National Campaign Targets Mental Health Issues among Cultural Groups

In honor of National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has announced its partnership with the Advertising Council to launch a new series of advertisements targeting specific cultural groups that have been underserved for mental health treatment. The public service campaigns that are aimed to open discussions and encourage mental health education among Hispanic/Latino, American Indian, African American, and Chinese American communities will appear in print and television advertisements.

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Studying Students’ Behavior in Ontario, Canada

For the first time, Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health’s Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey Mental Health and Well-Being Report looked at “screen time,” or the amount of time students spend watching television or on the computer. The report found that nearly 10 percent of students in grades 7 to 12 spend an average of seven hours a day glued to computer or TV screens. The report also looked at how students rated their physical and mental health.

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Illinois Passes Law to Increase Veterans’ Access to Mental Health Care

Governor Pat Quinn of Illinois signed a new bill into law on July 8, 2010, that expands veterans’ services and accessibility to mental health care and coverage within the state. House Bill 6103, which won unanimous support in Illinois’ General Assembly and goes into effect immediately, exempts all Illinois veterans from being charged for services provided by any state mental health facility that are not covered under their own insurance plan.

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Army Experiencing Influx of Non-Deployable Soldiers Due to Mental Health Issues

After nine years in two ongoing wars, Army commanders are now more than ever being forced to leave behind thousands of soldiers declared unfit for duty due to not just injury and illness but also poor mental health. More than 13,000 active-duty Army soldiers have been found to be unfit for duty, according to a new report. With more soldiers becoming burnt out from an exhausting war, those at the front line are feeling the brunt of the crisis by having less help, more responsibilities, and surmounting anxiety.

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Developing Countries at Risk of Higher Drug Use

In terms of overall drug use, the good news is that it appears to be stabilizing in industrial countries; the bad news is there are signs that it could be on the rise in countries that are still developing. This assumption is based on a new report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

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Model Mental Health Care Program Effective in Helping Inmates upon Release

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has published a new study on the success of a model program that helps individuals with serious mental illnesses enroll in Medicaid upon release from a correctional facility. The model assistance program took place in Oklahoma and was designed to strategically collate local, state, and federal resources to help enroll eligible inmates with mental illnesses in the Medicaid program upon the day of their discharge. At the end of SAMHSA’s study, Medicaid enrollment among this population increased by 15 percent. In general, the ability to obtain health care coverage for those who suffer mental illnesses and have a criminal history tends to be quite difficult. Yet SAMHSA’s model program efficiently increased the likelihood of ex-offenders accessing mental health services by eliminating obstacles for health insurance enrollment.

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Research Examines Impact of Alcohol on Fetus Semen Count Later in Life

Research throughout the medical industry has shown for years that drinking while pregnant can put the unborn child at risk. While much of this research has centered on developmental issues in relation to alcohol intake, the latest research shows a different impact altogether.

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Gulf States Seeking Mental Health Funding from BP for Affected Residents

BP PLC has yet to respond to a month-old request submitted by health department officials from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi to fund emergency mental health programs for community members affected by the BP oil spill. The states’ health departments predict a looming mental health care crisis caused by the oil spill disaster and are seeking millions of dollars from BP to help fund mental health programs and services to treat the Gulf population’s imminent health care needs.

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Elements Behavioral Health Acquires The Ranch Treatment Center in Tennessee

The Ranch offers comprehensive treatment for addiction, eating disorders, trauma, and co-occurring disorders in a beautiful, natural setting.

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Study Finds Danish Children at Risk from Psychotropic Medications

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, have found that Danish children are at a high risk of experiencing adverse reactions to psychotropic medications. The study, published in the journal BMC Research, found that more than half of the 429 adverse reactions in Danish children under 17 between 1998 and 2007 were serious and several were birth defects, which suggests that pregnant women should be advised against taking psychotropic medications.

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