Provided by: Associated Press
Written by: Malcolm Ritter, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Dec. 2, 2007
NEW YORK - The teenage brain, Laurence Steinberg says, is like a car with a good accelerator but a weak brake. With powerful impulses under poor control, the likely result is a crash.
And, perhaps, a crime.
Steinberg, a Temple University psychology professor, helped draft an American Psychological Association brief for a 2005 case in which the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed the death penalty for crimes committed before age 18.
That ruling relies on the most recent research on the adolescent brain, which indicates the juvenile brain is still maturing in the teen years and reasoning and judgment are developing well into the early to mid 20s. It is often cited as state legislators consider scaling back punitive juvenile justice laws passed during the 1990s.
"As any parent knows," wrote Justice Anthony Kennedy for the 5-4 majority, youths are more likely to show "a lack of maturity and an underdeveloped sense of responsibility" than adults. "These qualities often result in impetuous and ill-considered actions and decisions."
He also noted that "juveniles are more vulnerable or susceptible to negative influences and outside pressures, including peer pressure," causing them to have less control over their environment.
Some child advocates have pointed to the Supreme Court decision and the research as evidence that teens - even those accused of serious crimes - should not be regarded in the same way as adults in the criminal justice system.
Dr. David Fassler, a psychiatry professor at the University of Vermont College of Medicine who has testified before legislative committees on brain development, says the research doesn't absolve teens but offers some explanation for their behavior.
"It doesn't mean adolescents can't make a rational decision or appreciate the difference between right and wrong," he said. "It does mean, particularly when confronted with stressful or emotional decisions, they are more likely to act impulsively, on instinct, without fully understanding or analyzing the consequences of their actions."
Experts say that even at ages 16 and 17, when compared to adults, juveniles on average are more:
-impulsive.
-aggressive.
-emotionally volatile.
-likely to take risks.
-reactive to stress.
-vulnerable to peer pressure.
-prone to focus on and overestimate short-term payoffs and underplay longer-term consequences of what they do.
-likely to overlook alternative courses of action.
Violence toward others also tends to peak in adolescent years, says psychiatrist Dr. Peter Ash of Emory University. It's mostly likely to start around age 16, and people who haven't committed a violent crime by age 19 only rarely start doing it later, he said.
The good news here, he said, is that a violent adolescent doesn't necessarily become a violent adult. Some two-thirds to three-quarters of violent youth grow out of it, he said. "They get more self-controlled."
Some of the changes found in behavioral studies are paralleled by changes in the brain itself as youths become adults.
In fact, in just the past few years, Steinberg said, brain scans have given biological backing to commonsense notions about teen behavior, like their impulsiveness and vulnerability to peer pressure.
It's one thing to say teens don't control their impulses as well as adults, but another to show that they can't, he said. As for peer pressure, the new brain research "gives credence to the idea that this isn't a choice that kids are making to give in to their friends, that biologically, they're more vulnerable to that," he said.
Consider the lobes at the front of the brain. The nerve circuitry here ties together inputs from other parts of the brain, said Dr. Jay Giedd of the National Institute of Mental Health.
This circuitry weighs how much priority to give incoming messages like "Do this now" versus "Wait! What about the consequences?" In short, the frontal lobes are key for making good decisions and controlling impulses.
Brain scans show that the frontal lobes don't mature until age 25, and their connections to other parts of the brain continue to improve to at least that age, Giedd said.
The inexplicable behavior and poor judgments teens are known for almost always happen when teens are feeling high emotion or intense peer pressure, conditions that overwhelm the still-maturing circuitry in the front part of brain, Giedd said.
About Us
- Kathlene B. LaCour and Craig S. Judd
- Passages Behavioral Health Services was founded out of need to service mentally ill, co-occurring, correctional clients seeking a second chance. Our 40 years of clinical experience has prepared us to do this work which includes providing case management, Community Living Suppports (CLS), clinical assessment, treatment planning and more. Passages Behavioral Health also manages re-entry housing for this population know as the Passages House. We provide a service that not only bridges folks to another chance but helps maintain their progress in the community.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Personal Care, Restaurant Industries Have Highest Depression Rates
Provided by: Associated PressWritten by: Kevin Freking, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Oct. 13, 2007 and Conoe News
WASHINGTON - People who tend to the elderly, change diapers and serve up food and drinks have the highest rates of depression among U.S. workers.
Overall, seven per cent of full-time workers battled depression in the past year, according to a government report available Saturday.
Women were more likely than men to have had a major bout of depression, and younger workers had higher rates of depression than their older colleagues.
Almost 11 per cent of personal care workers - which includes child care and helping the elderly and severely disabled with their daily needs - reported depression lasting two weeks or longer.
During such episodes there is loss of interest and pleasure, and at least four other symptoms surface, including problems with sleep, eating, energy, concentration and self-image.
Workers who prepare and serve food - cooks, bartenders, waiters and waitresses - had the second highest rate of depression among full-time employees at 10.3 per cent.
In a tie for third were health care workers and social workers at 9.6 per cent.
The lowest rate of depression, 4.3 per cent, occurred in the job category that covers engineers, architects and surveyors.
Government officials tracked depression within 21 major occupational categories. They combined data from 2004 through 2006 to estimate episodes of depression within the past year. That information came from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which registers lifetime and past-year depression bouts.
Depression leads to $30 billion to $44 billion in lost productivity annually, said the report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
The report was available Saturday on the agency's website at http://oas.samhsa.gov/
The various job categories tracked could be quite broad, with employees grouped in the same category seemingly having little in common.
For example, one category included workers in the arts, media, entertainment and sports. In the personal care category, a worker caring for toddlers at a daycare centre would have quite a different job from a nursing aide who helps an older person live at home rather than in a nursing home.
Just working full-time would appear to be beneficial in preventing depression. The overall rate of depression for full-time workers, seven per cent, compares with the 12.7 per cent rate registered by those who are unemployed.
