Mental Health in the Headlines: Week of November 17, 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?
The percentage of Americans who smoked in 2007 dropped to below 20 percent, the lowest percentage on record...more
*TODAY´S NEWS
Advocacy Organizations Seek To Eliminate Medicare Waiting Period
More than 75 advocacy organizations last week joined with Rep. Gene Green, D-Texas, in calling for legislation to eliminate the two-year waiting period that people who have disabilities face to enroll in Medicare. At any one time, about 1.5 million people with disabilities are waiting to enroll in Medicare. Green and Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., introduced legislation earlier this year to gradually eliminate the waiting period, which was instituted when Medicare was expanded in the 1970s to include people with disabilities. With the support of the groups, the two legislators say they will either try to include the proposal in any healthcare reform plans from the Obama administration next year or reintroduce it as a separate bill. (The Associated Press, 11/12/08)
States Face Budget Crisis
Many state budgets are “moving from the damaged to the devastated” as a result of the nation’s economic crisis, said Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Iris Lav. A fall in sales and other tax revenues, increased demand for state services and problems in accessing credit markets have all contributed to states’ problems in covering ever-growing budget gaps. California’s legislature is expected to meet soon to debate an increase in the state’s sales tax rate, though most states are looking to cuts in Medicaid, education and other programs to balance their budgets. (The New York Times, 11/16/08)
Massachusetts Mental Health Organizations Hurt By Budget Cuts
A part of the $1 billion in mid-year program budgets cuts that Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick announced last month includes significant cuts to programs that help people who have mental health conditions, substance abuse problems, or both. The cuts are already being felt by many local organizations in the state that provide these services. One such program is Health and Education Services, which is based in Beverly and provides services in 34 locations. With $1 million in state funding cuts, the organization has had to eliminate 34.5 positions, according to Health and Education Services president and CEO Paul O’Shea. (Boston Globe, 11/16/08)
Americans With Chronic Illnesses Forgo Treatments Due To Costs
Americans who have depression and other chronic illnesses are more likely than their peers in other wealthy countries to forgo medical treatment due to the treatments’ cost, according to a Commonwealth Fund report released last week. Americans were also more likely than people in these other countries to report having experienced medical errors, such as being given the wrong medication. (Reuters, 11/13/08)
Money For Healthcare Programs Tied To Economic Recovery
An effective way to spur economic growth would be for the federal government to give states additional money for healthcare programs, said former Clinton administration official Gene Sperling at a congressional hearing last week. Such aid would help states avoid deep budget cuts and help buoy the economy, said Sperling, who is now a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. The American Enterprise Institute’s Alan Viard, however, testified that increased aid to states wouldn’t increase demand for health programs and, therefore, wouldn’t help the economy. Viard also argued against increased funding for the National Institutes of Health as a way to stimulate the economy, a proposal supported at the hearing by Families USA’s Ron Pollack. (Reuters, 11/14/08)
Latest Research
Chronic Pain May Lead To Suicide Attempts: People who live with chronic pain conditions, such as severe headaches, are four times more likely to have attempted suicide than adults who don’t live with such conditions, researchers report in the journal General Hospital Psychiatry. Having head pain and multiple painful conditions throughout the body placed individuals at particular risk, the researchers wrote. (Reuters, 11/12/08)
Factors Of Good Late-Life Living Examined: Older adults who, when younger, refrained from smoking, drank only moderately, and had relatively low stress levels and positive outlooks, are more likely than others to stay healthy and happy well into old age, researchers report in the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences. (Reuters, 11/14/08)
Violent Video Games May Lead To Aggression: Researchers report in Pediatrics that teens who regularly play violent video games appear to be more likely than other teens to become increasingly aggressive over time. The report, which is based on an examination of Japanese and American adolescents, indicates that these games may feed the idea to some teens that aggression and violence is an acceptable response to everyday conflicts. The researchers note, though, that video games alone aren’t the only factors that can be involved in teen aggression. (Reuters, 11/14/08)
Percentage Of Americans Who Smoke Dropped: The percentage of Americans who smoked in 2007 dropped to below 20 percent, the lowest percentage on record, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics show. About 17 percent of women and 22 percent of men smoked; among ethnic and racial groups, the highest percentage of people who smoked were American Indians and Alaska natives (36 percent) and the lowest percentage of people who smoked were Asian Americans (10 percent). Despite the fall in the percentage of smokers, smoking still kills about 443,000 people each year. One half of all long-term smokers will die prematurely, mostly in middle age. (Reuters, 11/13/08)
Experimental OCD Treatment May Help Some, But Often With Severe Side Effects: People who have otherwise untreatable obsessive-compulsive disorder may benefit from electrical stimulation through electrodes to the base of their brains, but risk severe side effects, the results of a small study published in The New England Journal of Medicine indicates. If used as a treatment, the study’s researchers wrote, the treatment “should be carefully weighed against the potential occurrence of such serious adverse events,” such as brain bleeding and involuntary movements. (Reuters, 11/12/08)
*Mental Health America MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
According to Mental Health America, about 15% of the 35 million adults over age 65 have significant depressive symptoms, but only 10% receive treatment for depression. Additionally, holiday stress has a heavy impact on the elderly. Yahoo! Finance.com, “Homewatch CareGivers' Seven Pointers for Healthier Holidays: Tactics for Boomers and Aging Parents to Diminish Stress,” November 10, 2008
Mental Health America offers tips to keep the winter blues at bay, including cutting back on alcohol consumption and enjoying fee activities. Jackson Citizen-Patriot, “Here comes winter,” November 15, 2008
Depression is not part of the normal aging process, although according to Mental Health America, more than half of older Americans think it is. That is one reason it is ignored. The Daily Breeze, “Depression is not part of aging process,” November 13, 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
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- 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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