12:52 PM 6/28/2012 - Mike Nova's starred items: Supreme Court Lets Health Law Largely Stand - via NYT > Health | Inmates File Suit Over Lack of Psychiatric Care | Court Rules on Life Sentences for Juveniles- via Psychiatric News Alert | [Editorial] Suicide prevention: steps to be taken - via The Lancet | Practical Guide to Correctional Mental Health and the Law - via Psychiatric Times | See more of Mike Nova's starred items ...
via NYT > Health by By JOHN H. CUSHMAN Jr. on 6/28/12
The Supreme Court on Thursday largely let stand President Obama’s health care overhaul, in a striking victory for the president and Congressional Democrats, with the chief justice, John G. Roberts Jr., affirming the central legislative pillar of Mr. Obama’s term.
The case is seen as the most significant before the court since the Bush v. Gore ruling, which decided the 2000 presidential election.
In addition to its political reverberations, the decision allows sweeping policy changes affecting one of the largest and fastest-growing sectors of the economy, touching nearly everyone from the cradle to the grave.
via Health News by Health Editor on 6/28/12
By Lisa Esposito and Karen Pallarito HealthDay Reporters THURSDAY, June 28 (HealthDay News) — Surprising many legal scholars, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld on Thursday the constitutionality of most of the controversial health reform law that requires almost all Americans to have health insurance or pay a penalty in the form of a tax. The Patient Protection [...]
via Psychiatric News Alert by noreply@blogger.com (Psychiatric News Alert) on 6/15/12
Health care reform is sure to be a prominent topic at this year's meeting, especially as the Supreme Court's ruling on the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is expected any day now and may well be announced while the House is in session.
Psychiatry has grown to have enormous influence in the House of Delegates. At last year’s meeting, Lazarus was elected president, and psychiatrist Patrice Harris, M.D., was elected to the AMA Board of Trustees. Additionally, former APA President and Assembly Speaker John McIntyre, M.D., won election to a second term on the AMA's influential Council on Medical Service. And Stuart Gitlow, M.D., Ph.D., won reelection to the Council on Science and Public Health.
Look to Psychiatric News for coverage of this year’s meeting. For more information about psychiatry’s influence at the AMA, see Psychiatric News here.
(Image: iQoncept/shutterstock.com)
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via PsychiatryOnline | on 6/15/12
The Nuts and Bolts of Supportive Psychotherapy New York City to Host APA’s Next Institute There’s More Than One Winner on This Racetrack, Psychotherapy Masters Conclude Young, Boyer Win Assembly Election Look for Comorbidities in Youth With Addiction MOC Among Top Issues Taken on by Assembly Researchers on Hunt for Amyloid Annihilator |
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Gabbard, Schatzberg Address Menninger Clinic Opening
Two leading psychiatrists–one known for psychotherapy, the other for psychopharmacology– discuss their piece of the treatment puzzle.
Medication Coupled With Rewards Found to Reduce Cannabis Use
Research into adolescent substance abuse is yielding valuable insights into its treatment, especially regarding the role that comorbidities play.
‘Positive Psychiatry’ Will Support Successfully Aging Population
Jeste envisions a “positive psychiatry” that will incorporate resilience, optimism, wisdom, and social engagement in its psychotherapeutic treatments.
SAMHSA Minority Fellows Reach Out to Underserved
Minority doctoral and postdoctoral fellows in psychiatry, psychology, and other behavioral health professions have a chance to improve services to underserved populations and become leaders in their field.
Technique Offers Hope for Treatment-Resistant Depression
Evidence has converged around the critical role of the subcallosal cingulate in driving negative mood in treatment-resistant depression.
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via Psychiatric News Alert by noreply@blogger.com (Psychiatric News Alert) on 6/26/12
Edward Aro, one of the lawyers who filed the suit along with the inmates, is quoted as saying that the Bureau of Prisons "turns a blind eye to the needs of the mentally ill at [the Colorado prison] and to the deplorable conditions of confinement that are inhumane to these prisoner." The Bureau of Prisons declined to comment on the suit, but issued a statement saying it does not send mentally ill prisoners to the supermax facility. However, the Post cited, for example, the case of one of the plaintiffs, a convicted murderer, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia and alleges that he has not received medication for the disorder in his 11 years at the Colorado prison. "Instead, he has access to therapy classes on television and anger-management pamphlets."
