Mental Health & Transformation in the Media
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Army's battle: Mental illness
Chicago Tribune - June 23, 2008
Kristofer Goldsmith was so distressed about the prospect of returning to Iraq that he decided he was willing to kill himself to avoid serving a second tour. Just as Goldsmith's three-year Army contract was to expire, it was extended under the military's "stop loss" program, and his unit was set to deploy to Baghdad to take part in the troop surge. On the day before he was to ship out in May 2007, he took a dozen Percocet painkillers, washed down with more than a liter of vodka.
Recovering from Mental Illness
Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel - June 22, 2008
Treatment for mental illness has changed radically from just 10 years ago, especially at Riverview Psychiatric Center in Augusta. The universal questions -- Why me? Now what? and Who am I now? -- are normal responses from every person diagnosed with a mental health condition.
Breakdown: Canada's Mental Health Crisis
Globe and Mail - June 20, 2008
Launched June 20, this series of reports from a leading Canadian news source provides a unique and comprehensive look at mental health conditions, issues and research. Coverage includes an in depth examinations of a wide spectrum of disorders from bipolar disorder to anxiety to OCD, as well as reports on issues such as mental health concerns in the workplace, criminal justice and foster care systems. The series also includes personal accounts from readers with mental health conditions and online discussions with mental health experts.
Mentally ill people fight unseen battles — and win
Daily Olympian - June 25, 2008
Every day she comes to work and every day she fights the terror that chokes off her air and covers her in a cold sweat. Still, she sits at her desk and does her work and you don't know the battle she's fighting. She has learned to hide it.
Record number of Japanese elderly kill themselves
Seattle Times - June 20, 2008
The number of elderly Japanese killing themselves surged 9 percent to a record high last year, fueled by mounting health and economic worries among seniors in a rapidly aging society, the government said Thursday.
A Culture Rethinks Psychology
Newsweek - June 09, 2008
The last time that China suffered a natural disaster approaching the magnitude
of the recent earthquake in Sichuan, its Maoist leaders considered psychology
a "bourgeois" discipline. Survivors of the 1976 Tangshan quake, which killed
at least 255,000 people, were left to cope on their own with posttraumatic stress
disorder.
The Analysis: Revelation Is Still a Risk
BusinessWeek - June 04, 2008
In the 10 years since Diane Coutu came out to her current employer about her clinical depression,
the only negative result she has experienced is her own occasional fear that her colleagues will
react badly. So far, not one has.
Clinic Treats Mental Illness by Enlisting the Family
New York Times - June 04, 2008
It was hard to tell just who was the patient, as the Cunanan siblings — Jennifer, Adrian and Anthony — sat in a
row on three chairs in a sparsely decorated therapist’s office at Beth Israel Medical Center in Manhattan.
Emotional memory impaired in bipolar disorder
MedWireNews - June 04, 2008
The retrieval of emotionally charged memories is impaired in patients with bipolar disorder, say
researchers who believe that defects in amygdala brain circuitry may be the root cause of this impairment.
The Stigma of Suicide
Tucson Weekly - May 29, 2008
Judy Schwartz recalls her husband's last visit to the cardiologist. He was
receiving care for a heart condition. He'd previously endured coronary artery
bypass surgery, and the new therapy consisted of applying pressure to his
heart to expand the blood vessels.
Army suicides reported up again at 115 in 2007
Seattle Times - May 29, 2008
The number of Army suicides increased again last year, amid the most violent year yet in both the Iraq
and Afghanistan wars. An Army official said Thursday that 115 troops committed suicide in 2007, a nearly
13 percent increase over the previous year's 102. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because a
full report on the deaths wasn't being released until later Thursday.
A helping hand: Lourdes Wilson House gives those with mental illnesses a chance at a normal life
Tri City Herald - May 26, 2008
The thing that stands out most when Charlie Mc Cary and Darrin Ceriale talk
about their jobs is how much they enjoy being taxpayers.
Mentally ill wait as council, executive feud
Seattle Times - May 24, 2008
As a volunteer counselor for families dealing with mental illness, Charlie Mays said he hears repeatedly how
people end up in jail because they aren't able to get treatment. Their jail stays are often longer as they
wait for evaluation and intervention, and they're more likely to reoffend once released because they don't
receive ongoing care./p>
Lawmakers told mentally ill could clog state's justice system
Desert News - May 21, 2008
A governor-appointed committee says Utah's criminal justice system is approaching
a major crisis when it comes to the growing number of mentally ill people being
repeatedly arrested and then released back on the street.
