NIMH: Mental Disorders Cost Society Billions in Unearned Income

Major mental disorders cost the nation at least $193 billion annually in lost earnings alone, according to a new NIMH-funded study. The study was published in the May 2008 issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry. Direct costs associated with mental disorders like medication, clinic visits, and hospitalization are relatively easy to quantify, but they reveal only a small portion of the economic burden these illnesses place on society. Indirect costs like lost earnings likely account for enormous expenses, but they are very difficult to define and estimate.

Press Release: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/science-news/2008/mental-disorders-cost-society-billions
-in-unearned-income.shtml

NIMH: Medication-only Therapy and Combination Therapy Both Cost Effective for Treating Teens with Depression

Treating depressed teenagers with either the antidepressant fluoxetine (Prozac) or a combination of fluoxetine and psychotherapy can be cost effective, according to a recent economic analysis of the NIMH-funded Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS). The study was published in the May 2008 issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Science Update: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/science-news/2008/medication-only-therapy-and-
combination-therapy-both-cost-effective-for-treating-teens-with-depression.shtml

NIMH: Study Launched to Test Possible Preventive Treatment for Schizophrenia in High Risk Youth

NIMH has recently awarded a grant to study whether an intensive computerized training program can help prevent those at high risk of developing schizophrenia from having a first psychotic episode and improve adaptive functioning. The program is based on principles of brain development and resilience and an understanding of the processes that go awry in schizophrenia.

Science Update: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/science-news/2008/study-launched-to-test-possible-
preventive-treatment-for-schizophrenia-in-high-risk-youth.shtml

NIMH Science Updates from American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting

NIMH sponsored 18 symposia and 4 major lectures, as well as five press conferences with leading experts, at this year’s American Psychiatric Association (APA) annual meeting held earlier this month in Washington, DC. The following Science Updates feature findings announced/released by researchers convened by NIMH at the meeting.

Clues to Role of Brain Development as Risk for Mental Disorders May Also Lead to Better Treatments

Increasing evidence points to links between the timing and growth rates of specific brain areas in the young brain and the likelihood of developing a wide range of mental disorders later in life, say researchers convened by NIMH at the APA Annual Meeting. A twenty-year ongoing longitudinal neuroimaging project of healthy children and adolescents being conducted at NIMH's child psychiatry branch shows the relationship between dynamic brain changes and the emergence of several classes of psychiatric disorders during adolescence.

Science Update: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/science-news/2008/clues-to-role-of-brain-
development-as-risk-for-mental-disorders-may-also-lead-to-better-treatments.shtml

New Therapies Show Promise for Vascular Depression; Heart, Metabolic, Risks of Some Antipsychotic Medications Flagged

Researchers see new treatments on the horizon for a type of depression related to blood vessels that affects the elderly, and have discovered why some elderly people fail to respond to current medications. In other studies, scientists urge caution regarding use of antipsychotics (usually for schizophrenia or other psychosis) in this and other populations to minimize metabolic, heart, and stroke risks.

Science Update: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/science-news/2008/new-therapies-show-
promise-for-vascular-depression-heart-metabolic-risks-of-some-antipsychotic-medications-flagged.shtml

Virtual Reality, Psychotherapy, Show Promise in Treating PTSD Symptoms; Civilian Access to Care Remains a Concern

Early data from an NIMH-sponsored double-blind study of 24 war veterans shows a marked reduction in acoustic startle — the reflex response to sudden loud sounds — in those treated with virtual reality exposure therapy combined with either d-cycloserine, an antibiotic that has been shown to facilitate the extinction of fear memories; pill placebo; or the anti-anxiety medication alprazolam (Xanax).

Science Update: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/science-news/2008/virtual-reality-
psychotherapy-show-promise-in-treating-ptsd-symptoms-civilian-access-to-care-
remains-a-concern.shtml

Imaging Identifies Brain Regions and Chemicals Underlying Mood Disorders; May Lead to Better Treatments

Recently developed imaging techniques allow the mapping of the brain circuits and chemical systems believed responsible for a range of mood abnormalities including depression and bipolar disorder, and hold promise for improved treatments, scientists say.