To read about how mental illness is dealt with in the criminal justice system, see Psychiatric News here and here.
(image: Max Photo/Shutterstock.com)
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via Psychiatric News Alert by noreply@blogger.com (Psychiatric News Alert) on 6/26/12
Writing for the majority in yesterday's decision, Justice Elena Kagan acknowledged the research on adolescent development, saying that "Our decisions rested not only on common sense...but on science and social science as well." Read more about this case in Psychiatric News here, and APA's position statement on mandatory sentencing of juveniles here.
(image: Kim Seidl/Shutterstock.com)
For previous news alerts, click here.
via Sciences Indexed Since 1998 on 6/28/12
In this paper we suggest that there is a need to examine what is meant by “context” in Social Psychology and present an example of how to place identity in its social and institutional context. Taking the case of British naturalisation, the process whereby migrants become citizens, we show th...
via The Lancet by The Lancet on 6/22/12
Suicide is a devastating event for individuals, families, and communities. People who experience such a loss, the wider public, and health professionals, often struggle to understand this complex behaviour, which remains taboo in many cultures. In today's Lancet, we publish a three-part Series to illuminate some of the issues around the causes of suicide, the treatments for suicidal ideation and self-harm, and importantly, the prevention of suicide.
via Psychiatric Times on 6/28/12
Detailed, thoughtful descriptions throughout a Practical Guide to Correctional Mental Health and the Law provide context and make this reference a realistic and practical resource.
BOOK REVIEW
Practical Guide to Correctional Mental Health and the Law
Reviewed by Robert L. Trestman, PhD, MD |June 28, 2012
by Fred Cohen (With James L. Knoll IV, Terry A. Kupers, and Jeffrey L. Metzner); Kingston, NJ: Civic Research Institute; 2011 • 788 pages • $149.50 (hardcover)
Dr Trestman is Professor of Medicine, Psychiatry, and Nursing, and Executive Director of Correctional Managed Health Care at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington.
If you were a psychiatrist in the 1950s, interested in providing mental health care to the most disadvantaged population with the most extreme forms of psychopathology, you would perhaps have chosen to work in a psychiatric hospital. Today, the career choice is in correctional mental health, and Practical Guide to Correctional Mental Health and the Law is recommended reading for those preparing for, or who have recently embarked on, this career. The book will almost certainly help readers understand the legal framework and the pragmatic characteristics of the demanding environment of a correctional facility.
The law informs mental health care in correctional settings in unique and challenging ways. This is the only population in the country with a constitutionally recognized right to health care—both general medicine and mental health—derived from the 8th and 14th Amendments.
The book reflects the pervasive nature of legal issues in mental health care in correctional settings. In many ways, it articulates what is often assumed or ignored in the health care community. Issues of paternalism, the right to treatment, confidentiality, and informed consent become far more central. Conditions of confinement are not a consideration for most clinicians, but these are routinely a concern in correctional settings. Cohen and colleagues bring these issues to life in a very readable, crisp, and engaging fashion.
Presented in 18 chapters, the 1-volume book is a convenient reworking and condensation of the original 2008 version. The book is clearly designed for function and ease of use; there is a detailed Table of Contents (12 pages) and an excellent Table of Cases (18 pages). The first chapter provides a comprehensive overview and a useful introduction to the legal framework of correctional mental health care and care delivery. My only caveat would be the relative prominence that is given to the Bureau of Justice Statistics report from 2006,1 with its flawed focus on symptoms of mental illness (versus prevalence rates of actual mental illness).
Topics specific to corrections are well described. Conditions of confinement, issues of safety and security, and the notions of dual agency of the clinician are presented within a proper context and with pragmatic guidance.
A critical topic extensively discussed is suicide risk management. While this is an intrinsic part of psychiatry in general, it looms even larger in correctional mental health care for a variety of reasons. First, the suicide rate in jail settings is elevated far above that in community settings. Acute anxiety, emotional distress, and detoxification challenges contribute to this elevated rate.