Work and self-worth: Woman struggling with mental illness gets help finding employment and finds stability in the process
Foster's Daily Democrat - May 19, 2008
At 60 years old, resident Rose Houle feels for the first time in her life she is a contributing member of
society. For many years, she was in and out of hospitals as she dealt with severe mental illness.
Official Urged Fewer Diagnoses of PTSD
Washington Post - May 16, 2008
A psychologist who helps lead the post-traumatic stress disorder program at a medical facility for veterans in
Texas told staff members to refrain from diagnosing PTSD because so many veterans were seeking government
disability payments for the condition.
A new source of mental health care for veterans
Tacoma News Tribune - May 15, 2008
A group of mental health care providers in Washington is offering free help to
Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their families who either can’t or don’t want
to go through traditional channels for care. The Soldiers Project Northwest is
modeled after a similar effort in Los Angeles, where volunteer therapists since
2004 have seen clients without charge for help with their war-related problems.
Guardian writer wins Mind journalism award
The Guardian - May 15, 2008
Society Guardian writer Mary O'Hara has today been awarded the prestigious
Mind journalist of the year for her consistently excellent coverage of mental
health issues.
Overcoming the stigma
Chronical Herald - May 15, 2008
Joe was 15 and in high school when he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
"There’s a stigma in high school without mental illness," the young man
says on a recently released educational DVD entitled Labelled: Mentally ill.
Suicides Point to Gaps in Treatment
Washington Post - May 13, 2008
Peasant farmer Jose Lopez-Gregorio, 32, left his wife and five children behind
in Guatemala with two bags of corn, barely enough food for one month, when he
decided to find work in the United States. Detained crossing the Mexican border
and held in an Arizona immigration center, he felt guilty, he told guards,
eating three meals a day. Lopez had been inside one month and eight days when
he strangled himself with a bedsheet.
A major swing in diagnosing bipolar disorder
Rhode Island News - May 12, 2008
A few years ago, Dr. Mark Zimmerman, a psychiatrist at Rhode Island Hospital,
started noticing that many patients were coming to his practice seeking
treatment for bipolar disorder. They’d received the diagnosis elsewhere, and
they "were invested in it," he said.
Lucas County 'Day in the life' program focuses on mental health
Toledo Blade - May 12, 2008
State Rep. Matt Szollosi (D., Oregon) tried to concentrate on what he was supposed to be reading —
but the voice loudly telling him he "smelled like garbage" made focusing difficult.
Idea a novel way for mentally ill to stay out of jail
Morning Sentinel - May 12, 2008
Kennebec County's Co-Occurring Disorders Court is a good thing -- but it's unfortunate that we need it. The
court provides a chance for inmates facing long-term sentences to redeem themselves and avoid prison. These
aren't just any inmates facing prison; they're the ones suffering from "co-occurring disorders" or multiple
psychological problems, including mental illness and drug or alcohol abuse.
'Mad Pride' Fights a Stigma
New York Times - May 11, 2008
IN the YouTube video, Liz Spikol is smiling and animated, the light glinting off her large hoop earrings.
Deadpan, she holds up a diaper. It is not, she explains, a hygienic item for a giantess, but rather a
prop to illustrate how much control people lose when they undergo electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT, as
she did 12 years ago.
'Mad Pride' Fights a Stigma
New York Times - May 11, 2008
In the YouTube video, Liz Spikol is smiling and animated, the light glinting off her large hoop earrings. Deadpan,
she holds up a diaper. It is not, she explains, a hygienic item for a giantess, but rather a prop to illustrate how
much control people lose when they undergo electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT, as she did 12 years ago.
Should kids get these drugs? Plan likely to increase scrutiny of anti-psychotics in children
Tacoma News Tribune - May 11, 2008
Concerned about how anti-psychotic drugs are being used in children, state officials are working on a
plan due out by early fall to make sure the medications are properly prescribed for Washington kids on Medicaid.
Kids' mental health care access limited
Spokane Review - May 10, 2008
May is Mental Health Month, and we are facing a major crisis: a national shortage of child mental
health professionals. This shortage couldn't come at a more serious time.
Molecular profile overlaps in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
Medwirenews - May 07, 2008
Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder patients appear to have a partially shared molecular profile that may point
to the discovery of a common pathophysiology and novel treatments, say US scientists.
H.O.P.E. for children with mental illness
St Joe News - May 07, 2008
Diane Redden didn’t know what to do with her granddaughter a couple of years ago.
The 5-year-old girl ripped holes in her furniture with a knife. In another
emotional episode, it took seven people, including a police officer, to get
her on an ambulance stretcher.
