NYS PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTE REMINDS YOU THAT MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK IS OCT. 5-11

 
            New York, NY (September 30, 2003) – Good mental health is key to overall well-being, which is why the New York State Psychiatric Institute would like to bring your attention to some important research just in time for Mental Health Awareness Week.

Getting Kids Help. The Earlier, the Better
Many kids and their parents show up at internists’ offices and clinics reporting troubling changes in their children’s behavior: withdrawal from friends, lack of motivation, trouble thinking clearly, paranoia, etc. These kids may be showing early signs of imminent psychosis like schizophrenia. Too often than not, they fall between the cracks when a consultation with a psychiatrist could have identified the trouble early on. Researchers at the Center of Prevention & Evaluation (COPE) at the Psychiatric Institute know that the longer a teen remains untreated, the greater the disruption in the ability to live life as fully as possible. The Center will work with children and their families to evaluate changes in behavior over a two-year period in order to better understand how to treat problems related to psychosis.

Assessing Kids’ Mental Health May Save Their Lives
At a recent meeting to launch a Mental Health Assessment Program in New York City, a school counselor from Minnesota reported how a computer diagnostic program helped identify and save the life of a student who attempted suicide. The Center for the Advancement of Children’s Mental Health has partnered with eight school-based clinics to assist in identifying and helping youth at risk for depression and related problems. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19. Yet, only 25-35% of youths who meet full criteria for a mental health diagnosis are identified as having emotional and/or behavioral difficulties and receive treatment. Minority youth are among those with the highest unmet need for treatment. The DISC (Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children), developed by child psychiatrists at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia, is a scientific-based computerized interview that assesses a wide range of mental health issues.

Internet-Based Study of Traumatic Grief
Web-based research is still a new concept, but two robust studies on reactions to September 11 published recently in JAMA are bringing legitimacy to the internet as a medium for well-designed research. Now, researchers at the Psychiatric Institute’s Trauma Studies Program are carrying out a five-year, web-based, national study to understand how best to respond to the needs of people who have lost a family member, close friend or colleague as a result of traumatic events like the September 11 attacks. With myths prevailing in the lay and professional communities regarding the duration and severity of trauma in response to 9/11, this study will hopefully help to answer two questions: What made so many people hyper-vigilant after the attacks, including those without full blown syndromes, and why are significant numbers of people who lost loved ones, friends and colleagues still reporting elevated levels of stress two years later?

Recognizing Depression in the Elderly
Myth: Depression is a normal part of aging.
Fact: Depression is an illness that can be effectively treated.
Many elderly people suffer silently with depression. Because the symptoms of depression include problems with memory, in older people it is often mistaken for dementia. If left untreated, depression has a negative effect on the quality of life and may contribute to suicide. The good news is that once diagnosed, people with late life clinical depression can be treated effectively with medication and/or psychotherapy. At the Adult and Late Life Depression Center, free treatment is provided for people age 45 and older in the context of research studies aimed at learning more about the special problems associated with depression.

The New York State Psychiatric Institute welcomes your requests for interviews on a variety of psychiatric issues. Please contact the Public Information Office at (212) 543-5421.

 
Contact:         Dacia Morris
                        (212) 543-5421
                        morrisd@pi.cpmc.columbia.edu
 

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