Science Update: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/science-news/2008/imaging-identifies-brain-
regions-and-chemicals-underlying-mood-disorders-may-lead-to-better-treatments.shtml

Studies Identify Subtle Genetic Changes’ Risk for Mental Disorders; May Lead to Targets for New, Better, Therapies

Epigenetics — the examination of how environmental factors like diet, stress, and post-natal maternal behavior can change gene function without altering DNA sequence — plays a major role in depression and in the actions of antidepressant medications. New studies in the field are revealing new molecular targets for better therapies for depression, scientists say.

Science Update: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/science-news/2008/studies-identify-subtle-
genetic-changes-risk-for-mental-disorders-may-lead-to-targets-for-new-better-therapies.shtml

SAMHSA: New Nationwide Report Estimates One in Every 12 Adolescents Experienced Major Depression in the Past Year—Survey Reveals Adolescent Females are Twice as Likely as Adolescent Males to Suffer a Major Depressive Episode

About 2.1 million teens aged 12 to 17 experienced a major depressive episode in the past year, according to a new nationwide report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). For almost half of the teens, depression drastically reduced their abilities to deal with aspects of their daily lives, the report said. Overall, 8.5 percent of adolescents, the equivalent of one in every 12, experienced a major depressive episode, but there were striking differences by gender, with 12.7 percent of females and 4.6 percent of males reporting the conditions.

Press Release: http://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/advisories/0805120433.aspx

Full Report: http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k8/youthdepress/youthdepress.cfm

NIDA: First Addiction Science Award to be Given to Students at International Science Fair NIDA Teams with Scholastic to Create Award at Intel International Science and Engineering Fair

This year, for the first time, three students will receive awards for exemplary projects in Addiction Science at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), the world’s largest science competition for high school students. The Addiction Science award is co-sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company.

Press Release: http://www.nida.nih.gov/newsroom/08/NR5-08.html

New Resources from NIH

How NIH Brings Health and Science to the Public

This new webpage points to resources that highlights activities across NIH which communicate science and health to patients, families, scientists, industry, teachers and students, health professionals, and the press. As a public agency, NIH is committed to ensuring that accurate information reaches the diverse American public.

http://www.nih.gov/icd/od/ocpl/resources/healthandsciencetothepublic.htm

Free NIH Curriculum Supplements Now Aligned to State Standards

NIH’s popular series of curriculum supplements is now aligned to individual state standards for science, mathematics, English, language arts, and (when available) health. The supplements are free to educators who request them and provide teachers with innovative instruction tools consistent with the National Science Education Standards released by the National Academy of Sciences in 1996. The cross-curricular alignment, unique to each state, is designed to help teachers and schools incorporate these materials into their classrooms (grades 1–12). http://getinvolved.nih.gov/newsbulletins/Rsingle.asp?id=632&issue=may2008

NIAAA Archived Video Conference

This Videoconference Series provides access to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) leading scientists and the latest alcohol research. NIAAA experts offer free, accurate, and timely information on a wide range of alcohol-related topics. The first presentation in the series, Alcoholism Isn’t What It Used to Be: New Research on the Nature and Diagnosis of Alcohol Use Disorders, was presented by Dr. Mark Willenbring, Director of the NIAAA Division of Treatment and Recovery Research, in December of 2007.

http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/NewsEvents/videoconference.htm

News and Resources from SAMHSA

SAMHSA: The ADS Center Announces Its Name Change

SAMHSA's Resource Center to Address Discrimination and Stigma has been re-named to SAMHSA's Resource Center to Promote Acceptance, Dignity and, Social Inclusion Associated with Mental Health. The Center will still go by the acronym, the ADS Center.