Recognizing the priority of child and youth mental health
Chronicle Herald - May 07, 2008
The adolescent years are a critical period of adjustment for both youth and
families. Young people go through many physical, mental and emotional changes
during adolescence. According to the World Health Organization, mental
disorders account for almost one-third of diseases among adolescents worldwide.
Talking bipolar awareness
Cincinatti Enquirer - May 05, 2008
When Paul Jones lectures at high schools and colleges across the country, he starts by asking the
audience, "Who's got high blood pressure?" The hands shoot up. "Who's got diabetes?" Another crop of hands
pops up. "Who's got mental illness?" he asks next.
Sudden Death Of A Parent May Pose Mental Health Risks For Children, Surviving Caregivers
Science Daily - May 05, 2008
Children who had a parent who died suddenly have three times the risk of depression than those
with two living parents, along with an increased risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
according to a new article.
In teen's memory, a mental health push
Boston Globe - May 05, 2008
The teenager spoke so eloquently about the wild cycles of bipolar disorder that she drew tears from a
State House audience last May. Testifying about flaws she had seen in the mental health system, she
wanted to show that one girl could make a difference. She signed her notes, "Stay strong."
Mental health help hit by budget crunch
Mercury News - May 05, 2008
Hundreds of psychiatric patients will no longer receive personal therapy or casework. Sixteen
low-income schools will lose on-site crisis-intervention services. Group homes for teens may see a
vital county subsidy disappear.
Study links child's autism, parents' mental illness
Reuters - May 05, 2008
In another sign pointing to an inherited component to autism, a study released on Monday found that
having a schizophrenic parent or a mother with psychiatric problems roughly doubled a child's risk of
being autistic.
Western State Hospital passes big inspection for accreditation
Tacoma News Tribune - May 05, 2008
After running into trouble three years ago in a review, Western State Hospital has passed a major
inspection by the organization that polices the nation’s hospitals for quality and safety.
Reports show systemic abuse at Texas' psychiatric hospitals8
Dallas News - May 04, 2008
Patients with severe mental illness are committed to Texas' state psychiatric hospitals to be protected
from themselves. Instead, some are suffering vicious abuse from the very caregivers hired to look after
them.
Video shows importance of work
Daily Olympian - May 04, 2008
Lenora Warden practiced taking the bus to a new job at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma. She ran into
her new boss, who reminded her she didn't start for a week. "I said, 'I know, but I wanted to find my way.' And
he says, 'Well, You have found your way.' And that's all it took," Warden said. "When he said it, it was
like a light went on."
Get mental illness out of the shadows of shame
Detoit Free Press - May 02, 2008
"He died after a long battle with a chronic illness." That's what someone suggested should be in the obituary for
my 46-year-old son who committed suicide in a New Mexico desert last fall. His fifth attempt at it would be
his last.
Prevention advocated as part of mental-illness treatment
Seattle Times - May 01, 2008
David Brenna wants people to think about mental illnesses the same way they
would other kinds of diseases. For instance, imagine a doctor treating someone
for a heart attack but not telling the person to eat a healthy diet and to
get more exercise.
April 2008
Study finds troops shy away from mental health care
CNN.com - Arpil 30, 2008
U.S. military personnel fear that seeking help for mental health problems
could harm their careers, according to a survey released Wednesday. Three of
five members of the military worry that it would have at least some impact,
according to the small online survey conducted for the American Psychiatric
Association.
Sierra Leone: 400,000 Cases of Mental Disorders?
AllAfrica.com - April 29, 2008
Consultant psychiatrist has revealed in Freetown that apart from inmates at the Sierra Leone
psychiatric hospital in Kissy some 10% of Sierra Leoneans would require psychiatric care,
meaning 400,000 have some form of mental disorder in the country.
Benton County commissioner pushes for jail mental health programs
Tri City Herald - April 29, 2008
Benton County should use an estimated $1 million in sales tax money to beef up mental health
programs in the county jail, contends County Commissioner Claude Oliver. The vocal advocate of public
mental health services said the county has brought in more money than it's using from a 0.1 percent
criminal justice sales tax passed by voters in 1996.
Mentally ill 'overrepresented' in Canadian jails: report
Canada.com - April 29, 2008
More than one in four Canadians hospitalized for mental illness have had brushes with the law,
but researchers aren’t sure whether mental illness breeds delinquency or whether jailing people
makes them more prone to psychiatric problems, according to a report released Tuesday.
'Brain is programmed' by childhood trauma, researcher says
Spokesmand Review - April 25, 2008
Imagine a small child at a dinner table, together with his parents. Nobody is eating, because
Mom and Dad are fighting, with words escalating to punches. The child withdraws to a corner of the
house, listening, heart pounding, waiting for the battle to end.
