Economic Downturns and Mental Health: Lessons from the Past and Relevance for the Present

Background. We examined correlates of past year suicidal thoughts and behavior (STB) and described past year treatment experiences among young people who inject drugs (PWID). Methods. Participants were 570 adults (18-25 years) who injected primarily heroin. Interviews were conducted at field stations operated by Community Outreach Intervention Projects in Chicago, Illinois (USA). Interviewers administered the Psychiatric Research Instrument for Substance and Mental Disorders. Substance use and mental disorders were based on DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. Past year STB was based on multiple questions. Results. Sixteen percent of men and 25% of women reported STB in the past year. In multivariable analysis, STB was associated with non-heterosexual orientation, foster care, and being raised by two parents. Primary major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, other anxiety disorders, and borderline personality disorder had independent effects on suicidality. Among those reporting past year STB (n=111), 83% ever received mental health treatment, while 44% did so in the past year. While 24% of respondents indicated that at least one treatment matched their needs very well, 30% reported treatment that did not match their needs at all. The most common reason for ending treatment was program completion (about 50%) while getting better was endorsed by about 25%. Nearly half reported ending treatment due to a bad experience, logistical issues, or expense. Conclusions. Young PWID are at high risk for suicidal behavior and their mental health treatment experiences often do not meet their needs. There is a pressing need for more integrated substance use and mental health treatment.

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Anxiety Disorders’ Effect on College and University Students’ Mental Health: A Common and Growing Concern

Current Psychopharmacologye ◽

10.2174/2211556009999200408105509 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 82-90

Author(s):

Matthew J. Pesko

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Anxiety Disorders ◽

University Students ◽

Best Practice ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Student Population ◽

Adult Student ◽

College And University ◽

The Past ◽

Mental Health Settings

Anxiety disorders are commonly experienced by college and university students and should be routinely assessed in mental health settings. Epidemiological studies suggest that the burden of these illnesses has greatly expanded even over the past decade. Factors that contribute to the experience of an anxiety disorder in a young adult student population are considered herein. The best practice for evaluation and treatment of these disorders is presented based on the review of available literature in this field. Special attention is paid to the concept of resilience as it pertains to anxiety disorders in the student population.

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Concussion, neuroethics, and sport: Policies of the past do not suffice for the future

10.1093/oso/9780198786832.003.0026 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Brad Partridge ◽

Wayne Hall

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Head Trauma ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Ethical Issues ◽

Cognitive Impairments ◽

Concussion Management ◽

Design And Implementation ◽

The Past ◽

Management Policies

Concussion management policies have become a major priority worldwide for sports that involve frequent collisions between participants because repeated head trauma has been associated with long-term cognitive impairments, mental health problems, and some forms of neurological degeneration. A number of concussion management policies have been developed by professional bodies and subsequently adopted by various sporting leagues. These have offered little guidance on how to navigate ethical issues in identifying and managing concussion. This chapter discusses ethical issues that arise in the diagnosis of concussion, debates about the longer-term consequences of repeated concussion injuries, and the design and implementation of policies that aim to prevent and manage concussion injuries in sporting matches.

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Creating Price Indexes for Measuring Productivity in Mental Health Care

Forum for Health Economics & Policy ◽

10.2202/1558-9544.1025 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Susan H. Busch ◽

Ernst R. Berndt ◽

Richard G. Frank

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Major Depression ◽

Price Index ◽

Time Varying ◽

Measurement Issues ◽

The Past ◽

Price Indexes ◽

Treatment Technologies ◽

New Treatment

Economists have long suggested that to be reliable, a preferred medical care price index should employ time-varying weights to measure outcomes-adjusted changes in the price of treating an episode of illness. In this article, we report on several years of research developing alternative indexes for the treatment of the acute phase of major depression, for the period 19911996. The introduction of new treatment technologies in the past two decades suggests well-known measurement issues may be prominent in constructing such a price index.We report on the results of four successively re

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Association between food insecurity and access to a mental health professional: cross-sectional analysis of NHANES 2007–2014

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-10818-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Nina Camille Burruss ◽

Marina Girgis ◽

Karen Elizabeth Green ◽

Lingyi Lu ◽

Deepak Palakshappa

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Professional ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Mental Health Professional ◽

The United States ◽

Bivariate Analysis ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Past ◽

Cross Sectional Analysis ◽

Sectional Analysis

Abstract Background To determine if individuals with food insecurity (FI) were less likely to have seen a mental health professional (MHP) within the past year than individuals without FI. Methods This is a cross-sectional analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted in the United States between 2007 and 2014. All participants 20 years of age or older were eligible for this study. We excluded participants who were pregnant, missing FI data, or missing data from the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). The primary outcome was self-reported contact with a MHP in the past 12 months. We used multivariable logistic regression models to test the association between FI and contact with a MHP, controlling for all demographic and clinical covariates. Results Of the 19,789 participants, 13.9% were food insecure and 8.1% had major depressive disorder (MDD). In bivariate analysis, participants with FI were significantly more likely to have MDD (5.3% vs 2.8%, p < 0.0001) and to have been seen by a MHP in the preceding 12 months (14.0% vs 6.9%, p < 0.0001). In multivariable models, adults with FI had higher odds of having seen a MHP (OR = 1.32, CI: 1.07, 1.64). Conclusions This study demonstrates that individuals with FI were significantly more likely to have seen a MHP in the preceding 12 months compared to individuals without FI. Given the growing interest in addressing unmet social needs in healthcare settings, this data suggests that visits with MHPs may be a valuable opportunity to screen for and intervene on FI.

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