Death of patients in a psychiatric hospital in New York presents mental health crisis

Death of woman in Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn, New York, demonstrates the need

for more public services for people with mental disorders, according to the American Psychiatric Association.

According to newspaper reports, the woman suffered from psychosis and agitation, is still waiting in the emergency room for nearly 24 hours because the hospital was clearly not a place for psychiatric patients. He fell to the floor and put it about an hour before emergency personnel tried to revive them. Unfortunately, women died from causes that have not yet been determined.

"The question is how and why the hospital staff can ignore that person, fell to the ground in an emergency or war, and went around them when they died," said APA President Nada Stotland, MD "However, the lack of emergency The patient psychiatric services only part of a global health crisis, and that includes mental health. "

Stotland pointed to the lack of state and municipal center of mental health services, which are used for intervention to avoid a crisis that would lead to the person who will help in an emergency, poorly equipped to prevent such crises. It is a fact that most hospitals financial losses for mental health services, and may also play a role, thin as a high priority to hospital, where mental health.

"Incidents of this kind reflect a complete breakdown of mental health," said Stotland. "There is little continuity of care, but there are only a few are not adequately funded outpatient services so that repeated mental breakdowns, visits to the emergency room, and the need for hospitalization in the sickest people. Personala and emergency treatment for patients with heart attacks and broken Boneless, faces hundreds, sometimes thousands of critically ill patients with mental problems, often compounded by general medical illness, homelessness, ill-treatment and lack of insurance. "

Lack of resources leads to a permanent reduction in the number of beds for these people. At the same time, many times hospitals have no emergency room physician in the use of the ability to handle psychological problems. Limited access to necessary services can only intensify the feeling of stigma, many patients believe, to seek mental health care problem in the first place.

"The time for action long before the person is in a state of emergency to require hospitals ill-equipped to combat it," said Stotland. "The tragedy is that we know how to help these people recover and remain useful members of society, unnecessary suffering and ends costs society as much or more than enough attention to cost. Our society is not the largest network of basic security for our most vulnerable citizens. "

adapted from http://www.psych.org

The declaration of the death of mental health patients in psychiatric emergency room at Kings County Hospital

Reports of the death of mental health patient Kings County Psychiatric Hospital emergency room are deeply troubling and need more investigation to determine the cause of the incident. Given the problems that arise in the first federal complaint a year ago, should also provide greater control of hospital management and practices.

Mental Health America is feared that the incident showed the general public to reduce the relationship that people with serious mental disorders in public systems. We appeal to those who are our revulsion at such actions in the fight against ignorance and discrimination that still exists against people with mental illness. If people are properly treated, even with the most serious diseases and can be restored. Hope and respect are key elements of the regime. The devaluation of the most prolonged incapacity, and probably contributes 25 years of life lost for people with serious mental illness, are in government systems.

The incident is a tragic example of systemic problems in the field of mental health, if necessary mental health, it is often used as a last resort and not as an initial reaction, and when medical problems are too often not recognized and treatment.

System problems that go far deeper than failures in psychiatric emergency services. By its very nature, rescue services are not enough alternatives for many people whose disease can be managed before they can cause a crisis

On the contrary, this tragic incident demonstrates the real crisis in mental health services - the inability to adequately invest in the beginning of his speech and other community services and supports, even though hospitals have reduced the possibility of psychiatric beds. The facts are that more than two-thirds of the adult population and more than half of children with a diagnosable mental condition did not receive psychiatric treatment and services they need. At the same time, people with serious mental illness in the public system, on average die 25 years earlier than planned, to prevent health problems like heart disease and diabetes.

What we discuss and debate health reform, "These data underscore the importance of striking that the reforms in the field of mental health is an important part of the health care system needed reform.

Mental health is a leading U.S. nonprofit organization to support all people live mentally healthier. With over 320 branches across the country, which is a growing movement of Americans who strengthen mental wellness for the health and welfare of the nation - every day and in times of crisis.

adapted from www.mnha.org

Study of mental health coverage in the health sector initiatives by the State

"Insurance coverage for all: The inclusion of mental disorders and substance use disorders government initiatives on health reform," the National Alliance for mental illness / National Council for Community Behavioral Health: Research shows that more than one in four U.S. adults are uninsured or mental illness Substance disorder, or both, and that government initiatives aimed at expanding health insurance for uninsured people often do not include provisions relating to mental health. Study examines the efforts of the health system in 18 countries and makes recommendations on the integration of mental health reporting in the public health programmes (U.S. / National Council for Community Behavioral Health release in June 2008).