Lawsuit: Veterans Affairs has failed to prevent suicides
Associated Press - April 20, 2008
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs isn't doing enough to prevent suicide and provide adequate
medical care for Americans who have served in the armed forces, a class-action lawsuit that goes to
trial this week charges.
Stigma still plagues mentally ill
Nanaimo Daily News - April 21, 2008
Sometimes Susan Saunders needs to go to the hospital. But for Saunders, her experience of what most
Nanaimo residents take for granted tends to be different. Saunders has been diagnosed with bipolar
disorder, has been treated at the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital psychiatric unit for her illness,
and thinks that when she arrives at the emergency ward that staff only see her psychological disorder.
Health Services for Students Go Beyond the School Nurse
Kitsap Sun - April 19, 2008
Josie Price, 18, hadn't been to the doctor in years when she entered Spectrum Community School,
North Kitsap School District's alternative high school, a year ago. Since then Price has been a regular
at Spectrum's school-based health clinic, operated with state and local funding by the Kitsap County
Health District.
Comfortably Numb: How Psychiatry Is Medicating a Nation
AlterNet.org - April 17, 2008
While we've now become accustomed to the barrage of prescription drug commercials on prime-time TV,
it's jarring to learn that this advertising is legal only in the United States and New Zealand.
Mental Health In Adolescents Influenced By Cultural Identity
Medical News Today - April 16, 2008
The first prospective study investigating cultural identity and mental health status among adolescents
living in a culturally diverse society has revealed that there is an association between the two,
and that effects differ by gender and ethnic group.
Bringing help and dignity to victims of mental illness
Seattle Times - April 15, 2008
I met a man in Las Vegas, married him that day and together we took off in a rented Lear jet
I couldn't pay for. I was 22 years old. The marriage was my second and it lasted only 13 days.
Patrick Kennedy says personal struggles help him in Congress
Seattle Times - April 15 , 2008
Rep. Patrick Kennedy says his personal struggles to recover from depression,
alcoholism and substance abuse have made him a more compelling advocate in
Congress for improved mental health care coverage.
Who Are We? Coming of Age on Antidepressants
New York Times - April 15, 2008
"I've grown up on medication," my patient Julie told me recently. "I don't have a sense of who I really am
without it."
Kaine Touts Legislative Reforms for Mentally Ill
Washington Post - April 13, 2008
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) told Northern Virginia residents yesterday that
the state has taken steps to correct many of the problems in its mental
health system that might have contributed to Seung Hui Cho's shooting
rampage nearly a year ago at Virginia Tech.
Farm visits can ease mental illness
Reuters- April 11, 2008
Spending time on a farm looking after cows, horses, or other animals can
help people with mental illness better manage their anxieties and increase
their confidence, according to a study published on Friday.
Kaine Signs Set of Bills To Modernize Mental Health
Washington Post - April 10, 2008
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine signed bills Wednesday that will make it easier
for Virginians to receive treatment as part of the first significant
overhaul of the state's mental health system in three decades.
Say Hey Olympia offers work aid for people with disabilities
Daily Olympian - April 09, 2008
Job seekers nationwide with physical or mental disabilities face an unemployment rate of 70 percent,
according to the state Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, and some South Sound organizations met
Tuesday in an effort to improve that number locally.
Mental help from work pays off
Wall Street Journal - April 07, 2008
About 2 1/2 years ago, network-equipment provider Cisco Systems Inc. asked its U.S. workers to fill
out a health survey to gauge their well-being. The results were a shock to the system.
Army Is Worried by Rising Stress of Return Tours to Iraq
New York Times - April 06, 2008
Army leaders are expressing increased alarm about the mental health of soldiers who would be sent back to
the front again and again under plans that call for troop numbers to be sustained at high levels in Iraq
for this year and beyond.
March 2008
Mental Illness: Facing the reality
Seattle PI - March30, 2008
Nearly a half-century after the beginning of what Seattle P-I reporter Carol Smith describes
as "a grand experiment" in better treatment of the mentally ill, the law and institutions are
a long way from knowing exactly how to protect the public from the occasional deeply dangerous individual.
The Murky Politics of Mind-Body
New York Times - March 30, 2008
From Plato and Aristotle to Descartes, the great thinkers have for millennia
argued over what is known in philosophy as the "mind-body problem," the
relationship between spirit and flesh. Dualism tends to win the day: The mind
and the body, while linked, are separate. They exist independently, perhaps
mingling but not merging.