http://www.stopstigma.samhsa.gov/

Screening and Assessment Publication Updated

SAMHSA’s GAINS Center has updated its publication, Screening and Assessment Publication of Co-Occurring Disorders in the Justice System, which provides an overview of the systemic and clinical challenges in screening and assessment of persons with co-occurring disorders involved in the criminal justice system. The most current state-of-the art screening and assessment practices and instruments are reviewed to help guide administrators, providers, case managers, and other staff in developing and operating effective programs for these individuals.

http://gainscenter.samhsa.gov/pdfs/disorders/ScreeningAndAssessment.pdf

Archived Webcast: Addiction and PTSD—Combating Co-occurring Disorders

This Center for Substance Abuse Treatment webcast examines PTSD's connection to substance abuse disorders and provides information on where persons in need can find treatment for one, or both, of these conditions.

http://www.recoverymonth.gov/2008/multimedia/w.aspx?ID=500

Creating a Trauma-Informed Law Enforcement System

In response to the widespread prevalence of violence and its effects in children’s lives, many communities have formed partnerships among police departments, mental health, and other child-serving agencies. This National Child Traumatic Stress Network Service Systems Brief describes how some of these partnerships developed by Network members and police agencies are helping to create a trauma-informed law enforcement system. It then relates, in greater detail, how one Network center adapted an existing program to meet the specific needs of its community.

http://www.nctsnet.org/nctsn_assets/pdfs/SS_brief_law_enforcement.pdf

El Tratamiento para el Abuso de las Drogas y el Alcohol: Cómo Funciona y Cómo Puede Ayudarle (Alcohol and Drug Treatment: How It Works, And How It Can Help You)

This 4-page brochure in Spanish informs people involved in the criminal justice system and their families about substance abuse treatment resources in prison and in the community. It describes what they can gain through substance abuse treatment while incarcerated, on probation, or on parole and encourages people to seek treatment.

http://www.kap.samhsa.gov/mli/index.htm

AHRQ: New Evidence Provides Clinicians with Better Tools to Help Smokers Quit

An updated clinical practice guideline released by the Agency for Healthcare Research Quality (AHRQ) has identified new counseling and medication treatments that are effective for helping people quit smoking. Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update was developed by a 24-member, private-sector panel of leading national tobacco treatment experts that reviewed more than 8,700 research articles published between 1975 and 2007.

http://www.ahrq.gov/news/press/pr2008/tobupdatepr.htm

AHRQ: Research Activities

Telepsychiatry Can Help Veterans with Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Telepsychiatry (therapy with a psychiatrist via videoconferencing) is one way to improve access to therapy for veterans suffering from combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), who live in rural or underserved areas, concludes a new AHRQ-funded study. Veterans who had 14 weekly 90-minute treatment sessions by telepsychiatry or in a room with a psychiatrist had similar outcomes and satisfaction with treatment 3 months later.

http://www.ahrq.gov/research/may08/0508RA33.htm

Nursing Home Residents Likely to Receive Diagnosis and Pills for Depression but Not Psychotherapy

Diagnosis and treatment of depression in nursing homes occurs much more frequently than past studies have suggested, according to a new study. Using government datasets commonly kept by nursing homes, researchers looked at both diagnosis and treatment of depression in 76,735 residents of 921 Ohio nursing homes in 2000.

http://www.ahrq.gov/research/may08/0508RA34.htm

Antidepressant Use During Pregnancy is Linked to Increases in Preterm Birth and Potentially Serious Infant Perinatal Problems

From 10 to 20 percent of pregnant women suffer from depression. Since depression's impact on both the mother and developing fetus can be profound, treating moderate to severe depression with antidepressants during pregnancy is generally recommended. However, a new study warns about increases in preterm deliveries and newborn disorders in infants whose mothers took antidepressants. Whether these risks were due to the antidepressants, the underlying depression, or other factors such as smoking could not be determined in this study.