Second, virtually every suicide that occurs in a correctional facility results in a lawsuit. Understanding the context of care and recognizing the key factors that underlie suicide risk management are fundamental to correctional psychiatry. This text lays out the logic, the process, and the key components in a readable and very comprehensible way. The legal precedents can easily be followed.
This is not a dry legal text: consideration of the issues and concern for patient care are reflected in these pages. Detailed, thoughtful descriptions throughout a Practical Guide to Correctional Mental Health and the Law provide context and make this reference a realistic and practical resource. Readers will undoubtedly find what they are looking for, and they will do so quite expeditiously.
The law informs mental health care in correctional settings in unique and challenging ways. This is the only population in the country with a constitutionally recognized right to health care—both general medicine and mental health—derived from the 8th and 14th Amendments.
The book reflects the pervasive nature of legal issues in mental health care in correctional settings. In many ways, it articulates what is often assumed or ignored in the health care community. Issues of paternalism, the right to treatment, confidentiality, and informed consent become far more central. Conditions of confinement are not a consideration for most clinicians, but these are routinely a concern in correctional settings. Cohen and colleagues bring these issues to life in a very readable, crisp, and engaging fashion.
Presented in 18 chapters, the 1-volume book is a convenient reworking and condensation of the original 2008 version. The book is clearly designed for function and ease of use; there is a detailed Table of Contents (12 pages) and an excellent Table of Cases (18 pages). The first chapter provides a comprehensive overview and a useful introduction to the legal framework of correctional mental health care and care delivery. My only caveat would be the relative prominence that is given to the Bureau of Justice Statistics report from 2006,1 with its flawed focus on symptoms of mental illness (versus prevalence rates of actual mental illness).
Topics specific to corrections are well described. Conditions of confinement, issues of safety and security, and the notions of dual agency of the clinician are presented within a proper context and with pragmatic guidance.
A critical topic extensively discussed is suicide risk management. While this is an intrinsic part of psychiatry in general, it looms even larger in correctional mental health care for a variety of reasons. First, the suicide rate in jail settings is elevated far above that in community settings. Acute anxiety, emotional distress, and detoxification challenges contribute to this elevated rate.
Second, virtually every suicide that occurs in a correctional facility results in a lawsuit. Understanding the context of care and recognizing the key factors that underlie suicide risk management are fundamental to correctional psychiatry. This text lays out the logic, the process, and the key components in a readable and very comprehensible way. The legal precedents can easily be followed.
This is not a dry legal text: consideration of the issues and concern for patient care are reflected in these pages. Detailed, thoughtful descriptions throughout a Practical Guide to Correctional Mental Health and the Law provide context and make this reference a realistic and practical resource. Readers will undoubtedly find what they are looking for, and they will do so quite expeditiously.
See more of Mike Nova's starred items ...
Mike Nova's starred items
via psychiatry - Google Blog Search by Babu on 6/28/12
Connecticut Behavioral Health, P.C. Selects WRS Cloud Based Psychiatry EMR for Its Large Behavioral Health Practice.
via Twitter / APAPsychiatric on 6/27/12
APAPsychiatric: Behind the Cover Story: Jeneen Interlandi on Dealing With Her Father's #MentalIllness http://t.co/UzyboXMy #BPD #bipolardisorder #bipolar
via Twitter / APAPsychiatric on 6/26/12
APAPsychiatric: RT @APP_Publishing: Inmates File Suit Over Lack of Psychiatric Care: Several federal prisoners with serious mental illness have file... ...
via Twitter / APAPsychiatric on 6/26/12
APAPsychiatric: RT @APP_Publishing: Court Rules on Life Sentences for Juveniles: Sentencing juveniles to prison terms of life without the possibilit... ...
via psychiatry - Google Blog Search by Arthur Janov on 6/28/12
Each of us in psychiatry has a right to our own opinion, but no one of us has a right to our own science. Facts are public and are in the domain of science. They cannot be argued against; we need to test them in a specific way.
via The British Journal of Psychiatry current issue by Boschloo, L., Vogelzangs, N., van den Brink, W., Smit, J. H., Veltman, D. J., Beekman, A. T. F., Penninx, B. W. J. H. on 6/1/12
Background
Inconsistent findings have been reported on the role of comorbid alcohol use disorders as risk factors for a persistent course of depressive and anxiety disorders.