Life in Prison Looms for Mentally Ill Bremerton Man — but Should It?
Kitsap Sun - March 29, 2008
The 27-year-old Bremerton man told investigators he was trying to kill himself
when he lit his Trenton Avenue house on fire Feb. 10. He demanded police shoot
him in a subsequent standoff.
UW scientists find surprising genetic causes of schizophrenia
Seattle PI - March 27, 2008
As if the science of how genetics leads to disease isn't already complex enough,
researchers in Seattle and Long Island, N.Y., say individuals appear to develop
schizophrenia from a varying smorgasbord of bad genes rather than common genetic
flaws.
Now, not just anyone can be a counselor
SEattle Times - March 26, 2008
One of the most loosely regulated health-care professions will be
abolished and more than 18,000 people stripped of their counseling
credentials as part of legislation signed Tuesday by Gov. Christine Gregoire.
Dangerous and mentally ill: A system in restraints
Seattle PI - March 26, 2008
Before James A. Williams was charged with stabbing a young Seattle woman to
death, he stood before a King County Superior Court on a different occasion,
accused of assaulting a different stranger, and asked to speak in his own
defense.
Safeguarding Private Medical Data
New York Times - March 26, 2008
Almost 2,500 patients taking part in a federal medical trial recently had
their private health data compromised when a researcher’s laptop computer
was stolen. The National Institutes of Health, which was responsible for
safeguarding the data, made things worse by delaying in notifying the
patients. This disturbing incident underscores the need for a strong
federal law to protect medical privacy and for greater responsibility
by those who handle sensitive medical information.
County commissioners get ball rolling on health services consolidation
Tri City Herald - March 25, 2008
Benton and Franklin County commissioners took steps Monday to put the bicounty
Crisis Response Unit, substance abuse assessment and detox center under one
roof. The two boards unanimously agreed to allow the Benton Franklin Community
Action Center to act as the lead agency to develop a plan for the consolidated
crisis response center.
Experts troubled by at-home bipolar gene tests
msnbc.com - March 23, 2008
Dr. John Kelsoe has spent his career trying to identify the biological roots of bipolar disorder. In December, he
announced he had discovered several gene mutations closely tied to the disease, also known as manic depression.
It’s a clash between past and present
Tacoma News Tribune - March 15, 2008
Western State Hospital wants to remove some obsolete buildings, in- cluding the oldest brick edifice
on its sprawling campus. But local officials are worried because the structures are part of state lore.
Military mental health policies examined
Seattle PI - March 14, 2008
Chris Scheuerman believes the military he served for 20 years failed his Army son Jason, who shot himself to
death in his Iraq barracks almost three years ago. Carefully choosing his words before a hushed congressional
audience Friday, the father spoke of how the 20-year-old private's superiors largely ignored the soldier's
signs of distress and his family's expressions of alarm in the days leading up to his suicide.
Crime panel seeks tax boost for treatment programs
Seattle Times - March 12, 2008
It's stark language for a government document — especially one written, in part, by seasoned criminal-justice
specialists. For 38 pages, they lay out their case, musing about "the avoidance of human misery" and sharing
worries about people who've "fallen into the crevice of inaccessible care."
Senate Clears Prisoner Bill
Wall Street Journal - March 12, 2008
After three years of procedural and legislative delays, a prisoner re-entry bill first introduced in 2005
has cleared the Senate and is heading to the president’s desk.
Working Dad: Rise in childhood mental illness is perplexing
Seattle PI - March 06, 2008
Scrambled eggs and toast were on the kitchen table, a soccer game began in an hour and October sun
poured into Elizabeth Coplan's Seattle-area home. Yet it was 11 a.m., and her 10-year-old son would not get
out of bed, remaining tucked under his covers more like a teenager than a fourth-grader.
House Moves Closer to Mental-Health Bill
Wall Street Journal - March 06, 2008
New requirements for insurance plans to equalize mental-health benefits with those for other medical
ailments have cleared another hurdle in Congress.
Effects of New Mental Health Laws May Be Limited, Some Say
Washington Posst - March 06. 2008
On Tuesday, the Virginia General Assembly approved some of the most sweeping changes in mental health
law in a generation, but experts across the ideological spectrum said yesterday that the bills should be
considered a first, modest step toward reforming a complex system.
On Mental Health Parity, It’s Kennedy Vs. Kennedy
Wall Street Journal - March 06, 2008
Now that Congressman Patrick Kennedy (pictured, left) has won passage in the House for his mental health parity
bill, he has to work out a compromise with the Senate, which has passed a much less restrictive version of the
bill. Kennedy will be sitting across the negotiating table from one of the old lions of the Senate: his father,
Ted Kennedy (pictured right), a driving force behind the Senate bill.
