Mental Health in the Headlines: Week of August 3, 2009
Mental Health in the Headlines offers summaries of the latest news and views 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.
*DID YOU KNOW?
People who get married and stay married may enjoy better mental and physical health than single individuals...more
*HEALTH REFORM UPDATE
House Panel Approves Overhaul; Senate Committee Progress Stalls
Health care reform efforts took a step forward last week as the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved its plan, although it weakened a public option and exempted many small businesses from having to provide health benefits to workers. The approval sets the stage for floor action after Labor Day. In the Senate, a bipartisan group of Finance Committee members failed to reach consensus on a plan. Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said he will move a bill by September 15, even if no agreement is reached. Members of Congress will now hear from their constituents as they go home for the August recess. Opponents plan to argue that health reform is a government takeover and too expensive. Supporters of health reform will take aim at the insurance industry and assert that reform is needed to give consumers greater power. (The Washington Post, 8/03/09)
Prevention and Wellness Provisions Debated
In addition to debating the overall cost and coverage provisions of a bill, lawmakers are wrestling over whether it should include money for prevention and wellness programs. Some call it wasteful spending; others say those steps should be considered in separate legislation. But supporters argue the measures will help reduce chronic disease. Trust for America's Health has joined more than 300 organizations in urging lawmakers to include public health and prevention funds in the bill. A 2008 report by that group suggested that an investment of $10 per person per year in proven programs could save America more than $16 billion in annual healthcare costs within five years. (The Los Angeles Times, 8/03/09)
*TODAY’S NEWS
Study Finds Homelessness Impacts Children’s Mental Health
Children who are homeless are more likely to have mental health problems, a new study reports. Research teams from the University of California, Los Angeles, and the RAND Corp. found that about one in 14 fifth-graders have been homeless at some time in their lives. The findings, which are published in the August issue of the American Journal of Public Health, involved more than 5100 fifth-graders from Los Angles, Houston and Birmingham, Ala. The study did not determine whether the experience of homelessness led to the children's emotional, behavioral or developmental issues. It did note that the children who'd been homeless were more likely to have received some sort of mental health care during their lifetime. (Healthday News, 8/02/09)
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)
Latest Research
Cancer Survivors At Increased Risk of Psychological Distress: Cancer survivors are more likely than their healthy peers to suffer serious psychological distress such as anxiety and depression, even a decade after treatment ends, new research shows. The study, which appears in the Archives of Internal Medicine, finds those who were relatively young at the time of diagnosis, unmarried, had less than a high school education, were uninsured, had other illnesses or had difficulty managing daily activities were at the highest risk of psychological problems. (Healthday News, 7/30/09)
Long-lasting Marriage Linked to Better Mental, Physical Health: People who get married and stay married may enjoy better mental and physical health than single individuals, a new study finds. A divorce or the loss of a spouse takes a significant toll on health, according to the research, which is to be published in the September issue of Journal of Health and Social Behavior. Researchers found that middle-aged and older Americans who were currently married tended to give higher ratings to their health than their never-married counterparts. They also reported fewer depression symptoms. Divorced or widowed adults reported 20 percent more chronic health conditions. (Reuters, 7/27/09)
Doctors Often Miss Depression: 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)
HEADLINES at Mental Health America
Mental Health America Seeks Greater Patient and Consumer Involvement In Comparative Effectiveness Research: Mental Health America and the National Working Group on Evidence-Based Health Care wrote HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius with recommendations for greater patient and consumer involvement in Comparative Effectiveness Research.
Dr. Shern Keynotes Wisconsin Conference: David Shern, Ph.D., president and CEO of Mental Health America, keynotes the Wellness Best Practices & Proven Strategies Conference/Expo in Pewaukee, Wisconsin.
*Mental Health America MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
Stay Up to Date With More News, Views and Tools
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Mental Health in the Headlines is produced weekly by Mental Health America. Mental Health America's Mental Health in the Headlines staff: Steve Vetzner, senior director, Media Relation and Sarah Jones, communications coordinator.
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