May 28, 200912:41 pm
posted by mmason

Army Addresses Suicides

In a unusual move Fort Campbell, home of the Army’s 101st Airborne Division, is holding a three-day “suicide stand-down training event”. There have been 11 confirmed deaths from suicide at Fort Campbell and 64 confirmed or suspected suicides in the entire Army this year. In 2008 there were at least 133 suicides of Army personnel. 2009 is on track to exceed the number of suicides in 2008. The “stand-down” event is designed to call an alert to mental health issues, especially suicide, at all levels within the Army. A recent incident in Baghdad earlier this month in which a career Army sergeant killed five other soldiers has served to highlight the significant mental health issues faced by military personnel. The military culture has not been supportive of mental health and substance abuse issues in the past which has left soldiers to struggle alone with their personal problems, often with disastrous consequences.

Can the Army turn its culture around to show that seeking mental health help is not a sign of weakness? We know that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have taken a tremendous toll on the lives of soldiers and their families. We have seen a significant increase in mental health and substance abuse admissions at our hospital of family members of military personnel and in returning Army reserve and National Guard troops. Can the Army focus its resources on early detection and prevention as well as in maintaining ongoing resources? It will take far more than a “three day stand-down”.

Link to this post

May 20, 20093:59 pm
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

Obesity more likely to be associated with depression in women

According to findings recently discussed at a meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, women who are obese may be more likely to be depressed than men. According to the findings, women are 3.9 times more likely to be depressed when struggling with obesity. Conversely, men were only 2.54 times as likely to be depressed when obese. Tuan-Anh Nguyen, M.D., M.P.H., of Maricopa Integrated Health System in Phoenix, Ariz., and author of the study, suggested that the difference may be due to the social pressures that women encounter with more frequency to be fit. Julio Licinio, M.D. of the University of Miami, and program committee member at the conference, suggested that a biological explanation could also be at the source of the findings. “Depression tends to be a disease predominantly of women — the ratio of women to men is 2:1…” he said. Click here to read an article from Medpage Today that discusses the study further.

Link to this post

May 19, 20099:01 am
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

Schizophrenia is not a key factor behind violent crimes

According to findings recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association violent crimes committed by patients with schizophrenia may be more prevalent when co-occurring substance abuse is an issue. In fact, according to Seena Fazel, M.D., of the University of Oxford in England, without co-occurring substance abuse the link between schizophrenia and violent crime is weak. The authors of the study reflected on previous guidelines from the American Psychiatric Association that suggested violence risk assessments for all patients with schizophrenia; they said, “…assessment and treatment for substance abuse comorbidity should be prioritized in individuals deemed at risk. The public perception of the dangerousness of psychiatric patients is pervasive and is a key factor in their stigmatization.” Click here to read an article from Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News that discusses the issue more.

Link to this post

May 15, 200912:30 pm
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

Patients in Trials of Depression Drugs Called Unrepresentative

The National Institute of Mental Health commissioned the organization STAR*D (Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression) to examine the effectiveness of a variety of antidepressants, specifically in patients who would be most likely to receive them in clinical practice. However, most of the participants used in the study would normally be excluded from pivotal clinical trials. 77.8% of STAR*D’s study participants failed to meet inclusion criteria that is normally present in phase III drug trails. These individuals would be less likely to achieve clinical responses than those who met the criteria for phase III drug trails, 22.2% in this study. The researchers conducting the study defended their position saying that they used a broader inclusion area to increase generalizability to real-world practice. “Phase III trials do not recruit representative treatment-seeking depressed patients… given these between-group differences, the smaller efficacy sample is clearly not representative of the more inclusive, treatment-seeking population,” they said. Click here to read an article from RedOrbit.com that discusses the study’s findings more.

Link to this post

May 13, 20095:26 pm
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

Skin disease linked to increased risk of psychiatric problems

According to a recently conducted cross-sectional study of data from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), individuals with skin problems of any kind are significantly more likely to experience depression, psychosis, or anxiety. According to the findings skin disease was associated with an odds ratio of 2.5 for anxiety and depression, and 2.7 for psychosis. According to Nana Smith, M.D., of the University of Rochester, “…because this was a cross-sectional study, there’s no way to tell which comes first, the skin disease or the psychiatric diagnosis.” 30% of people with skin disease gave self-reports of depression as opposed to 15% of controls and 12% of patients with skin disease self-reported psychosis as opposed to 5% of controls. The study sample was sizable; the NHIS study collected data from 23,393 subjects in 2007. Click here to read an article from Medpage Today that reviews the study more.

Link to this post

May 12, 200912:33 pm
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

Underserved needs of women related to mental health…

A report recently issued by the US Department of Health and Human Services addresses the underserved needs of women related to mental health. Gender does, in fact, play a major role in an individual’s mental health. For instance, the HHS report relays that women are almost twice as likely as men to suffer from major depression. These numbers are not new; however, what is new is the focus on women’s mental health. Previous governmental efforts have brought mental health in general to the forefront of public awareness and policy but have largely overlooked the specific needs of women. According to Wanda Jones, Dr.P.H. and health scientist director of the OWH, women’s needs in mental health are generally underplayed.

The new report from the HHS underscores the importance of primary care doctor and mental health professional interface, the need for greater understanding about the role that gender plays in mental health, and a concern for women’s mental health and well-being in general. Click here to read an article from CNN.com that discusses the issues more.

Link to this post

May 8, 200911:43 am
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

Child behavior linked to sleep

In recent decades the average sleep time for youngsters has steadily decreased. It is estimated that currently one-third of American children do not get enough sleep. Increases in child sleep deprivation are relevant in a discussion of ADHD symptoms; for a long time sleep deprivation has been associated with symptoms of hyperactivity and ADHD; however, there has been little in the way of objective evidence to confirm this theory. However, a study published in the May issue of Pediatrics provides new evidence in the link between sleep-deprivation and child ADHD symptoms. According to E. Juulia Paavonen, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Helsinki in Finland, children who slept less had significantly higher hyperactivity, impulsivity, and a variety of other ADHD symptoms. Authors of the study, commenting on the findings, stated, “Maintaining adequate sleep schedules among children is likely to be important in preventing behavioral symptoms,” however, “…short sleep duration does not always indicate sleep debt, because sleep need varies between individuals.” Click here read an article from the Atlanta Journal Constitution that discusses this study more.

Link to this post

May 6, 20095:07 pm
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

FDA Approves Iloperidone for Schizophrenia Patients

Link to this post

May 5, 20093:10 pm
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

Bullied Kids More Likely To Have Psychotic Symptoms Later

Link to this post

May 1, 20096:51 am
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

Good parenting may equate to resilience to domestic violence exposure

Parenting can determine whether or not a child is able to cope with the stresses of exposure to domestic violence. A study published in the March/April issue of Child Development found that around half of children exposed to domestic violence were resilient to psychological harm due to good parenting and individual personality. According to the study, children who observed the abuse of their mother and did not internalize or externalize symptoms but rather possessed positive coping skills were 61% more likely to have an easy temperament. Conversely, the researchers reported that children exposed to domestic violence as a whole were at 3.7 times greater risk of internalizing or externalizing symptoms than their peers who were not exposed.

Authors of the study commenting on the findings stated, “Children who experience intermittent domestic violence exposure might benefit from periods of less stress and of relatively higher-quality family functioning… mothers with good mental health are more likely to model appropriate responses to stressful events and help their children achieve healthy emotion regulation.” Click here to read an excerpt of an article from Medpage Today that discusses the findings more.

Link to this post