Low Risk, Heavy Drugs
Hartford Currant - March 03, 2008
Connecticut's nursing homes dole out antipsychotic drugs to residents who do not have psychotic disorders
at one of the highest rates in the country, raising questions about whether the medications are being used
to subdue agitated patients because of a lack of staffing and attention to alternate treatments.
Police tactics in talking woman off ledge included not talking
Seattle Times - March 01, 2008
The barefoot blonde teetered on a building ledge 60 feet above the
street, fidgeting with the zipper on her pink pajamas as hecklers
below taunted her to "jump."
February 2008
Biomarkers for Mood May Alter Psychiatric Treatments
Washington Post - February 28, 2008
Biomarkers in the blood associated with mood disorders have been identified by Indiana University School of
Medicine researchers, who said the finding may change the way bipolar illness is diagnosed and treated.
Allowing the Mentally Ill a Life of Their Own
Washington Post - February 28, 2008
Rafael Rivera sat comfortably in his neat, modest apartment off Route 1, talking to his caseworker, Carlos
Estrada. Seated nearby was Parnell Cornet, a psychiatrist. "So we're going to get you a job in the coming months,
right? Looks like you're almost ready to work again," Estrada said, looking around the apartment.
Two-part treatment helps teen depression
The Columbian - February 27, 2008
Teens with major depression who don't respond to their first antidepressant medication are more likely to
get well if they switch to a combination therapy, according to a study that included 15 Vancouver-area
teenagers.
Senate backs overhaul bill that 'will save lives'
Seattle PI - February 26, 2008
In the first major overhaul of the Indian Health Service in more than a decade, Congress moved
Tuesday toward bolstering health-care screening, illness prevention and mental health benefits for
Native Americans.
Daring to Think Differently About Schizophrenia
New York Times - February 25, 2008
Scientists who develop drugs are familiar with disappointment — brilliant theories
that don’t pan out or promising compounds derailed by unexpected side effects. They
are accustomed to small steps and wrong turns, to failure after failure — until, in
a moment, with hard work, brain power and a lot of luck, all those little failures
turn into one big success.
Veterans Share Stories as Work Starts on Mental Health Bills
Washington Post - February 22, 2008
For two years, Edward Robinson was stationed at a Navy hospital in Portsmouth, Va., helping treat wounded
troops returning from battle in Iraq. The experience was so emotionally taxing that when Robinson moved home
to Annapolis in 2006, his life started unraveling.
VA announces plans for mental health facility in Walla Walla
Wenatchee World - February 20, 2008
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced plans Tuesday to build a
residential rehabilitation facility focused on mental health care at the Walla
Walla VA Medical Center, which serves some 69,000 veterans in Washington, Oregon
and Idaho.
Getting 'Off Meds' Has Consequences
Washington Post - February 19, 2008
Psychiatrists say it's a common scenario _ troubled patients stop taking their medicine, because of cost,
side effects, the stigma, or delusions that they don't need it. The consequences can be tragic, though
rarely as horrific as the Valentine's Day suicide-slaughter at Northern Illinois University.
Midlife Suicide Rises, Puzzling Researchers
New York Times - February 19, 2008
Shannon Neal can instantly tell you the best night of her life: Tuesday, Dec. 23,
2003, the Hinsdale Academy debutante ball. Her father, Steven Neal, a 54-year-old
political columnist for The Chicago Sun-Times, was in his tux, white gloves and tie.
"My dad walked me down and took a little bow," she said, and then the two of them
goofed it up on the dance floor as they laughed and laughed.
‘Have You Ever Been in Psychotherapy, Doctor?’
New York Times - February 19, 2008
A curious thing happened to one of my psychiatric residents not long ago. One of
his patients caught him off guard with a challenging question: "Have you ever been
in psychotherapy yourself?"
Low staffing hurting health care at Pierce County Jail
Tacoma News Tribune - February 17, 2008
Medical and mental health staffing at the Pierce County jail is still not up to
par, and dental care is "totally insufficient," according to a January report.
The report by Dr. Joe Goldenson is the first since 2005, even though the
settlement terms of a 1995 inmate lawsuit require two such reports each year.
Depression a key problem at North Central Wash. nursing homes
Seattle PI - February 17, 2008
North Central Washington nursing home residents are more likely to show signs of depression or
anxiety than their counterparts throughout the rest of the country, a federal rating of nursing home care shows.