Aims
To determine whether the course of depressive and/or anxiety disorders is conditional on the type (abuse or dependence) or severity of comorbid alcohol use disorders.
Method
In a large sample of participants with current depression and/or anxiety (n = 1369) we examined whether the presence and severity of DSM-IV alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence predicted the 2-year course of depressive and/or anxiety disorders.
Results
The persistence of depressive and/or anxiety disorders at the 2-year follow-up was significantly higher in those with remitted or current alcohol dependence (persistence 62% and 67% respectively), but not in those with remitted or current alcohol abuse (persistence 51% and 46% respectively), compared with no lifetime alcohol use disorder (persistence 53%). Severe (meeting six or seven diagnostic criteria) but not moderate (meeting three to five criteria) current dependence was a significant predictor as 95% of those in the former group still had a depressive and/or anxiety disorder at follow-up. This association remained significant after adjustment for severity of depression and anxiety, psychosocial factors and treatment factors.
Conclusions
Alcohol dependence, especially severe current dependence, is a risk factor for an unfavourable course of depressive and/or anxiety disorders, whereas alcohol abuse is not.
Inconsistent findings have been reported on the role of comorbid alcohol use disorders as risk factors for a persistent course of depressive and anxiety disorders.
Aims
To determine whether the course of depressive and/or anxiety disorders is conditional on the type (abuse or dependence) or severity of comorbid alcohol use disorders.
Method
In a large sample of participants with current depression and/or anxiety (n = 1369) we examined whether the presence and severity of DSM-IV alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence predicted the 2-year course of depressive and/or anxiety disorders.
Results
The persistence of depressive and/or anxiety disorders at the 2-year follow-up was significantly higher in those with remitted or current alcohol dependence (persistence 62% and 67% respectively), but not in those with remitted or current alcohol abuse (persistence 51% and 46% respectively), compared with no lifetime alcohol use disorder (persistence 53%). Severe (meeting six or seven diagnostic criteria) but not moderate (meeting three to five criteria) current dependence was a significant predictor as 95% of those in the former group still had a depressive and/or anxiety disorder at follow-up. This association remained significant after adjustment for severity of depression and anxiety, psychosocial factors and treatment factors.
Conclusions
Alcohol dependence, especially severe current dependence, is a risk factor for an unfavourable course of depressive and/or anxiety disorders, whereas alcohol abuse is not.
via psychiatric journal articles - Google News on 6/25/12
Study: Several Factors Related to Violence in US Veterans
Counsel & Heal The findings, reported in a June 25, 2012 article in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, revealed that veterans with these factors in place were 92 percent less likely to report severe violence compared veterans who did not relate to these factors. The ... |
via psychiatric diagnosis - Google News on 6/14/12
The Associated Press |
Military to expand review of mental health diagnoses
Mohave Valley News WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Wednesday he has ordered all branches of the military to conduct an extensive review of mental health diagnoses amid criticism of how the services treat the men and women suffering the invisible ... DoD orders review of mental health diagnosesNavyTimes.com all 1,228 news articles » |
via psychiatric diagnosis - Google News on 6/13/12
Pentagon chief orders review of mental diagnoses
The Associated Press The study will cover mental health diagnoses dating to 2001. Murray described the pain of talking to a soldier who was diagnosed with PTSD. "His family was ... |
Mike Nova's starred items
via psychiatric diagnosis - Google News on 6/15/12
Judge allows Sandusky to put on disorder testimony
The Associated Press The American Psychiatric Association's diagnostic manual calls histrionic personality disorder "a pervasive pattern of excessive emotionality and attention ... |
via psychiatric diagnosis - Google News on 6/13/12
The Associated Press |
Leon Panetta Orders Review Of Military Personnel's Mental Health ...