The percentage of full-time workers age 18 to 64 reporting depression lasting two weeks or longer, by categories of occupation, as provided by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health using 2004 through 2006 data:
-Personal care and service: 10.8
-Food preparation and serving related: 10.3
-Community and social services: 9.6
-Health care practitioners and technical: 9.6
-Arts, design, entertainment, sports and media: 9.1
-Education, training and library: 8.7
-Office and administrative support: 8.1
-Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance: 7.3
-Financial: 6.7
-Sales and related: 6.7
-Legal: 6.4
-Transportation and material moving: 6.4
-Mathematical and computer scientists: 6.2
-Production: 5.9
-Management: 5.8
-Farming, fishing and forestry: 5.6
-Protective service: 5.5
-Construction and extraction: 4.8
-Installation, maintenance and repair: 4.4
-Life, physical and social science: 4.4
-Engineering, architecture and surveyors: 4.3
Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
WASHINGTON - People who tend to the elderly, change diapers and serve up food and drinks have the highest rates of depression among U.S. workers.
Overall, seven per cent of full-time workers battled depression in the past year, according to a government report available Saturday.
Women were more likely than men to have had a major bout of depression, and younger workers had higher rates of depression than their older colleagues.
Almost 11 per cent of personal care workers - which includes child care and helping the elderly and severely disabled with their daily needs - reported depression lasting two weeks or longer.
During such episodes there is loss of interest and pleasure, and at least four other symptoms surface, including problems with sleep, eating, energy, concentration and self-image.
Workers who prepare and serve food - cooks, bartenders, waiters and waitresses - had the second highest rate of depression among full-time employees at 10.3 per cent.
In a tie for third were health care workers and social workers at 9.6 per cent.
The lowest rate of depression, 4.3 per cent, occurred in the job category that covers engineers, architects and surveyors.
Government officials tracked depression within 21 major occupational categories. They combined data from 2004 through 2006 to estimate episodes of depression within the past year. That information came from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which registers lifetime and past-year depression bouts.
Depression leads to $30 billion to $44 billion in lost productivity annually, said the report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
The report was available Saturday on the agency's website at http://oas.samhsa.gov/
The various job categories tracked could be quite broad, with employees grouped in the same category seemingly having little in common.
For example, one category included workers in the arts, media, entertainment and sports. In the personal care category, a worker caring for toddlers at a daycare centre would have quite a different job from a nursing aide who helps an older person live at home rather than in a nursing home.
Just working full-time would appear to be beneficial in preventing depression. The overall rate of depression for full-time workers, seven per cent, compares with the 12.7 per cent rate registered by those who are unemployed.
The percentage of full-time workers age 18 to 64 reporting depression lasting two weeks or longer, by categories of occupation, as provided by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health using 2004 through 2006 data:
-Personal care and service: 10.8
-Food preparation and serving related: 10.3
-Community and social services: 9.6
-Health care practitioners and technical: 9.6
-Arts, design, entertainment, sports and media: 9.1
-Education, training and library: 8.7
-Office and administrative support: 8.1
-Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance: 7.3
-Financial: 6.7
-Sales and related: 6.7
-Legal: 6.4
-Transportation and material moving: 6.4
-Mathematical and computer scientists: 6.2
-Production: 5.9
-Management: 5.8
-Farming, fishing and forestry: 5.6
-Protective service: 5.5
-Construction and extraction: 4.8
-Installation, maintenance and repair: 4.4
-Life, physical and social science: 4.4
-Engineering, architecture and surveyors: 4.3
Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Friday, September 07, 2007
Late Night Teen Cell Phone Use Threat to Sleep and Functioning
Psychiatric Times
Judith GrochReviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
Explain to interested patients that teenage use of cell phones for calling and text messaging is common after bedtime, leaving adolescents sleep-deprived and tired.
LEUVEN, Belgium, Sept. 4 -- Just because adolescents go to bed, that doesn't mean they stop calling and texting their friends, and that may leave them bleary-eyed in the morning, researchers here reported.
Adolescents who use their mobile phones for calling friends and sending and receiving text messages after bedtime awaken sleep-deprived and tired, Jan Van den Bulck, Ph.D., of Katholieke Universiteit Leuven here, reported in the Sept. 1 issue of Sleep.
Heavy use of TV, internet, and computer games in the bedroom has been linked to reduced time in bed and to sleep disturbances, although adolescents often claim they need these media as "sleep aids."
Much of the teen use of cell phones involves the simple pleasure of being permanently connected, day and night, to a group of friends, Dr. Van den Bulck said. However, he added, little has been known about the impact of cell phone use on sleep.
To assess the prevalence of night-time mobile phone use and its relationship to tiredness with a one-year follow-up, Dr. Van den Bulck studied 1,656 second-year and fifth-year secondary school children in 15 schools in Flanders.
Baseline data were collected in February 2003 with a follow-up in 2004 and another in 2005.
Of the children (52.1% boys), the average age was 13.7 years in the youngest group and 16.9 years in the oldest group at baseline. Tiredness was self-reported.
Only 38% of the participants never used their mobile phone after lights out. Overall 35% of the cases of being very tired were attributed to the use of the mobile phone.
Multinomial logistic regression showed that after a year:
Using the mobile phone less often than once a month increased the odds of being very tired by 1.8 (95% CI 1.2 - 2.8);
Using the phone less than once a week more than doubled the tiredness odds (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.4 - 3.5);
Using it about once a week tripled the odds (OR 3.3, CI 1.9 - 5.7);
Using it several times a week yielded a five-fold increase in the odds of being very tired (OR 5.1, CI 2.5 - 10.4).
Time of calling, ranging from right after bedtime to any time of the night, also made a difference in the one-year tiredness measure. In most cases calling happened right after lights out. Yet a considerable amount occurred before 3 AM, and about a fifth of the adolescents reported that sending or calling could happen at any time of night.
Use of the phone right after lights out increased the odds of being very tired by 2.2 (CI 1.4 - 3.4); between lights out and 3 AM, the odds were 3.9 times higher (CI 2.1 - 7.1), and for those who used it at any time of the night the odds were 3.3 times higher (CI 1.8 - 6.0).
