The Mental Health Social Worker

The Pew Public Safety Performance Project tells us that for the first time in U.S. history, more than one in 100 adults are now confined in a jail or prison. These steadily increasing numbers are placing enormous restraints on available human and fiscal resources in states and communities and the increase seems to be having no effect on overall crime and recidivism.

Solutions offered as policy levers for states are also presented in the report. These options require strong community corrections programs to ensure offenders remain crime and drug-free and may have implications for present and future counselors working with the incarcerated offenders and those on probation.

Details…

Teens with difficult-to-treat depression who do not respond to a first antidepressant medication are more likely to get well if they switch to another antidepressant medication and add psychotherapy rather than just switching to another antidepressant, according to a large, multi-site trial funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The results of the Treatment of SSRI-resistant Depression in Adolescents (TORDIA) trial were published February 27, 2008, in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). (more…)

Doctors spend little time discussing mental health issues with their older patients and rarely refer them to a mental health specialist even if they show symptoms of severe depression, according to an NIMH-funded study published December 2007 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

People age 65 and older represent 12 percent of the U.S. population, but they accounted for a disproportionate 16 percent of suicide deaths in 2004.¹ Improved mental health screening in primary care may improve detection and treatment of mental disorders before drastic consequences, such as suicide, can occur. (more…)

Information contained in January release of the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) indicate five substances accounted for 96 percent of all TEDS admissions in 2006: alcohol (40 percent); opiates (18 percent, primarily heroin); marijuana/hashish (16 percent); cocaine (14 percent); and stimulants (9 percent, primarly methamphetamines).

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U.S. Population Projections: 2005-2050

by Jeffrey Passel and D’Vera Cohn, Pew Research Center
February 11, 2008

Executive Summary

If current trends continue, the population of the United States will rise to 438 million in 2050, from 296 million in 2005, and 82% of the increase will be due to immigrants arriving from 2005 to 2050 and their U.S.-born descendants, according to new projections developed by the Pew Research Center. (more…)

More residents affected by Hurricane Katrina are enduring mental disorders than was initially determined a few months after the storm, according to a study published online January 8, 2008, in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.  The trend runs counter to the typical pattern of recovery after a natural disaster, in which the prevalence of mental disorders among the survivors gradually decreases and fades out after about two years. (more…)

ANN ARBOR, Mich.—-Eighth, tenth, and twelfth graders across the country are continuing to show a gradual decline in the proportions reporting use of illicit drugs, according to the 33rd national survey in the Monitoring the Future (MTF) series conducted by scientists at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research.

“The cumulative declines since recent peak levels of drug involvement in the mid-1990s are quite substantial, especially among the youngest students,” said U-M Distinguished Research Scientist Lloyd Johnston, the principal investigator of the MTF study. (more…)

First-ever report ranks states based on depression status; calls for mental health monitoring system to inform state policies impacting access to care

Contact:  Heather Cobb, Mental Health America, (703) 797-2588

Alexandria, VA (November 28, 2007) - Mental Health America today released its report, “Ranking America’s Mental Health: An Analysis of Depression Across the States,” a first-of-its-kind study examining state and national data for statistical associations between access-to-care factors and actual health outcomes, namely a state’s mental health status and suicide rate.  Included in the study is a ranking of the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on rates of depression and suicide.  South Dakota is found to lead the nation with the best depression status while Utah ranked last.  For the complete rankings, visit www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/state-ranking.  

“It is important to note that regardless of where each state ranks on our mental health scale, there is much room for improvement,” said Dr. David Shern, PhD, president and CEO of Mental Health America.  “While a number of factors including biology and environment impact an individual’s mental health, this study shows that states can significantly improve their populations’ mental health status by adopting policies that expand access to mental health treatments.” (more…)

Arlington, Va. (Nov. 30, 2007) - The holiday season can be a happy time of year, as family andfriends gather to share warm memories and create new ones. However, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) recognizes that for some people, the holidays bring stress, anxiety and feelings of depression. (more…)

A statistic well known to counselors is that the proportion of the U.S. population aged 50 or older is increasing as the large numbers in the “baby boom” cohort (persons born between 1946 and 1964) reach age 50. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services expects this to place increasing demands on the substance abuse treatment system in the next two decades.

Estimates suggest that the number of substance-dependent and abusing adults aged 50 or older will climb from approximately 1.7 million in 2001 to 4.4 million by 2020.This pattern of growth is echoed in admissions to substance abuse treatment, where adult admissions aged 50 or older increased from 143,900 to 184,400 (from 8 to 10 percent of all admissions) between 2001 and 2005. Consequently, counseling services and related treatment for substance abuse may soon need to adapt to address the needs of this growing population.

The SAMHSA findings can be found at: http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k7/older/older.htm

Arlington, Va. - The American Psychiatric Association (APA) applauds recent Congressional efforts to acknowledge and improve treatment for the large number of people with mental illnesses and substance use disorders who are currently incarcerated in U.S. jails and prisons.