Huffington Post The study will cover mental health diagnoses dating to 2001. Murray described the pain of talking to a soldier who was diagnosed with PTSD. "His family was ... Pentagon chief orders review of mental diagnosesFox News all 1,228 news articles » |
via NIMH | Director’s Blog by Thomas Insel on 6/5/12
Director’s Blog
NIMH was established nearly 65 years ago to help the nation address the mental health issues of veterans after World War II. Several wars later, we are still committed to helping those who have served, but today the problems are different. At the One Mind for Research meeting last week at UCLA, the differences were clear.
Fewer than one percent of Americans have served in Iraq or Afghanistan – 2.7 million men and women over this past decade. Most were under 25, many had never traveled before, and all were volunteers. Over 5,000 died in combat. For many more, war has meant so called “invisible wounds”: the improvement in body armor has protected limbs and lives, but not brains and minds. Since the beginning of these wars in 2003, there have been at least 126,000 cases of traumatic brain injury and 70,000 cases of PTSD. At the One Mind meeting, Patrick Kennedy, stressing the urgency of these injuries, called these soldiers “medical prisoners of war.”
Today more soldiers are dying from suicide than combat. Suicides have traditionally been lower in the Army than in age and gender matched civilians. In 2004 the suicide rate in the U.S. Army began to climb, surpassing the civilian rate in 2008, and when combined with deaths from high-risk behavior, surpassing the mortality from combat in 2009. The suicide rate has continued to increase, with 164 deaths among active duty soldiers in 2011. Since 2009, NIMH has been collaborating with the Army to understand the drivers for this increasing rate of suicide and rapidly provide interventions to reduce mortality. This Army Study To Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS) is our largest single project at NIMH. It is an unprecedented effort to understand and modify the factors driving the suicide rate.
So far, 65,000 soldiers have volunteered for Army STARRS, on target to reach 100,000 soldiers by the end of this year. The study includes psychological and cognitive assessments, biosamples, and a vast range of administrative data. Analyses of over 500 suicide deaths have already taught us that the problem is complex: no single factor has emerged as a consistent predictor, and many apparently likely factors appear less important than originally thought. For instance, many of these suicides preceded deployment; and some groups, identified by administrative data, are at much higher risk. Our immediate goal is to provide the Army a “risk calculator”, a set of factors that will identify the highest risk soldiers. By intervening with those at highest risk, we can save lives.
This Memorial Day, 1.4 million men and women are serving in the Armed Forces. For those who have served in the past, as well as those who currently serve, we at NIMH are committed to supporting the best science for prevention and treatment – that’s our commitment to you to repay your commitment to us.
Fewer than one percent of Americans have served in Iraq or Afghanistan – 2.7 million men and women over this past decade. Most were under 25, many had never traveled before, and all were volunteers. Over 5,000 died in combat. For many more, war has meant so called “invisible wounds”: the improvement in body armor has protected limbs and lives, but not brains and minds. Since the beginning of these wars in 2003, there have been at least 126,000 cases of traumatic brain injury and 70,000 cases of PTSD. At the One Mind meeting, Patrick Kennedy, stressing the urgency of these injuries, called these soldiers “medical prisoners of war.”
Today more soldiers are dying from suicide than combat. Suicides have traditionally been lower in the Army than in age and gender matched civilians. In 2004 the suicide rate in the U.S. Army began to climb, surpassing the civilian rate in 2008, and when combined with deaths from high-risk behavior, surpassing the mortality from combat in 2009. The suicide rate has continued to increase, with 164 deaths among active duty soldiers in 2011. Since 2009, NIMH has been collaborating with the Army to understand the drivers for this increasing rate of suicide and rapidly provide interventions to reduce mortality. This Army Study To Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS) is our largest single project at NIMH. It is an unprecedented effort to understand and modify the factors driving the suicide rate.
So far, 65,000 soldiers have volunteered for Army STARRS, on target to reach 100,000 soldiers by the end of this year. The study includes psychological and cognitive assessments, biosamples, and a vast range of administrative data. Analyses of over 500 suicide deaths have already taught us that the problem is complex: no single factor has emerged as a consistent predictor, and many apparently likely factors appear less important than originally thought. For instance, many of these suicides preceded deployment; and some groups, identified by administrative data, are at much higher risk. Our immediate goal is to provide the Army a “risk calculator”, a set of factors that will identify the highest risk soldiers. By intervening with those at highest risk, we can save lives.