Among the study's limitations was the use of self-reports. Usually giving socially desirable replies, a potential source of bias in such studies, would not seem to have occurred here, as it is unlikely that students believe that underestimating this behavior is socially desirable.
It is also customary to warn readers about drawing causal conclusions from this sort of research, Dr. Van den Bulck said. However, the idea that adolescents use their phones because they can't sleep does not hold here because of the two-way communication involved. It would apply to outgoing calls, but not to incoming calls.
Unless there were clusters of sleepless adolescents, it is more likely that communicating children keep each other awake, Dr. Van den Bulck wrote.
Mobile-phone use after lights out is widespread, he said. The risk ratios suggest that there is no safe dose. Even moderate use doubles the risk of long term tiredness, nor is there is a safe time to send or receive calls or messages.
There is growing awareness of the importance of studying the impact of the modern electronic media on several aspects of adolescent health in general and sleep in particular, Dr. Van den Bulck said.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has suggested that children's bedrooms ought to be "electronic media-free." However, the Academy appeared to be thinking mainly of media such as TV and video games, he said.
However, the present study suggests that there are many more threats to adolescent sleep in the bedroom. As mobile phones become ever more complex (integrating radio, television, and MP3 technologies), the attraction to use them after lights out is likely to increase further, Dr. Van den Bulck concluded.
Dr. Van den Bulck reported no conflicts of interest. This study received support from the Fund for Scientific Research (Flanders) and the Ministry of Welfare of the Flemish Government of Belgium.
Judith GrochReviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
Explain to interested patients that teenage use of cell phones for calling and text messaging is common after bedtime, leaving adolescents sleep-deprived and tired.
LEUVEN, Belgium, Sept. 4 -- Just because adolescents go to bed, that doesn't mean they stop calling and texting their friends, and that may leave them bleary-eyed in the morning, researchers here reported.
Adolescents who use their mobile phones for calling friends and sending and receiving text messages after bedtime awaken sleep-deprived and tired, Jan Van den Bulck, Ph.D., of Katholieke Universiteit Leuven here, reported in the Sept. 1 issue of Sleep.
Heavy use of TV, internet, and computer games in the bedroom has been linked to reduced time in bed and to sleep disturbances, although adolescents often claim they need these media as "sleep aids."
Much of the teen use of cell phones involves the simple pleasure of being permanently connected, day and night, to a group of friends, Dr. Van den Bulck said. However, he added, little has been known about the impact of cell phone use on sleep.
To assess the prevalence of night-time mobile phone use and its relationship to tiredness with a one-year follow-up, Dr. Van den Bulck studied 1,656 second-year and fifth-year secondary school children in 15 schools in Flanders.
Baseline data were collected in February 2003 with a follow-up in 2004 and another in 2005.
Of the children (52.1% boys), the average age was 13.7 years in the youngest group and 16.9 years in the oldest group at baseline. Tiredness was self-reported.
Only 38% of the participants never used their mobile phone after lights out. Overall 35% of the cases of being very tired were attributed to the use of the mobile phone.
Multinomial logistic regression showed that after a year:
Using the mobile phone less often than once a month increased the odds of being very tired by 1.8 (95% CI 1.2 - 2.8);
Using the phone less than once a week more than doubled the tiredness odds (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.4 - 3.5);
Using it about once a week tripled the odds (OR 3.3, CI 1.9 - 5.7);
Using it several times a week yielded a five-fold increase in the odds of being very tired (OR 5.1, CI 2.5 - 10.4).
Time of calling, ranging from right after bedtime to any time of the night, also made a difference in the one-year tiredness measure. In most cases calling happened right after lights out. Yet a considerable amount occurred before 3 AM, and about a fifth of the adolescents reported that sending or calling could happen at any time of night.
Use of the phone right after lights out increased the odds of being very tired by 2.2 (CI 1.4 - 3.4); between lights out and 3 AM, the odds were 3.9 times higher (CI 2.1 - 7.1), and for those who used it at any time of the night the odds were 3.3 times higher (CI 1.8 - 6.0).
Among the study's limitations was the use of self-reports. Usually giving socially desirable replies, a potential source of bias in such studies, would not seem to have occurred here, as it is unlikely that students believe that underestimating this behavior is socially desirable.
It is also customary to warn readers about drawing causal conclusions from this sort of research, Dr. Van den Bulck said. However, the idea that adolescents use their phones because they can't sleep does not hold here because of the two-way communication involved. It would apply to outgoing calls, but not to incoming calls.
Unless there were clusters of sleepless adolescents, it is more likely that communicating children keep each other awake, Dr. Van den Bulck wrote.
Mobile-phone use after lights out is widespread, he said. The risk ratios suggest that there is no safe dose. Even moderate use doubles the risk of long term tiredness, nor is there is a safe time to send or receive calls or messages.
There is growing awareness of the importance of studying the impact of the modern electronic media on several aspects of adolescent health in general and sleep in particular, Dr. Van den Bulck said.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has suggested that children's bedrooms ought to be "electronic media-free." However, the Academy appeared to be thinking mainly of media such as TV and video games, he said.
However, the present study suggests that there are many more threats to adolescent sleep in the bedroom. As mobile phones become ever more complex (integrating radio, television, and MP3 technologies), the attraction to use them after lights out is likely to increase further, Dr. Van den Bulck concluded.
Dr. Van den Bulck reported no conflicts of interest. This study received support from the Fund for Scientific Research (Flanders) and the Ministry of Welfare of the Flemish Government of Belgium.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Computers, Internet and Psychotherapy
The demand of psychotherapy often exceeds the availability of therapists. Two studies published in the journal Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics review how modern computer and communication technologies can provide novel opportunities for the provision of stepped care for patients with mental disorders.
In a review and an accompanying editorial by Prof. Isaac Marks and collaborators point out that therapist time is not saved by conducting cognitive behavior therapies (CBT) via e-mail, telephone or video-conference exchanges between patient and therapist in real time. However, time can be saved when treatment tasks are delegated to patient-computer interactions.
