HealthDay (9/23, Preidt) reports that research published in Social Science & Medicine suggests that children and teens who have been victimized by racism may have “poor mental health, depression and anxiety.” Researchers came to this conclusion after studying “461 cases of links between racism and the health and well-being of youngsters.”

Related Links:

— “Racism Takes a Toll on Kids’ Mental Health, Research Shows, “Robert Preidt, HealthDay, September 23, 2013.

Modern Healthcare (9/19, Zigmond, Subscription Publication) reports that the Excellence in Mental Health Act, introduced in February by Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Roy Blunt (R-MO), “now has the support of 19 other senators and more than 50 mental health, veterans and law enforcement organizations, such as the American Psychiatric Association, the National Sheriffs Association, the National Council for Behavioral Healthcare, the National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.” Among its provisions, the measure “would establish criteria for federally qualified community behavioral health centers based on evidence-based quality standards and reporting measures to make sure that those facilities cover a broad range of outpatient and crisis services.”

Related Links:

— “In wake of Navy Yard tragedy, advocates push for improved mental health services, Modern Healthcare, September 19, 2013.

The Atlantic Wire (9/20, Jones) provides an overview of mental health legislation currently pending in Congress. Bills that would train teachers to recognize and deal with mental illness, provide more services and care for the mentally ill, and provide mental health background checks for would-be gun purchasers are not expected to pass because “there is little momentum to fix the system.”

Related Links:

— “Three Things Congress Could Actually Do About Mental Health, “Allie Jones, The Atlantic Wire, September 19, 2013.

CQ (9/20, Attias, Subscription Publication) reports that yesterday, Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA), chairman of the Energy and Commerce Oversight Subcommittee, announced “he will be introducing legislation soon to boost treatment options and address other challenges, saying that Monday’s deadly shooting” at the Washington Navy Yard “again ‘raised the issues of how we are handling mental health to stop this terrible violence.’” Murphy’s proposal, which is “expected to be introduced in a couple of weeks, appears to offer a different approach to mental health than the legislation (S 689) that was approved by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and incorporated into a gun control package (S 649) by a vote of 95-2.” Murphy “said his bill will increase the options available for individuals who need inpatient and outpatient treatment.”

Reuters (9/20, Raven) reports that research published in The Lancet Oncology suggests that individuals who had cancer when they were children may have a higher likelihood of being treated for a mental health disorder later on. The study included more than 7,000 individuals who had been treated for cancer as children.

Related Links:

— “Mental disorder treatment common after childhood cancer, “Kathleen Raven, Reuters, September 19, 2013.