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Blood test to diagnose depression in adolescents

Researchers have developed a blood test that can diagnose depression in teens, a step they hope will lead to a better way to identify the disorder in young people. At present diagnosing depression depends entirely on a patient's willingness to report symptoms. For teens, the diagnosis is particularly challenging, given the natural emotional ups and downs of adolescence.

18 Apr 2012

Excessive alcohol use associated with lower self-reporting of maturity

Tipping back one too many cocktails during an individual's early 20s doesn't correlate to a personal sense of immaturity; however if this habit doesn't stop as they reach age 30, young adults can feel psychologically underdeveloped, according to a University of Missouri study. Helping young adults acknowledge their mental impulse to "sober up" as they mature can improve substance abuse intervention programs.

18 Apr 2012

Northwestern's Stone Institute launches new program to combat mental illnesses at first signs

Early symptoms of major mental illness can be subtle personality changes. Therefore, initial warning signs can often be missed, or even ignored due to conventional wisdom that suggests it's better to wait for true behavioral deterioration and prolonged patterns of abnormality before diagnosing and treating a mental illness. But experts warn that waiting until someone is so ill that the psychological sickness is unmistakable can be detrimental and can lead to long-term health concerns.

17 Apr 2012

Viewpoints: Politics distorting views of the health system; US is more efficient than most people think

If health insurers can keep denying coverage to anyone, millions of Americans could be left to fend for themselves in a system that openly discriminates against the sick and leaves many destitute.

16 Apr 2012

Viewpoints: Santorum pushed Romney on health care; GOP's 'classic male mistake'; ACOs and the anti-trust challenge

The Pennsylvanian was also by far the most effective Republican critic of RomneyCare. When he stood on stage in a debate and took apart the Massachusetts health law as a prototype for ObamaCare, Mr. Romney realized he couldn't coast to the nomination. That's when the former Massachusetts Governor came out with his own tax cut and tax reform plan to appeal to economic conservatives.

12 Apr 2012

Act of coming out associated with better health for LGB adults

A comprehensive new study led by Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) researcher Emily Rothman shows that two-thirds of lesbian, gay and bisexual adults in a representative Massachusetts sample reported receiving positive support from their parents after coming out to them. Their incidence of mental health and substance abuse problems was significantly lower than those who did not receive support, the authors reported.

11 Apr 2012

New online tool determines extent of exposure to radio alcohol ads among young people

A new online tool from the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health determines the extent of exposure to radio alcohol advertisements among young people ages 12 to 20 in 75 different media markets.

11 Apr 2012

New report calls on nations to recognise dementia as a public health crisis

A report released today by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI) calls for governments and policymakers to make dementia a global public health priority.

11 Apr 2012

SelectHealth announces 2012 Select 25 award recipients

SelectHealth is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2012 Select 25 award. The nonprofit health insurance carrier will give $2,500 to each of the 25 winners to assist them in their efforts to improve health and wellness, or to serve populations with special needs.

6 Apr 2012

Study examines alcohol and drugs use patterns in adolescents

A survey of a nationally representative sample of U.S. teenagers suggests that most cases of alcohol and drug abuse have their initial onset at this important period of development, according to a report published in the April issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, a JAMA Network publication.

4 Apr 2012

Health reform means ER use jumps in Colo.; Calif. insurance premiums rise; Ore. waits to see who wants in on coordinated care

Even people who just got health insurance use the emergency departments to access their care, according to a new study by University of Colorado School of Medicine researchers. It's not just people who lost insurance or people living long without it, the researchers note -- any change in health insurance status, whether positive or negative, tends to send people to the ER because they don't know where else to go.

3 Apr 2012

CompCare's 2011 revenues increase to $71,210,000

Comprehensive Care Corporation, a leading behavioral health, substance abuse and psychotropic pharmacy management services provider for managed care companies throughout the U.S., is pleased to announce that its revenues for 2011 more than doubled to $71,210,000 compared to revenues of $35,214,000 in 2010.

