Mental Health Association & Helpline in Randolph, Inc.
Working for Randolph County's Mental Health
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mental health
in the headlines
Week of August 1, 2005 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 NMHA's support for or opposition to the stories summarized or the views they express. For information on NMHA's initiatives and policy positions, visit our Web site at www.nmha.org. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *DID YOU KNOW? …. About ten times as many veterans who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan have mental health problems three or four months after returning home than do veterans immediately after returning home, said the Army’s surgeon general.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *TODAY'S NEWS Developer to Convert Abandoned Psychiatric Hospital into Luxury Homes
Real estate developer AvalonBay Communities plans to build 497 high-end apartments and condos on a 75-acre property that now contains the Danvers State Hospital outside of Boston. The company will raze most of the buildings that made up the hospital, which closed in 1992, and will include an outdoor memorial to the hospital’s patients, although mental health advocates wanted a museum. It will also include access to the hospital’s cemeteries and 10 apartments designated for people with mental illnesses. Other communities throughout the nation are considering similar proposals to develop properties that were once used for psychiatric hospitals. (The Wall Street Journal, 7/27/05)
Bush to Host Summit to Encourage Corporate Donations to Faith-based Groups
President Bush announced last week that he will hold a White House summit in March with corporate leaders to encourage their companies to donate more money to local faith-based community groups. Seventeen percent of top 50 Fortune 500 companies’ foundations have policies banning or restricting donations to religious organizations, said White House Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives Director Jim Towey. President Bush has said that he feels that faith-based organizations often do a better job than other organizations in helping people with low incomes and meeting other social needs. (Dow Jones Newswires, 7/25/05)
House Approves Increased Funding for Veterans’ Health
The House of Representatives approved legislation last week that included a provision to add $1.5 billion to veterans’ healthcare through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. The additional funding came after Veterans Affairs Secretary James Nicholson had revised an earlier estimate of the number of veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, many of whom have severe combat-related injuries, who would need healthcare from about 23,000 to 103,000. (Reuters Health, 7/29/05)
Comprehensive Drug Studies’ Results “Anxiously” Awaited
Health plans and psychiatrists are “anxiously awaiting” the release in coming months of the results of three comprehensive NIMH-funded studies on the efficacy of depression and schizophrenia treatments. The studies were designed to help fill in the gap left by pharmaceutical studies, which usually show whether a particular drug is effective against an illness not whether one drug may work better than another. One study’s results on adolescent depression was released last year. The results from the other three, which will be released within the next few months, include bipolar disorder, serious depression and schizophrenia. (The Wall Street Journal, 7/27/05)
Pharmaceutical News
Epilepsy Drug Found Effective in Treating Alcoholism and Nicotine Addiction: University of Virginia researchers reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine that topiramate, a drug sold as Topamax by Johnson & Johnson to treat epilepsy and migraines, appears to be effective in treating alcoholism. The researchers also found that many study participants who were addicted to both alcohol and nicotine also stopped smoking, although the researchers weren’t studying the drugs’ effects on smoking. About 80 to 90 percent of people who have alcoholism are also addicted to cigarettes, according to the study’s lead researcher. (Dow Jones Newswires, 7/25/05)
Antipsychotic Drug More Effective Than Lithium in Treating Some Bipolar Disorder Symptoms, Company Says: The antipsychotic drug olanzipine, which is sold as Zyprexa by Eli Lilly and Company, is “significantly” more effective in treating mania and mixed episode recurrence in people who have bipolar disorder than lithium, a Lilly study indicates. Both drugs were about as effective in preventing a relapse or reoccurrence of depression. The study was published in the American Journal of Psychiatry. (Reuters Health, 7/29/05)
Latest Research
Even One Dose of Meth Found to Cause Lasting Damage in Developing Fetuses: Just one dose of methamphetamine taken by a pregnant woman may induce fetal brain damage and increase the risk of long-term motor development problems, a study published in the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine indicates. "We've known for a while that meth abuse during pregnancy is associated with low birth weight, cleft palates and other malformations but this is the first research demonstrating that even a single exposure can cause long-term damage," said the University of Toronto’s Peter Wells, the study lead investigator. Wells also pointed out that methamphetamine use is increasing among women of child-bearing age. (Reuters Health, 7/29/05)
Russian Drug Addiction “Catastrophic,” Government Official Says: Drug addiction has reached “catastrophic” proportions with about four percent of the Russian population – 6 million people –addicted to drugs, according to Viktor Khvorostyan, head of the Moscow section of the Federal Narcotics Service. About 70,000 Russian die each year – more than 200 a day – from drug overdoses. Factors involved in Russian drug addiction include the country’s proximity to Afghanistan, a major heroin producer, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and corruption. (Reuters Health, 7/29/05)