Many patients may also prefer to access CBT at home by computer for reasons of greater confidentiality, lessening of stigma and reduction of time needed to travel to a therapist.
This concept was explored by Indra Tumur and colleges in a analysis of 4 studies to compare the effectiveness of a computerized cognitive behavior therapy (CCBT) program, BTSteps, for the treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) against the traditional therapist-led cognitive behaviour therapy (TCBT) and relaxation.
They found that CCBT was as good as TCBT for reducing time spent in rituals and obsessions and and was superior to RLX treatment. Improvement of OCD persisted beyond the end of the CCBT treatment. Therapist guided CBT was more effective than CCBT for all patients overall though not in those who went on to start self-exposure.
In the third study, University of Heidelberg researchers investigated the effectiveness of group therapy delivered through an Internet chat room following inpatient treatment.The main goal of the program was to reduce the risk of losing the therapeutic benefits gained during the inpatient treatment. 114 patients participated in one of two parallel groups of 8-10 patients that met with a group therapist in an Internet chat room.
The groups met weekly for 12-15 weeks for 90 min. Controls were 114 patients who did not participate in the chat groups and were matched by application of propensity score methods.The main criterion was derived from comprehensive assessments of changes in health status comprising the psychological and physical condition of the patients.
Assessments were conducted at admission, discharge and 12 months after discharge. 12 months after discharge, chat participants showed a substantially lower risk (24.7%) for negative outcome than controls (38.5%). Furthermore, a low dropout rate and the high session attendance suggest this novel offer met patients' needs, and thus, opens new avenues for optimizing care for patients with mental disorders.
Baer L, Greist J, Marks IM. Computer-Aided Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Psychother Psychosom 2007;76:193-195 (no abstract)
Tumur I, Kaltenthaler E, Ferriter M, et al. Computerised Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Systematic Review Psychother Psychosom 2007;76:196-202 [Abstract]
Golkaramnay V, Bauer S, Haug S, et al. The Exploration of the Effectiveness of Group Therapy through an Internet Chat as Aftercare: A Controlled Naturalistic Study Psychother Psychosom 2007;76:219-225 [Abstract]
In a review and an accompanying editorial by Prof. Isaac Marks and collaborators point out that therapist time is not saved by conducting cognitive behavior therapies (CBT) via e-mail, telephone or video-conference exchanges between patient and therapist in real time. However, time can be saved when treatment tasks are delegated to patient-computer interactions.
Many patients may also prefer to access CBT at home by computer for reasons of greater confidentiality, lessening of stigma and reduction of time needed to travel to a therapist.
This concept was explored by Indra Tumur and colleges in a analysis of 4 studies to compare the effectiveness of a computerized cognitive behavior therapy (CCBT) program, BTSteps, for the treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) against the traditional therapist-led cognitive behaviour therapy (TCBT) and relaxation.
They found that CCBT was as good as TCBT for reducing time spent in rituals and obsessions and and was superior to RLX treatment. Improvement of OCD persisted beyond the end of the CCBT treatment. Therapist guided CBT was more effective than CCBT for all patients overall though not in those who went on to start self-exposure.
In the third study, University of Heidelberg researchers investigated the effectiveness of group therapy delivered through an Internet chat room following inpatient treatment.The main goal of the program was to reduce the risk of losing the therapeutic benefits gained during the inpatient treatment. 114 patients participated in one of two parallel groups of 8-10 patients that met with a group therapist in an Internet chat room.
The groups met weekly for 12-15 weeks for 90 min. Controls were 114 patients who did not participate in the chat groups and were matched by application of propensity score methods.The main criterion was derived from comprehensive assessments of changes in health status comprising the psychological and physical condition of the patients.
Assessments were conducted at admission, discharge and 12 months after discharge. 12 months after discharge, chat participants showed a substantially lower risk (24.7%) for negative outcome than controls (38.5%). Furthermore, a low dropout rate and the high session attendance suggest this novel offer met patients' needs, and thus, opens new avenues for optimizing care for patients with mental disorders.
Baer L, Greist J, Marks IM. Computer-Aided Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Psychother Psychosom 2007;76:193-195 (no abstract)
Tumur I, Kaltenthaler E, Ferriter M, et al. Computerised Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Systematic Review Psychother Psychosom 2007;76:196-202 [Abstract]
Golkaramnay V, Bauer S, Haug S, et al. The Exploration of the Effectiveness of Group Therapy through an Internet Chat as Aftercare: A Controlled Naturalistic Study Psychother Psychosom 2007;76:219-225 [Abstract]
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Interface Consultation Services Update
A brief overview of Interface Consultation Services current endeavors:
I. Blog Focus - We continue to post weekly on ICS and Counseling Connections.Our posts include mental health research, news and thoughts we feel providers and clients will find valuable.
II. Counseling Connections - Provides Licensed Professional Online and Telephone Mental Health Counseling, Coaching and Services.
III. PESI Seminars by ICS:
High Risk Callers: Responding to Psychiatric Emergencies Over the Phone. New and exciting sorely needed seminar designed specifically for clinicians, call centers, triage nurses who provide efficient assessment and treatment over the phone. Psychiatric Emergencies over the phone line are DIFFICULT and extremely anxiety provoking. General Medical Clinics are seeing more psychiatric patients. Learn the skills you didn't learn in school to assist these patients.
IV. Telemental Health Triage - We continue our day-to-day service commitment to Riverwood Center to provide professional triage services so their consumers are assured efficient and timely access to mental health services, appropriate level of care assignments and expert telephone crisis triage.
V. MPRI - Michigan Prisoner Re-entry Initiative for the Mentally Ill - ICS are contracted as the Regional Care Coordinators for the Western Michigan providing services to 17 counties. ICS has hired Lee Burdick March 2007 to assist with this initiative. This program continues to grow at a very fast pace and it the only program of it's kind in the US. This speciality program is designed for mentally ill prisoners who are returning to the community. As Care coordinators we provide funding for housing, psychiatric medications, specialized placements as well as care coordination and consultation on some very difficult cases for the program.
