Recovery Update

Current Issue

Mental Illness Is Far More Common Than We Knew

Most of us know at least one person who has struggled with a bout of debilitating mental illness. Despite their familiarity, however, these kinds of episodes are typically considered unusual, and even shameful. New research, from our lab and from others around the world, however, suggests mental illnesses are so common that almost everyone will develop at least one diagnosable mental disorder at some point in their lives.

Study: Women's Mental Health Could Suffer From 'Breastaurant' Work

Could working as a waitress at restaurants like Hooters or Twin Peaks be bad for your mental health? Two researchers in the Psychology Department at the University of Tennessee here published research that they say shows a link. Psychology Professor Dawn Szymanski and graduate student Renee Mikorski studied more than 250 female restaurant servers for their work, Sexually Objectifying Environments: Power, Rumination, and Waitresses' Anxiety and Disordered Eating, published at the end of May in the journal Psychology of Women Quarterly.

Underdeveloped Brain Network After 30 May Impact Mental Health

Scientists from Canada reveal that the underdevelopment of the brain network involved in inhibition after the age of 30 years may be connected with psychological problems. Drs. Raluca Petrican and Cheryl Grady, both at the Rotman Research Institute in Toronto, Canada, conducted the study. Their findings were published in The Journal of Neuroscience.

New Study Suggests That Reduced Insurance Coverage For Mental Health Treatment Increases Costs For the Seriously Ill

Higher out-of-pocket costs for mental health care could have the unintended consequence of increasing the use of acute and involuntary mental health care among those suffering from the most debilitating disorders, a Harvard study has found. Co-authored by Bastian Ravesteijn, a research fellow in the Department of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School, Eli Schachar, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Economics, and three researchers at Dutch institutions, the study relied on mental health care data from the years before and after the Netherlands raised the out-of-pocket cost for adults seeking specialist mental health care.

Mental Health Under Attack: Veterans Among Those To Pay The Price

According to health policy expert Daniel E. Dawes, "The Senate bill is an even meaner bill than the House bill." Dawes (who was an instrumental force in the drafting of the Affordable Care Act [ACA]) and other mental health advocates are fighting to protect essential benefits currently under attack by Obama opponents, including benefits for mental health and addiction care. "We are likely to see significantly more folks having issues accessing care," he says, referring to the bill's plan to roll back the Medicaid expansion. His greatest concern is block granting, which he says could result in close to 4 million people losing their mental health coverage.

Netflix Shows Are Sparking Conversation About Mental Health. But Is It Helping?

Increased awareness of mental health is leading to more conversations about its effects. But not all efforts to bring attention to the subject have positive outcomes ― and the line between what’s productive and what’s detrimental is blurring as Netflix and other entertainment providers tackle mental health issues. Netflix last week released "To The Bone," a movie that follows a young woman named Ellen (played by actress Lilly Collins) into treatment for anorexia. The film has received both flack and praise for its honest and detailed portrayal of eating disorders.

Minnesota Mental Health Crisis Line Gets Last-Minute Rescue

A day before it was set to shut down, a statewide hot line for Minnesotans suffering from mental health crises has been rescued by the state Health Department. In a last-minute move, the agency agreed late Thursday to provide enough funding, $139,000, to keep the crisis hot line open until late September. Canvas Health, the Oakdale-based nonprofit agency that operates the service, had previously announced the hot line would go dark on Friday, citing financial difficulties and a lack of state funding.

State Hospital No Longer Performing Court-Ordered Mental Health Exams

South Dakota's state-run mental health hospital is done performing court-ordered mental health screenings for criminal defendants. The Human Services Center in Yankton had become a bottleneck in recent years as the volume of mental health exams requested by judges in the state exceeded the number the state hospital was willing to perform.

Kaiser And State Officials Reach Settlement Agreement Over Deficiencies in Mental Health Care

Kaiser Permanente and the California Department of Managed Health Care announced this week a settlement agreement aimed at resolving "deficiencies" in the HMO's oversight and access to its mental health services, DMHC officials said. The agreement, which acknowledges significant steps taken by Kaiser to improve access to and monitoring of mental health services, lays out a number of steps the HMO must take within a specified time frame. Failure to do so could result in fines, officials said.

Illinois Budget Crisis Puts Teens With Mental Health Problems At Risk

Ricky has a history of pulling knives, starting fires and hearing voices. Just last month the Illinois teenager tried to take his own life. Now a budget crisis in that state is threatening to cut off the critical treatment that Ricky and other troubled teens receive at a highly specialized residential facility in Missouri because Illinois hasn't paid for the grant that supports their care.

Mental Health Advocates And Others Call For Crisis Training For Police

Lynda Roseman called police to get help for her son, an Iraq War veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder who was brandishing a knife and high on inhalants. Instead, the former Marine was shot in the chest and charged with 10 felonies, including assault with intent to murder. The violent encounter, she told legislators, could have been avoided if the police officers who responded had been trained to handle people struggling with mental illness and drug addiction.

Join Academy Faculty, Andy Bernstein, Phd, CPRP For an Interactive Webinar On Tuesday, Aug. 8

Join Academy faculty, Andy Bernstein, PhD, CPRP for an interactive webinar on Tuesday, August 8 at 2 p.m. ETS for an examination of the ethical and clinical considerations related to voluntary self-disclosures of three types by providers in behavioral helping relationships: content, process, and attitudinal. Potential benefits and harms will be discussed, along with the impact of the emerging discipline of peer support on the behavior of traditionally trained professionals. PRA's and APA's Code of Ethics will be cited with respect to anything which they have to say about personal disclosures on the part of practitioners. During this webinar you will: Discover the involuntary types of personal disclosures which happen whether we are aware of them or not; Become more intentional regarding the three types of voluntary disclosures and how they can affect helping relationships; Recognize the impact that peer support as an emerging discipline has had on the practice of traditional helping professionals; Become more knowledgeable regarding what psychologists' and psychiatric rehabilitation practitioners' codes of ethics have to say about personal disclosures and; Acquire 1.5 CEU’s towards your next license or certification renewal. Register today!

Participation in the Arts Improve Mental Health

New research found that participation in arts-based groups benefit the emotions of both healthy adults and those experiencing mental health conditions. In the study, art-based involvement included participation in activities that involved choir singing and creative writing.

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