In an editorial, the Baltimore Sun (10/7) reports that in wake of “last week’s shooting at Umpqua Community College that left 10 dead, there has been a steady drumbeat of calls for better care” for people who suffer from mental illnesses. The Sun points out that even though “improving access to mental health services” would likely not “prevent the next mass shooting or even significantly reduce violence on the streets,” it would certainly “greatly improve the quality of life for the estimated 5.6 million Americans with a mental illness.”

Related Links:

— “Mental health prescription?,” Baltimore Sun, October 6, 2015.

In an op-ed for USA Today (10/7), former Rep. Patrick Kennedy, the author of a new book on mental illness and addiction, urges every presidential candidate to include a “detailed and realistic platform for how he or she would dramatically improve diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental illness and addiction.”

Kennedy argues that because of discrimination, mental disorders are often kept secret, which is “a huge part of the reason our country does not have a consistent policy on their care.” He says that “experts agree” that “perhaps the greatest opportunity to save lives and health care dollars” would come from approaching mental illnesses proactively, integrating care, and no longer “pretending these aren’t chronic illnesses.”

Related Links:

— “Patrick Kennedy: After Roseburg, face up to mental illness, addiction,” Patrick J. Kennedy, USA Today, October 7, 2015.

The CBS News (10/7, Marcus) website reports that expectant fathers “may feel stressed, worn down, and anxious about the ins and outs of pregnancy and new parenthood,” according to research published online Sept. 18 in the American Journal of Men’s Health. The 622-participant study revealed that “more than 13 percent of first-time expectant fathers reported elevated symptoms of depression during their partners’ pregnancies.”

But, Philip Muskin, MD, “a professor of psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center and chief of service of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, said it’s important to clarify that the researchers looked at depressive symptoms, which are not the same as depression.” Dr. Muskin, “who is also a member of the scientific program committee at the American Psychiatric Association…was not involved in the study.”

Related Links:

— “Dads-to-be may be at risk for “baby blues”,” Mary Trophy Marcus, CBS News, October 6, 2015.

Medscape (10/6, Davenport) reports, “Young people at risk for depression are less likely to develop the disorder after a cognitive-behavioral prevention (CBP) program, the benefits of which persist for more than six years,” according to the findings of a 316-patient study published online Sept. 30 in JAMA Psychiatry. A grant from the National Institute of Mental Health helped support the study. Reuters (10/6, Doyle) also reports.

Related Links:

— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

USA Today (10/3, Szabo) reported that “23 mental health groups,” including the American Psychiatric Association, “are calling on Congress to pass legislation aimed at repairing the USA’s broken mental health system.” Last Thursday, “the groups delivered a letter” to leaders of the House of Representatives “hours before the attack at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore. left 10 people dead.” In the letter, which the APA helped co-author, APA president Renée Binder, MD, asked, “How many more reminders do we need that mental health has to be a high priority?” Dr. Binder added, “This is not a Republican issue or a Democratic issue. This is an American issue.”

Related Links:

— “Groups call on Congress to reform mental health system,” Liz Szabo, USA Today, October 2, 2015.