VI. Utilization Management Opportunities - We continue to provide acute care preauthorization services for Riverwood Center.
VII. College Level Course - ICS partner, Kathlene LaCour is an part-time facility member at Kalamazoo Valley Community College.
We are seeking other opportunities to expand these kinds of services to other agencies. Please contact us via email by clicking on the link to learn more about how we can service your consulting needs or call (269)929-1292.
I. Blog Focus - We continue to post weekly on ICS and Counseling Connections.Our posts include mental health research, news and thoughts we feel providers and clients will find valuable.
II. Counseling Connections - Provides Licensed Professional Online and Telephone Mental Health Counseling, Coaching and Services.
III. PESI Seminars by ICS:
High Risk Callers: Responding to Psychiatric Emergencies Over the Phone. New and exciting sorely needed seminar designed specifically for clinicians, call centers, triage nurses who provide efficient assessment and treatment over the phone. Psychiatric Emergencies over the phone line are DIFFICULT and extremely anxiety provoking. General Medical Clinics are seeing more psychiatric patients. Learn the skills you didn't learn in school to assist these patients.
IV. Telemental Health Triage - We continue our day-to-day service commitment to Riverwood Center to provide professional triage services so their consumers are assured efficient and timely access to mental health services, appropriate level of care assignments and expert telephone crisis triage.
V. MPRI - Michigan Prisoner Re-entry Initiative for the Mentally Ill - ICS are contracted as the Regional Care Coordinators for the Western Michigan providing services to 17 counties. ICS has hired Lee Burdick March 2007 to assist with this initiative. This program continues to grow at a very fast pace and it the only program of it's kind in the US. This speciality program is designed for mentally ill prisoners who are returning to the community. As Care coordinators we provide funding for housing, psychiatric medications, specialized placements as well as care coordination and consultation on some very difficult cases for the program.
VI. Utilization Management Opportunities - We continue to provide acute care preauthorization services for Riverwood Center.
VII. College Level Course - ICS partner, Kathlene LaCour is an part-time facility member at Kalamazoo Valley Community College.
We are seeking other opportunities to expand these kinds of services to other agencies. Please contact us via email by clicking on the link to learn more about how we can service your consulting needs or call (269)929-1292.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Monday, June 11, 2007
Discovering Our True Nature - Online Radio Show
Discovering Our True Nature - Online Radio Show with Host Branden Cohen (click on link to listen to recent shows...
Join Branden for his weekly internet radio show on Tuesday at 1pm or go to link above for live or achived shows. Each begins with a guided meditation and Branden welcomes guests and callers to share their personal experiences and ask questions. The show explores a variety of psychological and spiritual topics.
Branden Cohen is a MA Clinical Psychologist. email him at brandencohen@hughes.net
This week show and guest talk about addiction and ways to heal the most difficult of addictions and the heart.
contact us at... interface_consultation@comcast.net
Join Branden for his weekly internet radio show on Tuesday at 1pm or go to link above for live or achived shows. Each begins with a guided meditation and Branden welcomes guests and callers to share their personal experiences and ask questions. The show explores a variety of psychological and spiritual topics.
Branden Cohen is a MA Clinical Psychologist. email him at brandencohen@hughes.net
This week show and guest talk about addiction and ways to heal the most difficult of addictions and the heart.
contact us at... interface_consultation@comcast.net
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Today is the Day!
Today is your opportunity to make a real positive difference in your life.
Live this very day with respect and responsibility for yourself and the treasure of today will be with you always.
-Kenn
Live this very day with respect and responsibility for yourself and the treasure of today will be with you always.
-Kenn
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
May Mental Health Month
Welcome to Mental Health Month 2007! The theme for this year's observance is MIND Your Health. For more than fifty years, our country has celebrated May as Mental Health Month to raise awareness about mental illnesses and the importance of mental wellness for all. Mental Health America invites you to join us in this important observance.
Contact Us..
Contact Us..
Work related suicide, Mental Illness Increase in Japan
Provided by: Associated PressMay. 17, 2007
TOKYO (AP) - The number of Japanese who killed themselves because of work jumped by 52 per cent last year, while work-induced mental illness also hit a record high, a health official said Thursday.
Compensation paid to the families of workers who committed suicide due to work-related stress was paid out in a record 65 cases in 2006, compared with 42 the previous year, said Health Ministry official Junichiro Kurashige.
The number of workers who received compensation for work-induced mental illness hit 205, up 61 per cent from a year earlier, Kurashige said, citing a recent government report.
Efforts by the government to encourage workers to apply for compensation were partly behind the rise, said Kurashige.
Japan's suicide rate is among the highest in the industrialized world. More than 32,000 Japanese took their own lives in 2004, the bulk of them older Japanese suffering financial woes as the country struggled through a decade of economic stagnation.
The Japanese government has earmarked a substantial budget for programs to help those with depression and other mental illnesses.
See C-Health for more mental health news...
TOKYO (AP) - The number of Japanese who killed themselves because of work jumped by 52 per cent last year, while work-induced mental illness also hit a record high, a health official said Thursday.
Compensation paid to the families of workers who committed suicide due to work-related stress was paid out in a record 65 cases in 2006, compared with 42 the previous year, said Health Ministry official Junichiro Kurashige.
The number of workers who received compensation for work-induced mental illness hit 205, up 61 per cent from a year earlier, Kurashige said, citing a recent government report.
Efforts by the government to encourage workers to apply for compensation were partly behind the rise, said Kurashige.
Japan's suicide rate is among the highest in the industrialized world. More than 32,000 Japanese took their own lives in 2004, the bulk of them older Japanese suffering financial woes as the country struggled through a decade of economic stagnation.
The Japanese government has earmarked a substantial budget for programs to help those with depression and other mental illnesses.
See C-Health for more mental health news...
Friday, May 04, 2007
Spirituality, Suicide and Mental Health
Canoe Health Reports....An Canadian conference is drawing attention to the key role spirituality plays in mental health and even for suicidal patients.