According to a 2006 report by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), entitled “Mental Health Problems of Prison and Jail Inmates,” more than half of the population incarcerated in U.S. prisons and jails - including 56 percent of state prisoners, 45 percent of federal prisoners and 64 percent of local jail inmates - were found to have a mental illness. Many of these inmates suffer from treatable disorders such as major depression, bipolar disorder and substance use disorder. (more…)

Using the hands to explain things may tap into knowledge kids can’t otherwise articulate

WASHINGTON, DC—Are math problems bugging your kids?  Tell them to talk back - using their hands.  Psychologists at the University of Chicago report that gesturing can help kids add new and correct problem-solving strategies to their mathematical repertoires.  What’s more, when given later instruction, kids who are told to gesture are more likely to succeed on math problems.  A report on these findings appears in the November issue of JEP: General, which is published by the American Psychological Association (APA).  (more…)

MINNEAPOLIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Individuals trying to cope with the emotional consequences of the Southern California wildfires now have access to a free Help Line staffed by experienced master’s-level specialists. These specialists can assist callers with a broad range of personal concerns.

The toll-free Help Line number is (866) 342-6892. It will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week for as long as necessary. Service is free of charge.

Normally, these services are routinely available to UnitedHealth Group customers through its operating unit OptumHealth Behavioral Solutions. However, the Help Line is now being made available to address the potential needs among the general population in Southern California.

Previously, the Help Line was made available to the public following hurricanes, including those that have hit Florida and the Gulf Coast over the past two years, and to individuals affected by the tragic shootings on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Va., and the recent Minnesota Interstate 35W bridge collapse. Several thousand people have taken advantage of this service in the past to speak to specialists about the difficult emotions they may experience related to stress, anxiety and the grieving process. Callers also may receive referrals from a national database of community resources to help them with specific concerns, such as financial and legal issues. Resources and information are also available via the Internet at www.liveandworkwell.com.

About UnitedHealth Group

UnitedHealth Group (www.unitedhealthgroup.com) is a diversified health and well-being company dedicated to making health care work better. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., UnitedHealth Group offers a broad spectrum of products and services through six operating businesses: UnitedHealthcare, Ovations, AmeriChoice, Uniprise, OptumHealth and Ingenix. Through its family of businesses, UnitedHealth Group serves approximately 70 million individuals nationwide.

About OptumHealth

As one of the nation’s largest health and well-being companies, OptumHealth makes health care easier and better for employers, health plans, public sector entities and the 58 million people with access to its services. The Company’s goal is to optimize health, well-being and financial security, while lowering benefit costs and helping consumers make informed decisions about their health through standalone or integrated services. OptumHealth is a division of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH). More information about OptumHealth can be found at www.OptumHealth.com.

Psychotherapy Combined with Antidepressant Medication Most Effective

A combination of psychotherapy and antidepressant medication appears to be the most effective treatment for adolescents with major depressive disorder—more than medication alone or psychotherapy alone, according to results from a major clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The study was published in the October 2007 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.

The long-term results of the Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS) found that when adolescents received fluoxetine (Prozac) alone or in combination with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) over the course of 36 weeks, they recovered faster than those who were receiving CBT alone.   (more…)

Arlington, Va. - A large observational study that tracked women from nine months prior to pregnancy through nine months after delivery has revealed that the number of women diagnosed with depression actually decreases slightly during pregnancy, then rises after delivery. The study also confirmed that many women who experience depression during pregnancy or the postpartum period have a history of earlier depression.
Rates of depression among 4,398 pregnant women enrolled in a large health maintenance organization are reported in the October 2007 issue of The American Journal of Psychiatry (AJP), the official journal of the American Psychiatric Association (APA). The pregnancies occurred between 1998 and 2001.
The percentage of women with depression fell from 9 percent during the 39 weeks before pregnancy to 7 percent during pregnancy. It then rose to 10 percent during the 39 weeks after delivery. Patricia Dietz, Dr.P.H., M.P.H., Selvi Williams, M.D., M.P.H., Evelyn Whitlock, M.D., M.P.H., and colleagues at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and at Kaiser Permanente Northwest Center for Health Research reported these findings in the AJP article, “Clinically Identified Maternal Depression Before, During, and After Pregnancies Ending in Live Births.”
Dietz and her colleagues found that postpartum depression was preceded by depression during pregnancy or the pre-pregnancy period in more than half of the women. Also, more than half of those who were depressed before pregnancy also experienced depression during pregnancy. Other characteristics associated with depression were Caucasian, being unmarried, already having three or more children, receiving Medicaid, and smoking. However, none of these was a strong risk factor. (more…)

Arlington, Va. - Inadequate insurance payments for services provided by psychiatric units in general hospitals have led to widespread closing, downsizing, or off-campus transfer of inpatient psychiatric units. Yet, these units are essential for treatment of coexisting medical and psychiatric conditions, appropriate care of psychiatric disorders in the emergency room, and education of medical trainees. These arguments are made in the commentary, “The Future of Psychiatric Services in General Hospitals” by Benjamin Liptzin, M.D., and colleagues at Baystate Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School. The commentary appears in the October 2007 issue of The American Journal of Psychiatry (AJP), the official journal of the American Psychiatric Association (APA).

