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Industry News
May 17th, 2013 |
1 in 5 children ages 3-17 suffers from a mental illness. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is the most prevalent diagnosis according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rate of children hospitalized for mood disorders has increased 80 percent from 1997 to 2010 and mental illness costs $247 billion annually. Bloomberg News article.
Bloomberg News |
May 16th, 2013 |
Dr. Mark Edelstein discusses mental health agencies at the Psychiatric Leadership Development Program for the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare. YouTube video.
admin |
May 7th, 2013 |
More than 17% of kids who are at risk of suicide have guns in their home. Of those teens, 15 to 30% said they have access to the guns, to bullets or both. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people ages 10 to 24 in the United States. LA Times article.
Los Angeles Times |
May 6th, 2013 |
Stopping the generational cycle of foster care begins with education. A bill (SB 528) introduced in Sacramento by state Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) is a first step to introducing education to break the cycle. It would require that kids in foster care be taught about pregnancy prevention and would guarantee resources for foster kids who do get pregnant. LA Times article.
Los Angeles Times |
March 18th, 2013 |
Over 700,000 students a year are suspended in California which equates to 11 suspensions for every 100 students. Last year, the legislature passed a bill preventing schools from suspending students for willful defiance and forcing them to develop alternative forms of discipline. Governor Jerry Brown vetoed the bill; and this year a new bill is being presented to the Governor by Assemblyman Roger Dickson. HealthyCal.org article.
HealthyCal.org |
March 15th, 2013 |
This week, Los Angeles Board of Supervisors voiced their opinions to support Laura’s Law. The law allows counties to create court ordered outpatient mental health treatment for the severely ill who have refused to be treated voluntarily and have been in and out of hospitals and jails. Los Angeles Times article.
Los Angeles Times |
March 13th, 2013 |
In the last decade, hospitalizations among children in California has decreased while the number of hospitalizations due to mental health disorders has risen. In 2007, 7.8% of child hospitalizations were due to mental health disorders, compared to 10.5% in 2011.
Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health and Kidsdata.orgLucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health and Kidsdata.org article. |
March 5th, 2013 |
Representatives in Phoenix are urging lawmakers to expand a state training program to help community members recognize those who are facing mental health challenges. After the 2011 shootings in Tuscon, Arizona launched a Mental Health First Aid program. Expansion of the program will allow more funding to be allocated to fund more training sessions. AZCapitolTimes article.
AZCapitolTimes |
February 26th, 2013 |
Prescription drug abuse has quickly become one of the top health concerns in the United States. The National Institute on Drug Abuse conducted the 2012 Monitoring the Future survey and found that of U.S. teen substance abuse, prescription and over-the-counter medications were the top abused substances among 12th graders in the past year. National Institutes of Health article.
National Institutes of Health |
February 25th, 2013 |
Both Republican and Democrat lawmakers from all over the country are pushing to restore some of the $4.3 billion cuts in mental health spending from 2009 to 2012. In the wake of Newtown, advocates are asking for change and introducing new initiatives to help improve mental health treatment. The Washington Post article.
The Washington Post |
February 25th, 2013 |
Mental health officials in Merced County are hoping to be trained to recognize the first warning signs of mental illness. This training will help them intervene in a crisis and get help for those suffering through a mental illness. Merced Sun-Star article.
Merced Sun-Star |
February 22nd, 2013 |
It is a now well accepted that children do not respond well to physical discipline but it can do more harm than once thought. Children do best when they are given positive and consistent feedback in a calm matter. New York Times article.
New York Times |
February 22nd, 2013 |
A study done by JAMA Psychiatry found that victims of bullying as well as the bullies themselves are at risk for mental health issues later in life. In the study, those who were bullied or were victims of bullying were at a greater risk for anxiety, depression, antisocial personality disorder or drug and alcohol abuse in early adulthood. Time Magazine article.
Time Magazine |
February 14th, 2013 |
As county employees encounter more and more people with mental health needs, Fairfax County has offered a mental health first aid training class. Training is focused on teaching employees who deal with the general public. Washington Post article.
Washington Post |
January 22nd, 2013 |
Focused on youth ages 12 to 25, the National Council of Behavioral Health is offering an evidence-based training program to help citizens identify mental health problems in youth. The adult version was delivered to over 80,000 Americans through a network of over 2,500 instructors. The youth version will focus on identifying signs and symptoms, discussing the prevalence of mental health disorders, the effectiveness of treatment and how to engage young people in services.
PR NewswirePR Newswire article. |
January 17th, 2013 |
A study, conducted by the National Institutes of Health has confirmed that children who have been accurately diagnosed with autism lose the symptoms and diagnosis as they grow older. 34 children who received an autism diagnosis at a young age were studied and found to be functioning at the same level as their peers. National Institutes of Health.