Medical schools have started to raise awareness about spirituality, so students entering the health-care field will inquire about their patients' belief systems to better understand their attitudes toward life and death.
To shed more light, the University of Ottawa's department of psychiatry, the Ontario Multifaith Council on Spiritual and Religious Care and Saint Paul University are hosting the third annual international conference on Spirituality and Mental Health today and tomorrow.
Developing a greater understanding of the link between mental health and spirituality is necessary for health-care workers who truly want to help their patients, said Dr. Andre Gagnon, chairman of the conference organizing committee. The same can be said of workers dealing with suicidal patients.
Suicidality has been VIEWED AS AMORAL.
Historically, suicidal thoughts were viewed by religions as amoral and people who suffered from them could be forbidden access to a place of worship and even burial rights, said Gagnon.Over time, religions have grown more accepting of the reality that these people need help.
Researching links between suicide rates and spirituality poses difficulties due to the many other variables associated with suicide.Gagnon said that even the awareness of spirituality in suicide can aid health providers in providing appropriate care."A lot of people at first want to stop the suffering they are in, they don't wish to die as much as to stop feeling so badly," he said.
We are all spiritual beings and to neglect this part of a person in who is experiencing significant distress and psychiatric pain can delay a person's recovery. Treating people as whole beings - mental, physical, spiritual and emotional is key.
Medical schools have started to raise awareness about spirituality, so students entering the health-care field will inquire about their patients' belief systems to better understand their attitudes toward life and death.
To shed more light, the University of Ottawa's department of psychiatry, the Ontario Multifaith Council on Spiritual and Religious Care and Saint Paul University are hosting the third annual international conference on Spirituality and Mental Health today and tomorrow.
Developing a greater understanding of the link between mental health and spirituality is necessary for health-care workers who truly want to help their patients, said Dr. Andre Gagnon, chairman of the conference organizing committee. The same can be said of workers dealing with suicidal patients.
Suicidality has been VIEWED AS AMORAL.
Historically, suicidal thoughts were viewed by religions as amoral and people who suffered from them could be forbidden access to a place of worship and even burial rights, said Gagnon.Over time, religions have grown more accepting of the reality that these people need help.
Researching links between suicide rates and spirituality poses difficulties due to the many other variables associated with suicide.Gagnon said that even the awareness of spirituality in suicide can aid health providers in providing appropriate care."A lot of people at first want to stop the suffering they are in, they don't wish to die as much as to stop feeling so badly," he said.
We are all spiritual beings and to neglect this part of a person in who is experiencing significant distress and psychiatric pain can delay a person's recovery. Treating people as whole beings - mental, physical, spiritual and emotional is key.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Binge Eating/Compulsive Eating Disorder
Psychiatric Times indicates that this disorder is more common than anorexia and bulimia combined, according to a national survey.In DSM- IV this disorder was being reviewed and was indicated to require more research and study to determine if it would be appropriate for admission into the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders).
Most physicians, however, aren't aware of the problem, says James Hudson, MD, director of the Psychiatric Epidemiology Research Program at McLean Hospital and a professor of psychiatry at Harvard."Doctors have a reasonable degree of awareness about anorexia and bulimia, but they're not tuned into binge eating. It's just not as well known," says Hudson, lead author of "The Prevalence and Correlates of Eating Disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication". The study, published Feb. 1 in Biological Psychiatry, found that 2.8 percent of the general population has binge-eating disorder -- more than bulimia (1 percent prevalence) and anorexia (0.6 percent) combined.
Treatment for this disorder experts recommend a comprehensive eating disorders program. The programs take a multidisciplinary approach that typically includes nutrition counseling; a behavioral weight control plan with healthy meals spaced throughout the day; medication in some cases; and a strong foundation in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) -- considered the gold standard for treating the disorder.
Due to this disorder not being an official diagnosis many insurances will not pay for treatment. Self help programs include reading books with CBT focus and drug treatment with SSRI, appetite suppressants and mood stabilizers. See Psychiatric Times for more information
Most physicians, however, aren't aware of the problem, says James Hudson, MD, director of the Psychiatric Epidemiology Research Program at McLean Hospital and a professor of psychiatry at Harvard."Doctors have a reasonable degree of awareness about anorexia and bulimia, but they're not tuned into binge eating. It's just not as well known," says Hudson, lead author of "The Prevalence and Correlates of Eating Disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication". The study, published Feb. 1 in Biological Psychiatry, found that 2.8 percent of the general population has binge-eating disorder -- more than bulimia (1 percent prevalence) and anorexia (0.6 percent) combined.
Treatment for this disorder experts recommend a comprehensive eating disorders program. The programs take a multidisciplinary approach that typically includes nutrition counseling; a behavioral weight control plan with healthy meals spaced throughout the day; medication in some cases; and a strong foundation in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) -- considered the gold standard for treating the disorder.
Due to this disorder not being an official diagnosis many insurances will not pay for treatment. Self help programs include reading books with CBT focus and drug treatment with SSRI, appetite suppressants and mood stabilizers. See Psychiatric Times for more information
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Who Are You?
A father, mother, wife, husband, sister, brother, boss, employee, devotee, coach, player, student, teacher, etc.
You are not your relations. The core of who you are is not defined by your relationship to friends, family, god or others in general. These are power parts of our being and living in this world.
Is here a you without relationship to others?
So truly, who are you when you look in the mirror and see more than your physical self looking back at you?
Food for Thought....
You are not your relations. The core of who you are is not defined by your relationship to friends, family, god or others in general. These are power parts of our being and living in this world.
Is here a you without relationship to others?
So truly, who are you when you look in the mirror and see more than your physical self looking back at you?
Food for Thought....
Monday, April 02, 2007
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow....
Yesterday is but today's memory, tomorrow is today's dream.
- Kahlil Gibran
- Kahlil Gibran
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Online Counseling Rarely Available
The dearth of mental health services for individuals in need is a debit our nation has felt for at least twenty years, if not indefinitely. A new national survey of commercial health plans has found that most plans provide online information regarding mental health and substance abuse but few provide clinical services such as counseling via the Internet.
