 7/24/13)
Suicidal Teens Reach Through Social Media Rather Than Hotlines: Teens and young adults are frequently using social networking sites and to express suicidal thoughts and intentions as well as to reach out for help, according to new research reported in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking. The findings suggest that suicide prevention and intervention efforts aimed at young adults should use social media, they say. Researchers conducted an analysis of public profiles on MySpace. They downloaded profile pages of a 41,000-member sample of 13- to 24-year-olds from March 3-4, 2008, and again in December 2008, this time with comments included. Of 2 million downloaded comments, the researchers narrowed it down to 1,083 that contained suggestions of suicidality, and eventually arrived at 64 posts that were clear discussions of suicide. Survey results showed that respondents first chose talking to a friend or family member when they were depressed, followed by sending texts, talking on the phone, using instant messaging and posting to a social networking site. Less common responses included talking to a health-care provider, posting to a blog, calling a suicide prevention hotline and posting to an online suicide support group. (PsychCentral.com, 7/27/13)
Rick Warren Pledges to Help Remove Stigma of Mental Illness: Pastor Rick Warren returned to his pulpit for the first time since his son's suicide and said he hope to help remove the stigma that is attached to mental illness. He also said the church would offer support groups for people with mental illness. Warren’s son took his life in early April after what the pastor said had been a lifelong battle with depression. Warren is the leader of Saddleback Church, one of the largest mega-churches in the country, and author of "The Purpose Driven Life.” (CBS News, 7/28/13)
IN DEPTH
The New York Times reports “Mental Health Cuts in Utah Leave Patients Adrift.”
Kansas Health Institute looks at success of health homes.
Behavioral Healthcare magazine examines” How behavioral health professionals can shape the future of health care teams.”
The U.S. Justice Department’s blog celebrates 23 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Psychcentral.com looks at “Explaining Mental Illness to Children.”
Medicare News Group reports on coordinated care.
Latest Research
Prenatal Smoking Tied to Behavior Problems in Children: Children of women who smoked cigarettes during pregnancy are more likely to have behavioral problems than those whose mothers don’t, according to a new analysis. Previous research has tied smoking cigarettes during pregnancy to behavior problems among children later on, but those studies couldn't rule out the influence of other factors, such as genetics or parenting techniques, researchers report in JAMA Psychiatry. The new analysis pulled together data from three studies from New Zealand, the UK and the U.S. that asked women whether or not they smoked cigarettes during pregnancy. Parents and teachers then reported on children's conduct problems between age four and 10. The analysis also compared children who were raised by adoptive mothers to children who were raised by their biological mothers in an effort to tease out the influence of genetics and parenting styles on any link between prenatal smoking and behavior. The researchers compared children's behavior scores to an average of 100, where higher scores indicate more conduct problems. In studies that looked at women who raised their own biological children, those who didn't smoke during pregnancy had kids who scored about a 99, on average, compared to a score of 104 among children whose mothers smoked 10 or more cigarettes per day. (MedPage Today, 7/24/13)
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