National Institutes of Health |
January 15th, 2013 |
One in 25 U.S. teens have attempted suicide and one in eight have thought about suicide. Researchers found that almost all teens who thought about or attempted suicide have a mental disorder such as depression, bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or problems with alcohol or drug abuse. Reuters article.
Reuters |
January 8th, 2013 |
In 2009, the United States was given an overall grade of D by the National Alliance on Mental Health for the delivery of mental health services. Since then states have cut mental health spending by $4.35 billion. After the Newtown shootings, advocates call for mental health reform and an increase in funding. USA Today article.
USA Today |
December 21st, 2012 |
California State Senator Darrell Steinberg calls on Vice President Joe Biden to adopt Proposition 63, the Mental Health Services Act, as a national model. Senator Steinberg reacts to the shootings in Newtown, CT as well as the request from President Obama for solutions to gun violence. Watch the full press conference.
admin |
December 20th, 2012 |
Mental health experts agree that children and young adults across the United States who are suffering from mental health issues are “falling through the cracks of an inadequate system.” By the year 2020, the federal government has projected the need for 12,624 child and adolescent psychiatrists. The projected supply is only 8,312. Currently, there are only 6,300 child and adolescent psychiatrists nationwide, with relatively few located in rural and low-income areas. New York News article.
New York News |
December 11th, 2012 |
The American Psychiatric Association voted to broaden the definition for autism. The vote added new maladies, including disruptive mood dysregulation, to the broader definition. Bloomberg News article.
Bloomberg News |
December 11th, 2012 |
In a study of emergency room visits, it was found that children with autism spectrum disorders are nine times more likely to visit the emergency room for psychiatric needs than are children without an autism spectrum disorder. The Sacramento Bee article.
The Sacramento Bee |
November 19th, 2012 |
The UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Youth and Families has completed a report on Full Service Partnerships (FSP) which received funding from Proposition 63, the Mental Health Services Act. Full Service Partnerships result in a cost savings of $1.27 for every Prop 63 dollar spent. FSP’s are designed to meet serious mental health needs, services range from therapy, housing, job or life skills and psychiatry. Learn more about the FSP services offered at Hollygrove, the Los Angeles division of EMQ FamiliesFirst.
Read the full report here or visit the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission.
Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission |
October 18th, 2012 |
New research shows that medication for ADHD, such as Ritalin, helps children deal with their impulsiveness and help them back better decisions. Skeptics of ADHD medication have long believed the effects make the children act like robots. For the first time, researchers have actually asked the kids with ADHD how they feel about taking medications. Huffington Post article.
Huffington Post |
October 18th, 2012 |
Nine percent of children ages 4-17 are diagnosed with ADHD each year. A 33 year study was done on 300 boys in New York, half of them diagnosed with ADHD in childhood who stopped taking their medication. Over the course of 33 years, it was found the boys with ADHD were seven times more likely to drop out of school and made on average $40,000 a year less than the boys without ADHD. 36 percent of the boys with ADHD had gone to prison at least once and 16 percent were diagnosed with a personality disorder. Stopping the treatment for ADHD too early can be detrimental to the social and emotional well being of the child. ABC News article.
ABC News |
October 15th, 2012 |
Research of a new drug called Ketamine may help relieve symptoms of depression in hours rather than weeks. Ketamine has also been known to reduce symptoms of suicidal thoughts and bipolar disorder. Desert News.
Desert News |
October 8th, 2012 |
Ninth and eleventh graders contemplating suicide in Palo Alto has dropped from 18 percent to 11 percent in the last two years according to a recent survey. The survey, given to seventh, ninth and eleventh graders measures risk and resiliency factors. The survey proved the focus on suicide and depression are heading in the right direction and solidified the need for continued efforts to address student mental health needs. Palo Alto Online News
Palo Alto Online News |
October 4th, 2012 |
Rates of child abuse injuries have risen over the past decade. Serious injuries in children have risen 4.9% from 1997 to 2009. This means six of every 100,000 children has suffered a serious physical injury. CBS News article.
CBS News |
October 4th, 2012 |
For the first time in 30 years, mental illness in children has surpassed physical illness. One in every ten children suffers from a mental illness and half of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, the prevelance of mental illness in children is most likely caused by social and cultural pressures to develop at a younger age along with rising premature births. Huffington Post article.
Huffington Post |
August 24th, 2012 |
Lawmakers have sent Governor Jerry Brown an extension to Laura’s Law which allows courts to force the mentally ill into treatment. Laura’s Law is set to expire in 2013 but an extension will extend the law until 2017. Counties have the choice to implement the law, but if they do, those with a history of severe mental illness and violence can be mandated to seek treatment. Sacramento Bee Article.
Sacramento Bee |
Media Contact:
Kristine Austin, Director of Public Relations
(408) 364-4029 | pr@emqff.org
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