Murder suspect's troubles years old
Spokesman Review - Feruary 12, 2008
A Spokane woman charged with killing her roommate last week has struggled with
mental illness since she was a child. Natalie Orth ran away from her parents and
from foster homes, hung out on the streets with sex offenders, attempted suicide
and often wondered how'd she make it through another day, she told The
Spokesman-Review eight years ago.
Mentally ill murder suspect Thomas O'Hagan will return to Western State Hospital
Tacoma News Tribure - February 12, 2008
A mentally ill Pierce County murder suspect will have his competence to stand
trial evaluated at Western State Hospital despite his attorneys’ arguments that
he can’t get a fair shake there because of a controversy involving two of the
facility’s experts.
Feud makes a mess of murder case
Tacoma News Tribure - February 10, 2008
A personal dispute between two mental health experts at Western State Hospital
has complicated an already difficult Pierce County murder case.
Some link depression, failed LASIK
Seattle PI - February 08, 2008
Patients who undergo vision-correcting laser eye surgery sign a release form with
an extensive list of risks, but some researchers and former patients say a
potential complication is not mentioned: depression that can lead to suicide.
Where depression is still taboo
London Times - February 05, 2008
Stories of heavy boozing, drug-taking, long days and short fuses in the City are
legion, and recently there have been reports of a surge in referrals to psychiatric
practices as City workers struggle with stress, anxiety and depression.
Nature and nurture play role in mental illness
Reuters - February 4, 2008
Variations in a gene helped shield adults who had endured child abuse from becoming depressed as adults,
U.S. researchers said on Monday in a study that helps explain how nature and nurture give rise to mental
illness.
Suspect was turned away day of Capitol Hill killing
Seattle PI - February 02, 2008
The day James Anthony Williams allegedly stabbed to death a stranger on Capitol Hill,
the homeless, mentally ill ex-convict showed up at his probation officer's office
agitated, defensive and, the officer wrote, "barely able to hold himself together."
Bush cuts health and community services
Seattle PI - February 01, 2008
President Bush's $3 trillion budget for next year slashes mental health funding and
rural health care and freezes spending on medical research, among the cuts outlined
in budget documents obtained by The Associated Press.
January 2008
Army steps up efforts to halt increase in suicides
Seattle PI - January 31, 2008
Multiple new efforts aimed at stemming suicides in the Army are falling short of
their goal: The service anticipates another jump in the annual number of soldiers
who killed themselves or tried to, including in the Iraq and Afghanistan war zones.
Veteran facing court-martial tries to kill herself again
Seattle Times - January 31, 2008
Lt. Elizabeth Whiteside, a psychiatric outpatient at Walter Reed Army
Medical Center waiting for the Army to decide whether to court-martial her,
attempted to kill herself Monday evening.
Study links stress to soldiers' maladies
Seattle PI - January 30, 2008
The role of traumatic brain injury - blamed for symptoms plaguing thousands of
soldiers returning from Iraq - might be overstated, contends a provocative military
study that offers hope for successful treatment.
Out from under an anxiety disorder, she now helps others
Seattle Times - January 30, 2008
Rita Howie, secretary to the principal of an elementary school, is the picture of
efficiency in her high heels and burgundy pantsuit. As she talks, three different
people come up to her with school-related questions, and she interrupts herself
briefly to give them answers. She is clearly a take-charge person.
Harps case has state weighing supervision
Seattle PI - January 30, 2008
When he walked out of prison nearly two years ago, James Anthony Williams was
labeled a dangerous and mentally ill offender who would be watched more carefully
than most.
Special offender program is voluntary
Seattle PI - January 29, 2008
The state's Dangerous Mentally Ill Offender program underwent a name change in
recent years in an attempt to soften the image of the clients it served.
Suspect considered high riske
Seattle Times - January 29, 2008
In the past year alone, James Anthony Williams was evaluated by mental-health
professionals at least three times because of erratic behavior, from threatening
to kill a community-corrections officer and a case manager to carrying a large
knife in his sweat-shirt pocket.
Vancouver psychologist again facing scrutiny
The Columbian - January 27, 2008
A Vancouver psychologist who also leads a committee that helps shape
mental health policy in Clark County is under investigation by state
officials - the second time he has faced such scrutiny.
Apparent suicides shock Welsh town
Tacoma News Tribune - January 23, 2008
here is a deepening sense of foreboding and hopelessness in this South Wales market
town as the number of young people who have killed themselves keeps rising.
The death toll now is seven.
Indian health bill draws veto threat
Tacoma News Tribune - January 22, 2008
The Bush administration on Tuesday threatened to veto Senate legislation designed
to improve health care on American Indian reservations, objecting to expanded
labor provisions in the bill.