Most private health plans offered online provider directories; 81 percent offered educational information; two thirds offered behavioral self-assessment tools, and almost half offered online referral. About one-third offered personalized responses to questions or problems. Only two percent offered online counseling.
“At least in the short term, increasing use of Internet-based tools designed to facilitate and complement, rather than replace, traditional clinical services seems most likely.”
Source: Brandeis University
Most private health plans offered online provider directories; 81 percent offered educational information; two thirds offered behavioral self-assessment tools, and almost half offered online referral. About one-third offered personalized responses to questions or problems. Only two percent offered online counseling.
“At least in the short term, increasing use of Internet-based tools designed to facilitate and complement, rather than replace, traditional clinical services seems most likely.”
Source: Brandeis University
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Telephone-Based Psychotherapy and Depression
Psychiatric Times
By Judith GrochReviewed by Robert Jasmer, MD; Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco Mar 22, 2007
SEATTLE, March 22 -- For depressed patients on medication but too sad to seek psychotherapy as well, lasting help may be available by phone researchers found in a follow-up study.
For more than 75% of nearly 400 patients, the positive effects of six months of brief telephone psychotherapy at the start of antidepressant medication endured for 18 months after the first session, including six months beyond the end of all phone therapy, said Evette Ludman, Ph.D., of the Group Health Cooperative Center for Health Studies here, and colleagues.
This study, reported by Dr. Ludman and colleagues in the April issue of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, was a follow-up to a 2004 report on the same sample of 393 patients, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The follow-up found that at 18 months, 77% of those given phone-based therapy reported that depression was "much" or "very much" improved, compared with only 63% of those receiving usual care.
In the 18-month analysis, the benefits of telephone psychotherapy in the first six months were sustained during the second six months when only brief booster sessions were provided. Significantly a "robust clinical benefit" endured for six months after all treatment contact was discontinued, the researchers found.
"As with weight control," Dr. Ludman said, "maintaining improvement is the hardest part of treating depression."
Read More...
As you can see using telephone-based therapy can be convenient and effective. If you are in terested in knowing more Contact Us.
By Judith GrochReviewed by Robert Jasmer, MD; Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco Mar 22, 2007
SEATTLE, March 22 -- For depressed patients on medication but too sad to seek psychotherapy as well, lasting help may be available by phone researchers found in a follow-up study.
For more than 75% of nearly 400 patients, the positive effects of six months of brief telephone psychotherapy at the start of antidepressant medication endured for 18 months after the first session, including six months beyond the end of all phone therapy, said Evette Ludman, Ph.D., of the Group Health Cooperative Center for Health Studies here, and colleagues.
This study, reported by Dr. Ludman and colleagues in the April issue of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, was a follow-up to a 2004 report on the same sample of 393 patients, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The follow-up found that at 18 months, 77% of those given phone-based therapy reported that depression was "much" or "very much" improved, compared with only 63% of those receiving usual care.
In the 18-month analysis, the benefits of telephone psychotherapy in the first six months were sustained during the second six months when only brief booster sessions were provided. Significantly a "robust clinical benefit" endured for six months after all treatment contact was discontinued, the researchers found.
"As with weight control," Dr. Ludman said, "maintaining improvement is the hardest part of treating depression."
Read More...
As you can see using telephone-based therapy can be convenient and effective. If you are in terested in knowing more Contact Us.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
How to Choose a Therapist
MayoClinic.Com - Choosing mental health providers can be challenging. Try to match your needs with their experience and specialty. See what issues to consider and which questions to ask.
If you've never consulted mental health providers before, you may not know how to find one who suits your specific needs. Here are some issues and tips to think about, along with questions to ask potential mental health providers.
Consider the types of mental health providers:
You may not realize just how many types of mental health providers are available until you start looking for one. Should you see a family practice doctor? A Psychiatrist? Psychologist? Social worker? Does it even matter?
Several considerations can help guide your decision in choosing among the various types of mental health providers:
The severity of your symptoms
Your medication needs
The provider's level of expertise
Your health insurance coverage
In general, the more severe your symptoms or diagnosis, the more expertise and training to look for in your potential mental health providers. If you may need medications, for instance, you may want to consult a psychiatrist, who by law can prescribe medications and may have more experience with the wide range of psychiatric medications available. On the other hand, if you're dealing with teenage conflicts, you may want to consult a marriage and family therapist. You may even need to see several types of mental health providers to meet various needs.
Contact Us...
If you've never consulted mental health providers before, you may not know how to find one who suits your specific needs. Here are some issues and tips to think about, along with questions to ask potential mental health providers.
Consider the types of mental health providers:
You may not realize just how many types of mental health providers are available until you start looking for one. Should you see a family practice doctor? A Psychiatrist? Psychologist? Social worker? Does it even matter?
Several considerations can help guide your decision in choosing among the various types of mental health providers:
The severity of your symptoms
Your medication needs
The provider's level of expertise
Your health insurance coverage
In general, the more severe your symptoms or diagnosis, the more expertise and training to look for in your potential mental health providers. If you may need medications, for instance, you may want to consult a psychiatrist, who by law can prescribe medications and may have more experience with the wide range of psychiatric medications available. On the other hand, if you're dealing with teenage conflicts, you may want to consult a marriage and family therapist. You may even need to see several types of mental health providers to meet various needs.
Contact Us...
Monday, March 12, 2007
Learning....
I've learned that if your heart has never ached you are not alive.
I've learned that a strong man can cry
I've learned that the best things in life really are free
I've learned that there are many risks in life but the biggest is not taking any at all.
Kenn
I've learned that a strong man can cry
I've learned that the best things in life really are free
I've learned that there are many risks in life but the biggest is not taking any at all.
Kenn
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Women Soldiers' Response to Treatment for PTSD
Psychiatric Times
By Peggy Peck
Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Feb 28, 2007
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, Vt., Feb. 28 -- For women soldiers being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder, symptoms improve when the therapy homes in on the original index event, no matter how long ago it occurred, researchers here found.
