Medwire (2/2, McDermid) reported, “Delirium occurs in about one in five inpatients, but appears to be a low priority with hospital staff,” according to a study published Jan. 7 in the journal BMJ Open. Researchers “assessed the occurrence of delirium across an entire tertiary hospital during a single day, excluding patients in the emergency department, the intensive care unit, and isolation rooms, as well as those who were severely aphasic.” Notably, “the rates of delirium among the 280 patients assessed were 19.6% according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV criteria, 17.6% with the Confusion Assessment Method, and 20.7% with the Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98.”

Related Links:

— “Delirium overlooked in hospital patients,”Eleanor McDermid, Medwire News, February 1, 2013.

USA Today (2/4, Healy) reports that although “high school students who identify as lesbian, gay and bisexual tend to face higher rates of bullying in school than their heterosexual peers,” research published in Pediatrics “suggests that things get better for these young people, with harassment declining as they get older and leave school.”

The AP (2/3) reports, “The seven-year study involved more than 4,000 teens in England who were questioned yearly through 2010, until they were 19 and 20 years old.” Researchers found that “at the start, just over half of the 187 gay, lesbian and bisexual teens said they had been bullied; by 2010 that dropped to 9 percent of gay and bisexual boys and 6 percent of lesbian and bisexual girls.” Reuters(2/4) and MedPage Today (2/4, Petrochko) also cover the story.

Related Links:

— “As bullying decreases, some stress eases for gay teens, “Michelle Healy, USA Today, February 4, 2013.

The Hill (2/2, Baker) “Healthwatch” blog reported, “President Obama should address the country when his administration finally implements a law requiring insurers to cover mental health services, former Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-Mass.) said Friday. Kennedy joined Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and actor Bradley Cooper at a press conference to make the case that reducing the stigma associated with mental illness is just as important as a policy approach to mental health.” Both “Kennedy and Stabenow were…prominent supporters of a 2008 mental health parity law, which required insurers to cover mental health services in the same way they cover physical healthcare.”

Therapist Decries Lack Of Medicaid Funding For Kids’ Mental Health. In an opinion piece in the Washington Post (2/1), Alyx Beckwith, a licensed outpatient therapist in Raleigh, NC, wrote that “cuts to Medicaid funding in recent years” result in certain children with mental health issues falling “through the cracks. In the best scenarios, cuts to reimbursement rates result in shortened therapy sessions and restrictions on the number of visits clients are allotted; in the worst, practices that serve the poor are going under.” Beckwith pointed out that despite the fact the majority of Americans favor more spending for mental health programs serving children, “our states are moving in the opposite direction.”

Related Links:

— “Patrick Kennedy: Obama should address nation on mental health, “Sam Baker, The Hill, February 1, 2013.

ABC World News (2/3, story 2, 3:00, Muir) reported that “nearly 20% of returning troops suffer from symptoms of post-traumatic stress. And they’re the ones we know about.” ABC News correspondent Martha Raddatz added, “PTSD is not new, but with tens of thousands now coming home, the fear is that we still don’t know enough about it.”

On its website, ABC News (2/4, Moisse) reported that “up to 20 percent of soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from PTSD, according to a 2008 RAND study.” Jeffrey Lieberman, MD, president-elect of the American Psychiatric Association, explained, “The symptoms can range from mildly disturbing to wholly incapacitating.” Dr. Lieberman added that “we’re still limited in our understanding of why it occurs, what it consists of and the best approaches to treatment.”

Study: 22 US Veterans Commit Suicide Every Day. USA Today (2/2, Zoroya) reported, “An estimated 22 veterans commit suicide in the United States every day, a slightly higher number than the 18-per-day rate the Department of Veterans Affairs had indicated in years past, according to a VA study made public” on Feb. 1. “The analysis found that the actual number of estimated suicides per day among veterans has remained relatively stable, ranging from 20 per day in 2000 to 18 per day in 2007 and 22 per day in 2009 and 2010, the latest estimates available, according to a report on the study released Friday.” The VA “says it has responded to the findings by creating a task force ‘to provide recommendations for innovative mental health care.'” In addition, the VA has bolstered staffing levels for its crisis hotline and is adding people to its mental health staff.

Related Links:

— “Former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle’s Killing Puts Spotlight on PTSD, “Katie Moisse, abc News, February 3, 2013.

USA Today (2/7, Jayson) reports, “Stress levels for Americans have taken a decidedly downward turn across the USA – except for young adults, whose stress is higher than the national norm,” according to the results of an online survey to be released today. The survey, conducted last August by Harris Interactive on behalf of the American Psychological Association, found that “those ages 18-33 – the Millennial generation – are plenty stressed, and it’s not letting up: 39% say their stress has increased in the past year; 52% say stress has kept them awake at night in the past month. And more than any other age group, they report being told by a health care provider that they have either depression or an anxiety disorder.” A graphic appended to the article lists the primary sources of stress as work, finances, relationships, family issues, and the economy.

Related Links:

— “Who’s feeling stressed? Young adults, new survey shows, “Sharon Jayson, USA Today, February 7, 2013.