Accused Foss High shooter will return to mental hospital
Tacoma News Tribune - January 22, 2008
A Pierce County judge ruled Tuesday that the young man charged with
shooting a classmate to death at Foss High School is too mentally ill to
understand the legal proceedings against him.
Class helps families caring for mentally ill
Everett Herald- January 22, 2008
Families with a loved one diagnosed with serious mental illness often think
they'll receive the same attention, support and help as someone diagnosed with a
serious medical disease.
Electroshock reborn as valid therapy
Tacoma News Tribune - January 18, 2008
Jack Gregory says he lived one step from suicide until he found a way to ease his severe depression.
He let doctors run an electric current through his brain. Since starting electroconvulsive therapy in
March 2006, Gregory, 62, has found a degree of stability that eluded him when he relied on antidepressants and
talk therapy.
2 more boarding homes for mentally ill to close
Seattle Times - January 18, 2008
The largest operator of supervised boarding homes for the mentally ill in King County is closing two
of its homes, blaming a lack of adequate funding from the county.
Mental health centers shocked by Sebelius’ proposed budget
Lawrence Journal - January 17, 2008
Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, and similar centers across the state,
would be devastated by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ budget proposal, officials said
Wednesday. "Some of the most vulnerable people we serve will be most negatively
impacted," said Mike Hammond, executive director of the Association of
Community Mental Health Centers of Kansas.
Unfavourable antidepressant studies don’t get into print: report
National Post - January 17, 2008
Nearly a third of antidepressant drug studies are never published in the
medical literature and nearly all happen to show that the drug being tested
did not work, researchers reported on Wednesday.
'Cuckoo's Nest' hospital cited by feds
Seattle PI - January 16, 2008
Mental patients at the Oregon State Hospital, the setting for "One Flew Over
the Cuckoo's Nest," were exposed to threats ranging from infectious outbreaks
to patient-on-patient assaults, according to a Justice Department report
released Wednesday.
More therapy suggested for slaying suspect
Seattle PI - January 16, 2008
A man who went to a state mental hospital instead of facing trial in the
2001 slayings of four people in Des Moines still isn't mentally fit to
stand trial, but doctors also found that additional treatment could help.
Parents tell of struggle to help son now charged with murder
Seattle PI - January 16, 2008
By the time he was 14, Cole K. Strandberg scared his parents. Barbara and Richard
Strandberg struggled to help their oldest son control his temper. The cattle
ranchers hid the knives in their Curlew home, locked their gun cabinet, sought
professional help and worried about their son's increasingly violent tendencies
and criminal behavior.
When Iraq vets bring a violent war home
Seattle PI - January 14, 2008
Costs of the war in Iraq keep hitting home. Billions fund the beleaguered effort
overseas while millions of Americans in the states go without health insurance.
Military families are being wrenched apart when loved ones are deployed for
multiple tours of duty, or worse, die in battle.
Teens getting help for suicidal behavior from online community
Science News - January 14, 2008
According to a University of Alberta researcher, teens are difficult to
reach and there have traditionally been few services that directly target
adolescent suicidal behavior. Elaine Greidanus says many teens aren't
picking up a phone, or seeing a counsellor, they're more likely logging
on for emotional support.
Va. considers mental health law changes
Seattle PI - January 11, 2008
An AWOL servicemember explained in detail to his emergency room doctor how he
planned to climb atop Richmond City Hall and pick off legislators with a
.50-caliber rifle as they left the statehouse last January.
Housing homeless saves money
Seattle PI - January 09, 2008
Eight years ago, Herman "Joe" Brunson ran out of money and health. The Tennessee
native, a Marine Corps veteran and welder, "packed up and ventured out into
the wilderness," a six-year journey on the streets of Seattle that cost him two
toes to frostbite and left him battling depression.
Anxious people have higher heart risk
Reuters - January 08, 2008
Heart attacks may not be reserved for the hostile and driven among us -
anxious, fearful people also have a higher risk, U.S. researchers
reported on Tuesday.
Class takes aim at grief Counselors
Olympian - January 06, 2008
Sometime soon, some flood victims will hit the wall. They will realize the extent
of the loss to their home and belongings. They might learn insurance or
public assistance will not cover the cost of rebuilding their lives.
Son seeks estate of mother he killed
Seattle Times - January 03, 2008
Joshua Hoge doesn't need much spending money these days. Behind the locked
doors of Western State Hospital, his basic needs — food, clothes and a
constant stream of antipsychotic medications to keep his delusions at bay
— are paid for by the state.
