Antidepressant Prescribing Less Likely for Medicaid, Medicare and Minority Patients

According to an article titled Physician Prescribing Patterns of Innovative Antidepressants in the United States: The Case of MDD Patients 1993-2007, African-Americans and Hispanics with major depressive disorder are less likely to get antidepressants than Caucasian patients, whilst Medicare and Medicaid patients have a lesser chance of receiving the newest generation of antidepressants. To gain more insight into Physician's antidepressant prescribing patterns, researchers from the University of Michigan School of Public Health decided to conduct an analysis in which they evaluated who and what antidepressants were prescribed from data obtained from 1993 to 2007. The article was published online last month in the International Journal of Psychiatry.

They discovered that whoever received a prescription for antidepressants in the first place depended on the patient's race, payment source and geographical region and on the physician's ownership status, whilst the patient's age and payment source influenced which type of antidepressant they received. 

Even though Caucasians had a 1.52 times higher chance of receiving a prescription for antidepressants for major depressive disorders compared to Hispanic and African-American patients, the patient's race proved irrelevant in the physician's choice of a specific type of antidepressant medication. 

Read more on the Medical News Today website. Read the abstract of the study.

The Voice Awards: Nominate a Consumer/Peer Leader in Behavioral Health Today!

Join the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in recognizing consumer/peer leaders in recovery from mental health and/or substance use disorders, for their efforts to educate the public about the real experiences of people with behavioral health problems. Through their work, leaders demonstrate that people can and do recover from these conditions and lead full and meaningful lives in their communities.

If you know a consumer/peer leader who has led efforts to promote the social inclusion of people with behavioral health problems; personally demonstrated that recovery is real and possible; and made a positive impact on his/her community, workplace, or school, please nominate him/her for a 2012 Voice Award. Nominations are due Friday, April 13, 2012.

The Voice Awards honor consumer/peer leaders who have played a vital role in raising awareness and understanding of behavioral health problems. The awards also recognize TV and film writers and producers who have given a voice to people with behavioral health problems by incorporating dignified, respectful, and accurate portrayals of these individuals into their scripts, programs, and productions.

Read more about the Voice Awards. Nominate a consumer/ peer leader.

Open for Comment: Asian & Pacific Islander Report by California Reducing Disparities Project

The California Reducing Disparities Project (CRDP), on behalf of the Asian Pacific Islander Strategic Planning Workgroup (API-SPW), have release their draft Asian and Pacific Islanders Population Report for public review and comment. Please email your comments to crdp@pacificclinics.org. The deadline for submitting comments is 26 April, 2012.

Funded by Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) through the Office of Multicultural Services at the California Department of Mental Health, the API-SPW was formed to address mental health service disparities in the Asian Pacific Islander community by identifying unmet needs and collecting community-defined strategies in response to these needs. The API-SPW consisted of 55 members representing various Asian Pacific Islander communities in California, including community representatives, community organizers, community service providers, consumer advocates, and mental health service providers who have years of experience and expertise serving the API community in urban, suburban, and rural areas. In addition, the API-SPW sought inputs directly from community members through conducting 23 focus groups and interviews across the state.

Read more about CRDP. Download the draft report (pdf). Submit comment.

Black Women in City Infected with HIV at Higher Rate than National Average

A recent article published in The Baltimore Sun discussed a study that found the rate of new HIV infections among black women in Baltimore, MD, is almost five times higher than the national average. According to the article, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that roughly 25 percent of HIV infections occur among women and 67 percent of those infections occur in black women. However, the rate of new HIV infections among black women in cities considered to be “hot spots” (Atlanta, Baltimore, Newark, New York, Raleigh-Durham, and Washington) is significantly higher than the national average for black women (24 per 10,000 versus 5 per 10,000). These “hot spots” have been areas disproportionally impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic for decades, according to the article. However, the researchers were surprised by these rates as the field largely has focused on black and gay men. “This is why it’s important to remind people that this is going on right here in our hometown,” said Dr. Charles Flexner, principal investigator for the Baltimore section of the study and clinical pharmacologist and infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins. Although Baltimore declared HIV a public health emergency in 2002, the number of infected people in the city continues to rise. 

The new study from Hopkins and other researchers underscores the urgency in addressing the problem, said Dr. William A. Blattner, chair of the City's Commission on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment, which developed the citywide plan to reduce infections. Blattner, also associate director of the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, said the city now has a four-pillar strategy: reducing new infections; increasing access to care and improving health outcomes; reducing HIV-related disparities and health inequalities; and achieving a more coordinated city response. About the black women in particular, he said, "HIV continues to impact our most vulnerable and marginalized, in particular economically disadvantaged women whose risk is compounded by gender inequality and potential barriers to substance abuse interventions."

The new study, formally known as HIV Prevention Trials Network 064 Women’s Seroincidence Study, ended in February 2011 and was funded by the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Read more on the Kaiser Family Foundation website. Read more on the Baltimore Sun website. Read the press release on the Johns Hopkins website.

Top Health Issues for LGBT Populations Information & Resource Kit

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released Top Health Issues for LGBT Populations Information & Resource Kit. This publication demonstrates SAMHSA's commitment to creating awareness of the needs, experiences, and health status of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans and to addressing behavioral health disparities. The information and resource kit informs health care providers and prevention specialists about the health experiences of LGBT populations. Understanding the health issues of LGBT individuals is a significant step in improving access to care and the quality of behavioral health services.

The information and resource kit contains seven fact sheets as well as PowerPoint slides that can be used individually or together. The fact sheets address the following topics:

• Helpful Terms for Prevention Specialists and Health Care Providers
• Gender Identity
• Top Health Issues for Lesbians
• Top Health Issues for Gay Men
• Top Health Issues for Bisexual Men and Women
• Top Health Issues for Transgender People
• Selected Web-based Resources

Download the Information & Resource Kit.

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