http://www.ahrq.gov/research/may08/0508RA8.htm

Studies Examine Disease Self-Management and Quality of Life of Individuals with Multiple Chronic Illnesses

Individuals who suffer from multiple chronic illnesses must learn how to manage them with a variety of methods, which range from altered diet and exercise regimens to medication. These individuals are more motivated to learn disease self-management skills and are more flexible about which providers care for them than those who suffer from only one chronic illness, according to a study supported by AHRQ. Certain psychosocial factors are potential barriers to self-management and quality of life of seniors with multiple chronic diseases, concludes a second AHRQ-supported study. Both studies are briefly described here.

http://www.ahrq.gov/research/may08/0508RA19.htm

Child Welfare Information Gateway: Enhanced Mental Health Services Web Section

The Information Gateway, maintained by the Administration for Children and Families, has improved its mental health services section, which provides child welfare administrators, supervisors, caseworkers, and other related professionals with mental health information and resources related to children and adolescents involved in the child welfare system. Topics include common mental health issues, the range and effectiveness of mental health services, obtaining mental health services for families, systems issues in mental health service delivery, and mental health in the Child and Family Services Reviews.

http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/service_array/mentalhealth

New GAO Reports

Residential Facilities: Improved Data and Enhanced Oversight Would Help Safeguard the Well-Being of Youth with Behavioral and Emotional Challenges

Federal funding to states supported more than 200,000 youth in residential facilities in 2004, many seeking help to address behavioral or emotional challenges. However, federal investigations have identified maltreatment and civil rights abuses in some facilities. Government Accountability Office (GAO) was asked to provide national information about (1) the nature of incidents that adversely affect youth well-being in residential facilities, (2) how state licensing and monitoring requirements address youth well-being in these facilities, and (3) what factors affect federal agencies’ ability to hold states accountable for youth well-being in residential facilities.

http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-346

Prescription Drugs: Trends in FDA's Oversight of Direct-to-Consumer Advertising

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for overseeing direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription drugs, which includes a range of media, such as television, magazines, and the Internet. GAO was asked to discuss trends in FDA’s oversight of DTC advertising and the actions FDA has taken when it identifies violations.

http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-758T

NIJ: Resources Identify and Address Elder Abuse

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Elder Abuse topical resource web page offers information to the criminal justice field on identifying abuse and addressing mistreatment, including financial and sexual exploitation. This web page includes links to publications, additional resources, and related topics.

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/topics/crime/elder-abuse/welcome.htm

NIH Request for Information: To Solicit Ideas for Common Fund / Roadmap Trans-NIH Strategic Initiatives

NIH invites participation in a process designed to identify major, cross-cutting challenges to health research and to articulate solutions to these challenges. The NIH Roadmap for Medical Research, funded via the NIH Common Fund, is a series of programs that collectively seek to transform the way health research is conducted so that treatment, diagnosis, prevention, and/or understanding of human disease may be accelerated. Roadmap programs are intended to be stimulatory and are therefore supported by the Common Fund for a maximum of 10 years. These programs accept a high degree of risk to approach complex problems in new ways, to develop transformative tools and technologies, and/or to address fundamental knowledge gaps that impede progress in many disease areas. Each Roadmap program cuts across the missions of NIH Institutes and Centers as well across diseases and is expected to accelerate research on many diseases and conditions. On April 22, 2008, NIH released a Request for Information (RFI) inviting input and ideas from the scientific community, health professionals, patient advocates, and the general public about major cross-cutting challenges and possible solutions. Collecting these ideas is an initial step in the process of identifying a new cohort of Common Fund / Roadmap programs for Fiscal Year 2011. This RFI provides an opportunity for respondents to submit their own ideas. The NIH expects to spend $30 - 50 million per year from within the currently projected Roadmap budget for new 5-year initiatives

Responses will be accepted through Friday, June 2, 2008. http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-RM-08-014.html

Attachment, Self Regulation and Competency (ARC): A Framework for Intervention with Complexly Traumatized Youth