State News
California: The U.S. Department of Justice has given the state until Aug. 15 to carry out “minimum remedial measures” to correct problems at the Napa State Hospital, a psychiatric facility. Justice Department investigators found “widespread and systemic deficiencies” in care, including patients who have overdosed on illegal drugs, were improperly restrained for hours and had been forced to spend up to 12 hours wearing soiled diapers. (The New York Times, 7/29/05) California Department of Mental Health Director Stephen W. Mayberg disputed the report disputed the report’s findings, saying that they were “exaggerated.” (Los Angeles Times, 7/31/05)
New Jersey: The state launched a post-partum depression awareness campaign last week, which was prompted by Acting Gov. Richard J. Codey, whose wife has spoken out about her experience with the condition. The campaign includes a Web site, njspeakup.gov, and a postpartum depression help line that offers information as well as emergency assistance. (The New York Times, 7/27/05)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- *NMHA MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS An article appearing in several publications about Tom Cruise’s recent criticism of mental health treatments use NMHA information on post-partum depression and how it is distinguished from the “baby blues.’ The article appeared in
« The Olympian [Olympia, Wash.], 7/21/05 « Gannett News Service, 7/25/05 « Daily Record [N.J.], 7/26/05 « Statesman Journal [Ore.], 7/25/05
In an article about treatments for teens who have mental health problems, Lea Ann Browning-McNee, NMHA’s senior vice president of public affairs and community development, said that “what we're trying to do is make sure kids have access to a full range of safe and effective mental-health treatments…What we have to protect is access to treatment that's going to work best for that child and that family." (“New Drug Option for Teens with ADHD,” United Press International, 7/25/05; Science Daily, 7/26/05; and PsycPORT.com, 7/25/05)
An article about efforts to cut access to nursing homes for people with mental health and substance problems quotes Mark Heyrman, NMHA board member: “Restrictions based on a medical diagnosis are different from those based on criminal history or behavior. You can’t have an across-the-board policy like that.” (“Mental Illness, Addiction Law Under Fire in Evergreen Park,” Chicago Sun Times/Suntimes.com, 7/25/05)
An article about the recent findings of a nationwide study about the prevalence of mental illness mentions that NMHA favors defining mental illness broadly. (“When a Quirk Becomes an Illness,” Arizona Republic/AZCentral.com, 7/26/05)
An article about charity wristbands mentions mpower’s new glowband. (“Are Some Charity Bracelets Bogus?” WALB News [Ga.], 7/22/05)
An article mentions that scientologists misrepresented themselves under the acronym NMHA at Ground Zero after the September 11th attacks in New York City. (“Scientology’s Volunteer Ministers Trained to Lie,” Pressbox.co.uk, 7/22/05)
The “Dear Abby” advice column suggested that teens who have suicidal thoughts call the 1-800-SUICIDE crisis line for immediate help. Among the many newspaper that the column appears includes:
« Houston Chronicle, 7/26/05 « Duluth [Minn.] News Tribune, 7/26/05 « Myrtle Beach [S.C.] Sun News/ MyrtleBeachOnline.com, 7/26/05 « Philadelphia Daily News, 7/26/05 « Arizona Republic, 7/26/05 « Monterey County [Calif.] Herald, 7/26/05 « Orange County [Calif.] Register, 7/26/05 « Biloxi [Miss.] Sun Herald, 7/26/05 « St. Paul [Minn.] Pioneer Press, 7/26/05 « The Day [Conn.], 7/26/05 « Arizona Daily Star, 7/26/05
Advice columnists in other papers advice readers to call 1-800-SUICIDE if they thieve suicidal ideation. (“Help Me Harlan: Girlfriend Faithful—Within City Limits,” Deseret Morning News, 7/22/05; “Beau’s Relationship with Single Mom is Often a Battle,” Chicago Sun-Times/SunTimes.com, 7/21/05)
A piece about former punk rocker and radio DJ, “Johnny Puke,” mentions that his most recent birthday concert will benefit 1-800-SUICIDE. (“Music DVDs to See,” The Post and Courier [S.C.], 7/21/05)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Stay Up to Date With More News, Views and Tools « News Releases o House VA Committee Spotlights War Vets' Mental Health, Need to Reverse Pattern of Wars o 16 National Organizations Cite Crisis in Mental Health System, Release Roadmap for Reform
« Legislative Alerts o Pressure Congress to Protect Medicaid Beneficiaries
« Order your “Check Your Head” Glowband, the proceeds of which benefit NMHA’s mpower program, at http://www.mpoweryouth.org.
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http://www.nmha.org/fund/support/donate_now.cfm. « Previous issues of Mental Health in the Headlines: http://www.nmha.org/newsroom/system/mhHeadline.main.cfm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mental Health in the Headlines is produced weekly by the National Mental Health Association. NMHA’s Mental Health in the Headlines staff: Ken Chamberlain, writer and editor, and Holly Seltzer, senior editor. Other NMHA staff: Michael Faenza, president and CEO; Lea Ann Browning-McNee, senior vice president, Public Affairs and Community Development. To subscribe or to unsubscribe to Mental Health in the Headlines, visit https://secured.nmha.org/secure/emailservices.cfm. To find out more about the National Mental Health Association, including how to make a tax-deductible contribution to help support Mental Health in the Headlines and the association’s other educational activities, visit http://www.nmha.org or call 800-969-NMHA (6642). For comments and suggestions, send an e-mail to the National Mental Health Association at nmha@nmha.org. Copyright 2005 National Mental Health Association
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