Reprinted with permission type http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can download the entire Kaiser Daily Report Health Policy, search archives, or subscribe to the delivery of mail at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. Kaiser Daily Health Policy, published kaisernetwork.org, a free service of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

adapted from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/

Happily married and sleepy

For many women the secret of good sleep is a happy marriage, according to the study in the United States.

University of Pittsburgh researchers studied nearly 2000 middle-aged women across the country. In particular, it covers issues its own assessment of their marital happiness and compare how well they slept.

The team led by Dr. Wendy Troxel fortunately, it was found that married women have less difficulty falling asleep, sleep, less Awakenings in early morning and go to bed in comparison with married women, unfortunately.

"The findings show that happily married women have fewer problems sleeping," he said.

The reference is not respected, but in a minority of women from ethnic minorities.

Written by Michael Day
Adapted from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com

Scottish murder and suicide rates, fueled by drink and drugs

Alcohol and drug addiction means Scots, almost two times more likely to kill or their own lives, compared with people in England and Wales, published research shows.

Results of the National University of Manchester confidential investigation of the killings and suicides of people with mental disorders (NIR), also show that the number of psychiatric patients to commit murder or suicide was proportionally much higher in Scotland.

"Lessons for the mentally ill in Scotland report, in Scotland, raises these high mortality rates north of the border for alcohol and drugs, as among the population in general and mental health patients.

NCI examined all suicides and murders in the total population in Scotland, as well as those committed by persons in support mental health services, and compared their results for England and Wales.

Suicide rates in Scotland equate to 18.7 per 100000 population, compared with 10.2 per 100000 in England and Wales, while murder rates north of the border was 2.12 per 100000 people, compared with 1.23 at 100000 in England and Wales. North and South is the highest among young people, the report found.

"During the period of training - six years for suicide and five years for murder - there were about 5000 suicides, homicides and 500 in Scotland," said Louis Appleby, professor of psychiatry and director of the NCI. "But the survey showed that only 28% of people her own life and 12% of the murderers, recently mental health patients.

"It was a positive recent decline in suicides among the general population of Scotland, but the most striking features of Boards north of the border is much higher than that in England and Wales.

"Even murder in Scotland is significantly higher than in England and Wales. But unlike the performance of suicides, homicides domestic prices are high mainly because of the high prices in some parts of the country, namely Glasgow and Argyll and Clyde."

In Scotland, as in England, Wales and elsewhere in the report notes that the murder was a crime committed mostly young people, against young people. The Panel noted that in the cases studied, alcohol and drugs often took a weapon, and usually a knife or other sharp objects.

"The drugs and knives are dangerously confused, so that the political reaction to these deaths are due to focus on alcoholism and drug addiction among youth and bear arms sheet of young people," said Professor Appleby.

"The growing number of crimes, killing in recent years, is the result of an increase of killings of young people, mostly men under the age of 25 years, but most of them are not mentally ill. This is a public health approach should be focused on the murder of alcohol and drugs, mental health until the disease.

"Alcoholism and drug addiction on the basis of these results, and that seems to be an important contribution to the risk for mental health and society at large. The results indicate that alcohol and drugs in Scotland are high suicide and homicide, and how often occurring as background in our report, frightening. "

Of the 1373 patients in the report was suicide history of alcoholism in 785 cases on average 131 deaths a year, the stories of drug abuse in 522 cases and 87 deaths per year.

Of the 58 patients, reported murders, 41 were stories of alcoholism and drug abuse were 45. Of all the authors, whether patients, drug addiction and alcoholism are the most common diagnoses. In both suicide and murder, most of them are not under the control of passions.

"Our results confirm the view that alcohol and drugs are the most pressing problems in the field of mental health in Scotland and psychiatric care can play its role", said Professor Appleby, based in Manchester School of Medicine and Humanities.

"They must ensure that frontline medical staff are qualified and confident in the assessment and management of abuse that the development of services dedicated dual diagnosis, and to establish close relations with groups of drug addiction."

The report also makes the following recommendations for clinical care:

• Specialist mental health teams, outreach services for patients who are at risk of losing contact with caution


• Fundamentals follow discharge after hospital, that risk management in the cooperative and patient and community groups


• More intensive monitoring of patients recently hospitalized


• Withdrawal of ligature points patient stations


• Prevention of room air into the hall of improvements in environmental protection and strict control exits


• Carefully assess risk during the prior consent to discharge from hospital
  
• To improve mental health for young people who have greater access and early intervention


• Clinical positive approach to risk management in a dialogue with the public


• An analysis of the reasons for detention of offenders with severe mental illness.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.