Mental Health in the Headlines: Week of October 13, 2008
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?
Children in middle-class families have worse health than children in wealthier families...more
*TODAY´S NEWS
Financial Crisis Threatens Mental Health
The impact of the global financial crisis on the mental health of people throughout the world should not be underestimated, according to World Health Organization (WHO) director general Margaret Chan. This is particularly true for people with depressive and bipolar disorders and people who are living in low-to middle-income countries where access to treatment is very limited. The financial crisis can result in poverty, said Benedetto Saraceno, WHO’s director of mental health and substance abuse. “There is clear evidence that suicide is linked to financial disasters,” Saraceno said. “I am not talking about the millionaire jumping out of the window but about poor people.” (Reuters, 10/9/08)
World Mental Health Day Celebrated Around the Globe
Friday was World Mental Health Day, an annual observance started by the World Federation for Mental Health, which is located in Virginia. This year’s theme was “Making Mental Health a Global Priority,” and mental health groups around the world used the day to “highlight the sad fact that there is still too little attention being given to helping people with mental health problems and to promoting mental well-being.” (The Freeport News [Bahamas], 10/10/08)
Physician Medicaid Pay Targeted by State Budget Cutters
Although enrollment in state Medicaid programs grew by 2.1 percent in fiscal year 2008 thanks to a weakening economy, state spending on Medicaid programs last fiscal year increased by 5.3 percent, a Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured report released last week indicates. To help keep spending in check, physician reimbursements for treating Medicaid enrollees might be a tempting target, according to the report’s author, Health Management Associates’ Vernon Smith. (WSJ.com, 10/13/08)
Virginia Governor’s Proposed Cuts Include Millions for Mental Health
The budget cuts announced last week by Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine include nearly $90 million in funding reductions to state mental health, health and human resources programs. About $12 million of these cuts would come from community service boards, which provide mental health and substance abuse counseling. Overall, Kaine’s proposed cuts would include 570 layoffs, the elimination of more than 800 unfilled state positions and a delay in a 2 percent state employee salary increase. (WSLS.com/The Richmond Times Dispatch, 10/11/08; WDBJ7.com, 10/9/08)
Nearly 20 Percent of Americans Missed Work Last Year Due to Depression
About 18 percent of American workers missed at least 10 workdays last year because of depression, reports healthcare consulting firm Watson Wyatt Worldwide. By comparison, a bit fewer employees missed at least 10 days of work due to anxiety or high blood pressure while about 30 percent of employees missed work due to heart disease and 22 percent for diabetes. (WSJ.com, 10/8/08)
Latest Research
Talking About Death to People With Terminal Illnesses Found Helpful: Physicians’ discussions about death and preparation for death with people who have terminal illnesses may be upsetting, but such discussions appear not to have negative consequences on the people who are dying, researchers report in the Journal of the American Medical Association. In fact, the researchers found that people who had terminal illnesses experienced a better quality of life in their last days if they had such talks than those who didn’t discuss their impending fates. The researchers also found that the individuals’ family members were less likely to have major depression if the people with terminal illnesses have discussions with their physicians. (Reuters, 10/7/08)
Brains May Predispose Cocaine Addicts to Addiction: The structures of the brains of people who are addicted to cocaine may have abnormalities that predispose the individuals to become addicted to the drug, researchers report in the journal Neuron. The overall thickness of the cerebral cortex of addicts tends to be much more uniform than in people who aren’t addicted to cocaine. Such a condition implies a genetic cause instead of one caused by the use of the drug, the researchers note. (Reuters, 10/8/08)
Middle-Class Kids’ Health At Disadvantage to Wealthy Kids’: It’s been known for some time that children’s health often fares worse if they are born to parents with little education and low incomes than if they are born to wealthy parents who have a lot of education. A report released last week indicates, however, that this gap also exists between kids from middle-income families and wealthy families. The authors of the report, which was produced by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission to Build a Healthier America, conclude in part that the sources of these disparities are so entrenched that even a major expansion of healthcare programs would not alone close these gaps; the problem needs to be addressed by tackling the sources’ underlying social conditions. (Stateline.org, 10/08/08)
*Mental Health America MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
Mental health groups lobbied more than a decade for the recently-passed mental health parity bill. David Shern, PhD, president and CEO of Mental Health America, called the bill's passage "a great civil rights victory,” adding, "It recognizes that mental health disorders are every bit as debilitating, and just as treatable, as cancer and diabetes." WebMD, “Law equalizes mental health coverage,” October 8, 2008
The latest figures released by Mental Health America show one in five teens in this country suffer from clinical depression, the suicide rate for adolescents has tripled since 1970, and each year nearly 5,000 young people between the ages of 15 and 24 complete suicide. Newark Advocate, “Take action for mental health,” October 9, 2008
Though much of the stigma of mental health conditions has abated among the general public, coverage of such disorders is still often overshadowed by other health issues. “There are a few full-time mental health reporters at publications like Mental Health Weekly,” Steve Vetzner, senior media relations director at Mental Health America, said. “But outside of that, you have to rely on general health reporters who happen to spend time on mental health issues.” PRWeek, “Mental health groups struggle for coverage,” October 6, 2008
Stay Up to Date With More News, Views and Tools
- View highlights of Mental Health America’s 2008 Annual Conference featuring the Inaugural Promotion and Prevention Summit
- Save the Date: Mental Health America's Centennial Conference - June 10-13, 2009, Washington, D.C.
- Mental Health America’s 2008 Media Awards honor excellence in reporting of mental health issues
- Survey reveals obstacles to health care for people who have schizophrenia
- New report reveals link between states’ depression status and access to treatment
- Donate to our Resource Center and help save lives
- Share your story on realLIVES
- Join Mental Health America’s Advocacy Network
- Check out previous issues of Mental Health in the Headlines
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 Relations; Sarah Jones, communications coordinator; and Hazel Moran, senior director, Healthcare Reform.
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