Industry News

The Wall Street Journal -- The integration of mental health and general health will get a boost under the new health reform law through the funding of medical homes that coordinate care. Programs that integrate care have been shown to reduce emergency room visits and psychiatric-hospital admissions, and to increase employees' productivity at work. A growing number of primary care providers are coordinating care of depressed patients with behavioral-health specialists.

CNN - A new study finds that a supportive family environment can have a positive impact on the general and mental health of gay, lesbian and bisexual children. Researchers were able to define specific behaviors by parents and family that were perceived as being either accepting or rejecting of teens' sexual orientation, and to connect these behaviors to mental and general health outcomes in children. They found that teens from families who supported their sexual orientation were less likely to abuse drugs, experience depression or attempt suicide than those in less accepting families.

Time -- The majority of Americans continue to live with moderate to high levels of stress, the annual Stress in America survey by the American Psychological Association finds. While people know it isn’t healthy, the find it difficult to manage or reduce stress. Worries about money are rising among Americans. The online survey found that 76 percent of adults cited money as a cause of stress. In last year’s survey, 71 percent reported it as a cause. The survey also found children pick up on their parents’ stress.

Kaiser Health News' Daily Report -- The Washington Post reports on a new entity: the Board of Governors of the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute. "If you're not familiar with the board, you're not alone. Created by the health-care overhaul law, it's one of the newest and least known panels in government. But the work of its 21 members, if successful, could increase the public's knowledge of medical treatments for everything from attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder to cancer.

County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency -- The It's Up to Us campaign is designed to empower San Diegans to talk openly about mental illness, recognize symptoms, utilize local resources and seek help. One in four adult San Diegans suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder and nearly one out of every five children experience some degree of an emotional or behavioral difficulty. Mental health challenges are just as important to address as physical illness.

Mental Health Wellness Week will take place from November 14-20, 2010. Mental Health Wellness Week provides national guidance and centralized resources to help organizations and individuals build awareness and implement programs in their own communities. Organizations and individuals can use the Mental Health Wellness materials in existing communications - such as newsletters, web sites and media outreach - encouraging employees/members/clients to participate.

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation -- Confused about how the new health reform law really works? This short, animated movie -- featuring the "YouToons" -- explains the problems with the current health care system, the changes that are happening now, and the big changes coming in 2014

California’s 58 counties manage and operate a variety of health and social welfare programs and are responsible for administering the Medi-Cal enrollment process in their area. Additionally, depending on their size, location and local conditions, counties may also operate County Hospitals, Primary Care Clinics and Medi-Cal managed care plans, often in a coordinated fashion to maximize revenue and efficiency.

By Frederik Joelving –

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – While more and more Americans regard mental illness as a disease rooted in the brain, that doesn't mean they are getting more tolerant of those who suffer from it.

That's according to a new report comparing national surveys from 1996 and 2006.

In recent decades, both the government and the medical community have tried to reduce the social stigma shrouding psychiatric conditions like schizophrenia and depression -- in large part by stressing their biological underpinnings.