2 Apr 2012

Physicians advised to use caution in prescribing sedatives for patients taking opioids

Adverse events associated with taking opioid pain medications increase in patients who concurrently use sedatives and alcohol. A study in The Journal of Pain, published by the American Pain Society, advises physicians to use caution in prescribing sedatives for patients taking opioids, even if there is no history of substance abuse.

30 Mar 2012

Almost half of women on parole or probation experience mental illness

A new report released at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Advisory Committee for Women's Services meeting shows that women aged 18 to 49 on probation or parole are nearly twice as likely to experience mental illness as other women.

27 Mar 2012

Medica Foundation awards $2.5 million in grants to 104 recipients

The Medica Foundation in 2011 awarded $2.5 million in grants to 104 recipients across five funding priority areas. The awards include $1 million in longitudinal grants to five Minnesota organizations. Those grant amounts range from $100,000 to $300,000 each and are designed to provide funding to the recipients over a three-year period.

26 Mar 2012

Anxiety, depression and social support can predict early alcohol and illicit drug use in youth

Anxiety, depression, stress and social support can predict early alcohol and illicit drug use in youth, according to a study from Carolyn McCarty, PhD, of Seattle Children's Research Institute, and researchers from the University of Washington and Seattle University.

22 Mar 2012

“Meth” babies more at risk of behavioral problems: Study

A new study shows methamphetamine's potential lasting behavioral effects on kids of mothers who used meth during pregnancy. The behavior differences — anxiety, depression, moodiness — weren't huge, but lead researcher Linda LaGasse called them “very worrisome.”

20 Mar 2012

Research roundup: Medicaid vs. private pay ER use; Doctors treat black, white patients differently; Caregiver stress

By looking at National Health Interview Survey data of more than 230,000 patients from 1999-2009, researchers were able to compare Medicaid with privately insured patients. More than 39 percent of those enrolled in Medicaid in the sample used the ER versus 17.7 percent of privately insured patients. Medicaid patients wer much more likely to have "specific barriers to timely primary care."

17 Mar 2012

High rate of trauma among women with HIV plays a role in the epidemic

Physical violence, sexual abuse and other forms of childhood and adult trauma are major factors fueling the epidemic of HIV/AIDS among American women. Scientists have known for years that traumatized women are at greater risk of becoming infected.

16 Mar 2012

Tweens decidedly ambivalent toward cigarettes and alcohol

When it comes to prevention of substance use in our tween population, turning our kids on to thought control may just be the answer to getting them to say no.

13 Mar 2012

Substance Abuse News and Research

Blood test to diagnose depression in adolescents

Excessive alcohol use associated with lower self-reporting of maturity

Northwestern's Stone Institute launches new program to combat mental illnesses at first signs

Viewpoints: Politics distorting views of the health system; US is more efficient than most people think

Viewpoints: Santorum pushed Romney on health care; GOP's 'classic male mistake'; ACOs and the anti-trust challenge

Act of coming out associated with better health for LGB adults

New online tool determines extent of exposure to radio alcohol ads among young people

New report calls on nations to recognise dementia as a public health crisis

SelectHealth announces 2012 Select 25 award recipients

Study examines alcohol and drugs use patterns in adolescents

Health reform means ER use jumps in Colo.; Calif. insurance premiums rise; Ore. waits to see who wants in on coordinated care

CompCare's 2011 revenues increase to $71,210,000

Physicians advised to use caution in prescribing sedatives for patients taking opioids

Almost half of women on parole or probation experience mental illness

Medica Foundation awards $2.5 million in grants to 104 recipients

Anxiety, depression and social support can predict early alcohol and illicit drug use in youth

“Meth” babies more at risk of behavioral problems: Study

Research roundup: Medicaid vs. private pay ER use; Doctors treat black, white patients differently; Caregiver stress

High rate of trauma among women with HIV plays a role in the epidemic

Tweens decidedly ambivalent toward cigarettes and alcohol

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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