Mental Health

After more than a decade of ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, many military personnel, returning veterans, and their families are suffering from a host of mental health and substance abuse issues. To shed light on this issue, ICF International hosted a roundtable discussion on Wednesday entitled, “Addressing Substance Abuse in Military and Veterans Populations.” Among the panelists were CADCA Chairman and CEO Gen. Arthur T. Dean.

Addiction is a chronic brain disorder, and not merely a behavioral problem or simply the result of taking the wrong choices, according to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, which has redefined ‘addiction.’

A new report developed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) providing state-by-state analyses of a wide range of behavioral health issues reveals that despite some wide variations among the states in the types and levels of problems they confront— every state must deal with these issues. For example, among those aged 12 and older, Iowa had less than half the current illicit drug use rate of Alaska (5.3-percent versus 13.5-percent) yet Iowa also was among the top 10 states with the highest levels of people age 12 and older currently participating in binge drinking (28.6-percent).

Marijuana use during adolescence and young adulthood increases the risk of psychotic symptoms, while continued cannabis use may increase the risk for psychotic disorder in later life, concludes a new study published in the British Medical Journal.

Healthday reports that smoking marijuana might trigger an earlier onset of psychosis, a new analysis of previously published research suggests.

The National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACoA) will host its Children of Alcoholics Week Feb. 13-19, themed "A Celebration of Hope and Healing." The time celebrates the recovery of the many thousands of people who have received help to recover from the pain and losses suffered in their childhood, and offers hope to those still suffering from the adverse impact of parental alcohol and drug addiction.

President Barack Obama signed a proclamation designating November as Military Family Month, noting that military family members "serve," too, and also require community support.
 

While fewer youth and adults smoke tobacco today then a decade ago, national data shows that those declines are leveling off. Widespread public education, environmental policy changes, and effective smoking cessation approaches have significantly reduced smoking rates, but for people with mental illness and/or substance use disorders, a coalition in Connecticut noticed that smoking rates were much higher than its general population.

Patients with addiction or mental-health related problems accounted for 12.5 percent of all hospital emergency-room visits by adults in 2007, according to a report from the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

A new study finds mental health issues such as depression and anxiety increase along with exposure to second-hand smoke. Dr. Mark Hamer of University College London says previous research found that smokers have a higher rate of mental illness, specifically depression.

Congressmen Patrick J. Kennedy (D-RI) and Gene Green (D-TX) this week introduced legislation to reauthorize the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The lawmakers say that this legislation will make needed improvements to the delivery of mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment services.

Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars face a wide range of substance abuse and mental health issues when returning home. But unlike other active duty military, National Guard members often lack access to employment, adequate housing, social supports and health care for themselves and their families. Now, through a new planning grant awarded by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), CADCA and the National Guard Bureau (NGB) will work to create a AmeriCorps National program to assist wounded National Guard and Reserve veterans returning to civilian life and their families.

A new study has found that use and misuse of alcohol and marijuana are influenced by a common set of genes. The results are in the March 2010 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

The American Psychiatric Association's (APA) proposed diagnostic criteria for the fifth edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) will eliminate the current categories of substance abuse and dependence, replacing them with the new category "addiction and related disorders." This will include "substance use disorders," with each drug identified as a category such as "alcohol use disorder." This was announced by the APA in a news release on Feb. 10th.