AJP editor-in-chief Robert Freedman, M.D., stated, “The authors alert us that the partnership between general hospitals and psychiatry that has supported both patient care and psychiatric training is now under severe financial strain. A new functional structure to fund these two activities is urgently needed.”

The American Psychiatric Association is a national medical specialty society whose more than 38,000 physician members specialize in diagnosis, treatment, prevention and research of mental illnesses including substance use disorders. Visit the APA at www.psych.org and www.HealthyMinds.org.

Same Research Finds No Direct Effect on ‘Bad’ Cholesterol

SAN FRANCISCO—Older white men who are better able to cope with stress experience higher levels of so-called “good cholesterol” than men who are more hostile or socially isolated, according to a study released at the 115th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association.

But that same coping ability had no effect on the subjects’ “bad cholesterol” levels, the research found.

(more…)

Arlington, Va. – As the country recognizes the sixth anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the continuing mental health consequences of the trauma still linger today. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) joins with the many Americans who will participate in ceremonies remembering those who were lost and commemorating those who became heroes in the rescue and recovery efforts. (more…)

Association labels specific techniques as torture; bans such acts as water boarding, use of dogs to intimidate, and sexual humiliation

SAN FRANCISCO—The Council of Representatives of the American Psychological Association (APA) has approved a resolution prohibiting specific techniques sometimes used in interrogations and calling on the U.S. government to ban their use.

The resolution, passed at the APA’s annual convention in San Francisco, unequivocally condemns and strictly prohibits psychologists from direct or indirect participation in a list of 19 unethical interrogation techniques including: mock execution; water-boarding or any other form of simulated drowning or suffocation; sexual humiliation; rape; cultural or religious humiliation; exploitation of phobias or psychopathology; induced hypothermia; and the use of psychotropic drugs or mind-altering substances for the purpose of eliciting information. In addition, the following acts were banned for the purpose of eliciting information in an interrogations process: hooding; forced nakedness; stress positions; the use of dogs to threaten or intimidate; physical assault including slapping or shaking; exposure to extreme heat or cold; threats of harm or death; and isolation and/or sleep deprivation used in a manner that represents significant pain or suffering or in a manner that a reasonable person would judge to cause lasting harm; or the threatened use of any of the above techniques to the individual or to members of the individual’s family. (more…)

As the use of Internet and telecommunications services continues to grow, researchers have questioned the practice of telephone counseling for general mental health. But according to a study reported in the April Journal of Counseling Psychology (Vol. 49, No. 2), telephone counseling appears to be an effective psychological practice. Based on the 1995 Consumer Reports finding that patients benefit greatly from face-to-face counseling, this study examined free telephone counseling offered to the employees of three large Fortune 500 companies as well as other smaller, regional companies across the United States, Canada and parts of Mexico. Both employees and their immediate family members had access to a telephone counseling agency’s toll-free number. Over a three-week period, the authors surveyed a nonrandom sample of adults who called the counseling agency about mental health, relationship or job problems. Master’s-level mental health professionals provided the phone counseling, using a solution-focused model of therapy. Most callers received four telephone counseling sessions.After at least one 30-minute phone session, the counseling agency mailed a packet of questionnaires, including the Consumer Reports Annual Questionnaire (CRAQ), which asks clients to rate their specific improvement, satisfaction and global improvement as a result of telephone counseling. By using CRAQ, the researchers could compare the effectiveness of face-to-face counseling, as measured by Consumer Reports, with the effectiveness of telephone counseling. The researchers–Robert J. Reese, PhD, of Abilene Christian University, and Collie W. Conoley, PhD, and Daniel F. Brossart, PhD, both of Texas A&M University–found that telephone counseling was beneficial and satisfactory, marked by specific improvement on the issue that lead to counseling and global improvement in emotional state. Of the 186 respondents, 68 percent reported feeling very or completely satisfied with the telephone counseling and 53 percent said they felt somewhat better as a result of counseling. The data also indicate that telephone counseling did not appear to work as well as face-to-face counseling for people who reported feeling very poorly: 31 percent of respondents who initially described that they felt very poorly reported improvement in functioning, compared with 54 percent in the Consumer Reports study of face-to-face counseling. In contrast to face-to-face counseling, telephone counseling is convenient and less expensive–if provided in a format similar to this study’s–and the anonymity of the service may provide clients with a greater sense of control, the authors note. For people who do not have access to affordable mental health care, telephone counseling may be a viable option, they add. The authors also point out that without an office, clothes and physical appearance to potentially distract them, clients being counseled via phone may be inclined to focus better on what the therapist says. –J. RICKER

Source: APA http://www.apa.org/monitor/apr02/studyshows.html