This Memorial Day, 1.4 million men and women are serving in the Armed Forces. For those who have served in the past, as well as those who currently serve, we at NIMH are committed to supporting the best science for prevention and treatment – that’s our commitment to you to repay your commitment to us.
Learn more about: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Military Servicemembers. View all posts about: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Military Servicemembers.
via Medscape Psychiatry & Mental Health Headlines on 6/20/12
For the first time in 73 years and for only the third time in history, a psychiatrist is leading America's largest medical organization.
Medscape Medical News
Medscape Medical News
via Home | psychiatry.org on 6/20/12
Lazarus Assumes AMA Presidency
For the first time in 73 years, a psychiatrist has been named President of the American Medical Association. Jeremy A. Lazarus, M.D., former American Psychiatric Association Assembly Speaker, assumed the post June 19th.
News release. View a video conversation with Lazarus and APA president Dilip Jeste, MD.
The American Psychiatric Foundation (APF) works to advance understanding of mental illnesses. It promotes awareness of mental illnesses and the effectiveness of treatment, the importance of early intervention, access to care and the need for high quality services and treatment through a combination of public and professional education, research, research training, grants, and awards.
This post has been generated by Page2RSS
via Home | psychiatry.org on 6/25/12
psychiatrist is President of the American Medical Association. Jeremy A. Lazarus, M.D., former American Psychiatric Association Assembly Speaker, assumed the post June 19th. and APA president Dilip Jeste, MD. View Dr. Lazarus' innauguration speech.
This post has been generated by Page2RSS
via Health News by Health Editor on 6/25/12
MONDAY, June 25 (HealthDay News) — Having a job and social support are among the factors that greatly reduce the risk of violence by U.S. veterans, a new study finds. Researchers analyzed the responses of nearly 1,400 veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and participated in a survey conducted between July 2009 and April 2010. [...]
Mike Nova's starred items
via Health News by Health Editor on 6/27/12
By Karen PallaritoHealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, June 27 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday is expected to hand down its ruling on the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Obama administration’s signature legislative achievement. The law set in motion a series of reforms designed to extend health coverage to more [...]
via Clinical Psychiatry News by a.ault@elsevier.com on 6/18/12
CHICAGO – As its annual House of Delegates meeting opened, officials from the American Medical Association...
via Twitter / APAPsychiatric on 6/27/12
APAPsychiatric: RT @APP_Publishing: Court Ruling on Health Reform Law Expected Tomorrow: Anticipation is building for a Supreme Court decision on th... ...
via Sciences Indexed Since 1998 on 6/27/12
‘Mental illness’ is a common label. However, the general public may or may not consider various conditions, ranging from major psychiatric disorders to stress, as mental illnesses. It is unclear how such public views affect attitudes towards people with mental illness and reac...
via psychiatric journal articles - Google News on 6/27/12
Norway builds psychiatric ward at prison in case Breivik declared insane
Washington Post Norway's Health Directorate on Wednesday approved plans to build a psychiatric ward inside Oslo's Ila Prison, specially designed for the 33-year-old right-wing extremist. Loading. ... Post contributors aren't staff, but may write articles or columns ... |
via Sciences Indexed Since 1998 on 6/28/12
Antidiscrimination law offers protection to workers who have been treated unfairly on the basis of their race, gender, religion, or national origin. In order for these protections to be invoked, however, potential plaintiffs must be aware of and able to document discriminatory treatment. Given th...
via Twitter / NMD_online on 6/10/12
NMD_online: New Article: Special Section on DSM-5: Nearing the Finish Line: No abstract available http://t.co/ZjvuqIQM
via Twitter / NMD_online on 6/11/12
NMD_online: New Article: Diagnostic Inflation: Causes and a Suggested Cure: Abstract: There have been a striking diagnostic ... http://t.co/LhFW9tJG