May 21, 2008, 2-2:30 ET

Sponsored by SAMHSA’s National Child Traumatic Stress Network, this free webcast will provide information on treatment planning for complex trauma.

http://www.nctsnet.org/nccts/nav.do?pid=ctr_train_tele_compsched

Blending Addiction Science and Treatment: The Impact of Evidence-Based Practices on Individuals, Families and Communities

June 2-3, 2008, Cincinnati, Ohio

This NIDA conference provides an important opportunity for clinicians and providers to interact with the developers of empirically supported treatments in awareness raising workshops focused on treatment implementation. The goal of the Blending Addiction Science and Practice Conference is to improve addiction treatment practices so more people recover from addictive disorders.

http://www.NIDABlendingConference.info

HRC Regional Training: Consumer Involvement in Homeless Programs June 11, 2008, Phoenix, Arizona

Developed and presented by consumers, this one day pre-conference Institute at the National Health Care for the Homeless conference explores ways to make the most of consumer participation in homeless service systems. Presented jointly by the Homelessness Resource Center (HRC) and the National Health Care for the Homeless Council with support from SAMHSA.

http://www.homeless.samhsa.gov/

CSAT Satellite Session: Linking Research to Practice—Addressing Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities in Substance Abuse Treatment and HIV/AIDS

June 14, 2008, San Juan, PR

This Center for Substance Abuse Treatment one-day meeting will bring together top researchers and practitioners in the field to address racial and ethnic health disparities in the treatment of substance abuse and HIV/AIDS. The session is recommended for researchers, practitioners, students and program administrators.

http://conferences.jbsinternational.com/cpdd/index.php

Bringing Mental Health to the Public: A Call to Action

June 19, 2008 1-2:30 PM ET

This conference call produced by SAMHSA’s National Technical Assistance Center for Children's Mental Health will share activities to bring public health to mental health. Presenters will highlight strategies that will support a movement to educate policy makers at all levels, community leaders across the continuum, and family and youth leaders and advocates in a consistent and accessible way so that they can further the movement of implementing a public health approach to mental health.

http://gucchd.georgetown.edu/programs/ta_center/tacalls2008.html

Strengthening the Intersection of Demand-Side and Supply-Side Disability Employment Research: Toward a Coordinated Federal Research Agenda

June 23-25, 2008, Arlington, Virginia

2008 Interagency Subcommittee on Employment (ISE) State of the Science Conference

The conference will be an interactive, working meeting that will result in concrete recommendations the ISE can use to establish a five-year interagency research agenda. The conference will concentrate on the following core themes: business and employment: a global and technology driven environment; disability workforce experiences and needs: issues and research; a competitive disability workforce; and government policies and practices: role and effect.

http://www.icdr.us/employment2008

The National Center for Trauma-Informed Care Learning Exchange

July 11-12, 2008, Washington, DC

The SAMHSA Center for Mental Health Services funded National Center for Trauma-Informed Care will be hosting a two-day learning exchange and networking transformation forum to highlight useful and practical strategies for moving forward together with the implementation of trauma-informed care in organizations, programs, and services.

https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=606344

2008 NIH Summer Institute on Health Services Research: Cross-Systems Research to Improve Health Outcomes

July 27 - August 1, 2008, Bethesda, Maryland

The 2008 NIH Summer Institute will address essential conceptual, methodological, and practical issues involved in planning and carrying out cross-systems health services research. The Institute is intended for investigators who have completed their doctorate and who plan to develop entry-level (e.g.: R03, R21, or R34) NIH grant applications for research in this area. Faculty will include established investigators from social work and other fields. The goal is for every participant to develop a draft grant proposal by the end of the training that will eventually lead to a grant submission to the relevant NIH institute.