Compared with therapy that aimed at coping with PTSD symptoms in daily life, women whose therapy focused on the past traumatic events reduced symptoms by more than 70% (effect size, 0.27, P=0.03), investigators reported in the Feb. 28 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Moreover, the women who underwent "prolonged exposure" therapy were also about two-and-half times more likely to achieve total remission (15.2% versus 6.9%; odds ratio 2.43; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-5.37, P=0.01), said Paula P. Schnurr, Ph.D., of the National Center for PTSD at the VA Medical Center here, and colleagues.
The "maximum benefits of prolonged exposure are observed immediately after treatment and persist over time," she said.
But while the prolonged exposure therapy was more effective, it also had significantly higher dropout rate: 38% versus 21% (P=0.002).
The study randomized 277 women veterans and seven active duty women soldiers to either prolonged exposure or present-centered therapy. The mean age of women was 45 and roughly 31% were married.
The women were enrolled and treated from August 2002 through October 2005 at nine VA medical centers, two VA readjustment counseling centers, and one military hospital.
Both therapies were delivered according to standard protocols in 10 weekly 90-minutes sessions.
"Prolonged exposure included education about common reactions to trauma, breathing retraining; prolonged (repeated) recounting (imaginal exposure) of trauma memories during sessions; homework (listening to a recording of the recounting made during the therapy session and repeated in vivo exposure to safe situations the patient avoids because of trauma-related fear); and discussion of thoughts and feelings related to exposure exercises," they wrote.
By contrast, the present-centered therapy focused "on current life problems as manifestations of PTSD."
Sexual trauma was identified as the "worst" trauma exposure by 68.3% of the women, followed by physical assault (15.8%) and war zone exposure (5.6%). The index trauma usually occurred more than 22 years before the women were enrolled in the study.
The high rate of sexual trauma exposure tracked closely studies of PTSD in civilian women, but Dr. Schnurr pointed that 70% women in this study said their sexual trauma exposure was associated with military service.
The study was limited by the small number of active duty women included-the authors theorized that active duty soldiers might be reluctant to seek treatment because they were "worried about the stigmatizing effects of PTSD, a concern that has been expressed by soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan."
Active duty soldiers, they explained, were likely to be younger than veterans and might have responded differently to the two treatments.
The study was also limited by a higher dropout rate in the prolonged exposure arm, and by the fact that the study was limited to women. But Dr. Schnurr said the findings could "with some caution" be extended to men because published studies suggested that cognitive behavioral therapy was an effective treatment for PTSD in men.
The study was funded by the VA Cooperative Studies Program and the Department of Defense. Dr. Schnurr and reported funding from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Some of her co-authors reported funding from the Department of Defense and three co-authors -- Matthew J. Friedman, M.D., Ph.D., Edna B. Foa, Ph.D., and Patricia A. Resick, Ph.D. -- published books on PTSD treatment for which they received income.
By Peggy Peck
Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Feb 28, 2007
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, Vt., Feb. 28 -- For women soldiers being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder, symptoms improve when the therapy homes in on the original index event, no matter how long ago it occurred, researchers here found.
Compared with therapy that aimed at coping with PTSD symptoms in daily life, women whose therapy focused on the past traumatic events reduced symptoms by more than 70% (effect size, 0.27, P=0.03), investigators reported in the Feb. 28 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Moreover, the women who underwent "prolonged exposure" therapy were also about two-and-half times more likely to achieve total remission (15.2% versus 6.9%; odds ratio 2.43; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-5.37, P=0.01), said Paula P. Schnurr, Ph.D., of the National Center for PTSD at the VA Medical Center here, and colleagues.
The "maximum benefits of prolonged exposure are observed immediately after treatment and persist over time," she said.
But while the prolonged exposure therapy was more effective, it also had significantly higher dropout rate: 38% versus 21% (P=0.002).
The study randomized 277 women veterans and seven active duty women soldiers to either prolonged exposure or present-centered therapy. The mean age of women was 45 and roughly 31% were married.
The women were enrolled and treated from August 2002 through October 2005 at nine VA medical centers, two VA readjustment counseling centers, and one military hospital.
Both therapies were delivered according to standard protocols in 10 weekly 90-minutes sessions.
"Prolonged exposure included education about common reactions to trauma, breathing retraining; prolonged (repeated) recounting (imaginal exposure) of trauma memories during sessions; homework (listening to a recording of the recounting made during the therapy session and repeated in vivo exposure to safe situations the patient avoids because of trauma-related fear); and discussion of thoughts and feelings related to exposure exercises," they wrote.
By contrast, the present-centered therapy focused "on current life problems as manifestations of PTSD."
Sexual trauma was identified as the "worst" trauma exposure by 68.3% of the women, followed by physical assault (15.8%) and war zone exposure (5.6%). The index trauma usually occurred more than 22 years before the women were enrolled in the study.
The high rate of sexual trauma exposure tracked closely studies of PTSD in civilian women, but Dr. Schnurr pointed that 70% women in this study said their sexual trauma exposure was associated with military service.
The study was limited by the small number of active duty women included-the authors theorized that active duty soldiers might be reluctant to seek treatment because they were "worried about the stigmatizing effects of PTSD, a concern that has been expressed by soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan."
Active duty soldiers, they explained, were likely to be younger than veterans and might have responded differently to the two treatments.
The study was also limited by a higher dropout rate in the prolonged exposure arm, and by the fact that the study was limited to women. But Dr. Schnurr said the findings could "with some caution" be extended to men because published studies suggested that cognitive behavioral therapy was an effective treatment for PTSD in men.
The study was funded by the VA Cooperative Studies Program and the Department of Defense. Dr. Schnurr and reported funding from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Some of her co-authors reported funding from the Department of Defense and three co-authors -- Matthew J. Friedman, M.D., Ph.D., Edna B. Foa, Ph.D., and Patricia A. Resick, Ph.D. -- published books on PTSD treatment for which they received income.
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