Psychiatric News (6/2) reports, “Beginning July 16, people in the United States experiencing a mental health crisis have to remember only three numbers – 988 – to connect with trained staff who are part of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline network,” but “many state, regional, and county behavioral health program directors are feeling unprepared for this transition,” according to a RAND Corporation report (PDF) “based on an online survey of 180 state, regional, and county behavioral health program directors who, according to the authors, ‘represented jurisdictional coverage of more than one-third of the U.S. population and 23 states.’”

Related Links:

— “Many Behavioral Health Program Directors Feel Unprepared for 988 Rollout, RAND Report Suggests, Psychiatric News, June 2, 2022

Psychiatric News (6/1) reports, “The overwhelming majority of people with mental illness are not violent and are far more likely to be victims of violent crime than perpetrators, APA said in a statement” released June 1. The statement also “condemned the senseless loss of lives from firearm violence that has become all too common – most recently in mass shootings in Uvalde, Buffalo, Houston and more than 200 other locations across the country in 2022 so far.” The statement asserted, “APA is committed to federal efforts to protect our youth and all citizens from gun violence and implores Congress to enact firearm safety legislation that will promote safe communities and reduce morbidity and mortality due to firearm-related violence.”

Related Links:

— “APA Implores Congress to Act to Prevent Firearm Violence, Psychiatric News, June 1, 2022

According to HCPlive (6/2, Kunzmann), in an interview that took place at the American Psychiatric Association 2022 Annual Meeting, “Carol A. Bernstein, MD, a psychiatrist and vice chair for faculty development and wellbeing with Montefiore Health System, discussed the overuse of phrases including ‘wellbeing’ and ‘burnout’ in relation to mental health issues including anxiety and depression.” Dr. Bernstein “stressed the need for psychiatry specialists to become leaders in distinguishing between burnout and mental health conditions among their colleagues – and to help adequately refer and treat those who are affected by either.”

Related Links:

— “Yoga vs Antidepressants: Defining Workplace Burnout Over Mental Health Issues “Kevin Kunzmann, HCPlive, June 2, 2022

mHealth Intelligence (5/31, Melchionna) reports, “To maintain quality mental healthcare as the COVID-19 pandemic progresses, four US Senators have released a discussion draft of telehealth policies for mental healthcare initiatives that focus on increasing access and directing insurers to support virtual care.” Some of these “policies include solidifying necessary access to audio-only mental healthcare coverage under Medicare, urging Medicare and Medicaid to support [healthcare professionals] using telehealth, and encouraging states to use CHIP programs to improve in-person and virtual mental healthcare services in schools.”

Related Links:

— “US Senators Release Draft Telehealth Policies for Mental Healthcare ” Mark Melchionna, mHealth Intelligence, May 31, 2022

HealthDay (5/31) reports, “Prenatal exposure to topiramate, valproate, and certain duotherapies is associated with increased risks for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability,” investigators concluded in a study including data “for 4,494,926 alive-born children with available mother-child identities and maternal prescription” information. The findings were published online May 31 in JAMA Neurology.

Related Links:

— “Prenatal Exposure to Certain Antiseizure Meds Linked to Autism, HealthDay, May 31, 2022