http://conferences.thehillgroup.com/obssr/summerinstitute2008/index.html

3rd National Conference on Women, Addiction and Recovery

September 15-17, 2008, Tampa, Florida

SAMHSA’s 3rd National Conference on Women, Addiction and Recovery brings together the leaders, directors and other stakeholders in women’s services to hear current research, discuss implementation and promote effective leadership to professionals and stakeholders to assist women with substance use disorders and their families.

http://www.samhsa.gov/spotlights/WomenConference.aspx

The 13th Annual Conference on Advancing School Mental Health

September 25-27, 2008, Phoenix, Arizona

Sponsored by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Center for School Mental Health and the IDEA Partnership, this year’s conference theme is “School Mental Health for All Students: Building a Shared Agenda for Youth, Families, Schools, and Communities.”

http://csmh.umaryland.edu/conf_meet/AnnualConference/index.html

The 14th NIMH Biennial Research Conference on the Economics of Mental Health: Toward Building a High Performance Mental Health System

September 25–26, 2008, Washington, DC

This biennial economics conference is an integral part of the dissemination and research portfolio development activities of the Division of Services and Intervention Research of NIMH. These scientific conferences are convened exclusively for presentation and discussion of original, rigorous and innovative technical research papers in mental health economics.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/research-funding/scientific-meetings/announcements/2008/the-14th-
nimh-biennial-research-conference-on-the-economics-of-mental-health-toward-building-a-
high-performance-mental-health-sy.shtml

NIMH: Use of Pooled State Administrative Data for Policy Relevant Mental Health Services Research

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), issued by the NIMH, solicits grant applications from state agencies and partnered researchers to study the impact of changes in mental health policies (e.g., implementing parity, implementing mental health programs for returning combat veterans), changes in delivery systems (e.g., introducing quality improvement initiatives, implementing managed behavioral health care in public systems), financial policy changes (e.g., implementing patient cost sharing, implementing prior authorization policies), or other new or changed policies on the cost, quality of care, and outcomes for persons with mental disorders. It is intended that proposed studies will use existing administrative data to generate new information that can assist state mental health policy-making. Applicants are encouraged to offer access to de-identified state data for use by other research project teams, while gaining access to data supplied by other states in order to understand the impact of policies across states.

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-09-050.html

CMS Releases the FY 2008 Real Choice Systems Change and Aging and Disability Resource Center/Area Agencies on Aging Grant Solicitation

Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) has available approximately $13 million in available funding to continue to support States' efforts to address complex issues in long-term care reform. In addition to approximately $8 million in Real Choice Systems Change Grant funding, CMS was also awarded $5 million for Aging and Disability Resource Center/Area Agencies on Aging grants.

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/newfreedominitiative/emailupdates/ItemDetail.asp?ItemID=CMS1209903

ACF: Community-Based Abstinence Education Program

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/open/HHS-2008-ACF-ACYF-AE-0099.html

CDC: Sleep and Sleep Disorders: Public Health Awareness and Education

http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do;jsessionid=LrJQKTv2HJw2sTz3DKhpvRJvZl1nqbz
wvT8THHvpQhTxblL5yrps!734153443?oppId=17662&flag2006=true&mode=VIEW

HRSA: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

https://grants.hrsa.gov/webExternal/SFO.asp?ID=53DB31C2-A8FD-44AE-B85E-8359346C0B15

HRSA: Patient Navigator Outreach and Chronic Disease Prevention Program

https://grants.hrsa.gov/webExternal/SFO.asp?ID=D198DB11-00EE-4E4A-8022-F3C38FE5899E

PAs and RFAs to share with scientific advisors. Information about NIH funding at
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/oer.htm

Selected NIH Program Announcements (PAs)

[Full listing of NIH PAs at http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/index.html ]

Dissemination, Implementation, and Operational Research for HIV Prevention Interventions (R01)

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-08-166.html

Collaborative HIV/AIDS Studies in the Middle East and North Africa (R21)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-08-153.html

Selected NIH Request for Applications (RFAs)

[Full listing of NIH RFAs at http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/index.html ]

None.

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