FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 1997
Contact: Gus Cervini Release No. 97-1 Telephone:
(202) 682-6142
Internet: [email protected]

In the February Issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry

RESEARCH REVIEW INDICATES PSYCHOTHERAPY IS COST-EFFECTIVE IN TREATMENT OF SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESSES (Note: Not for publication or broadcast before February 1, 1997)

Psychotherapy can reduce healthcare costs when used to treat patients suffering from disorders such as schizophrenia, manic depression, and borderline personality disorder, according to researchers at several top medical institutions across the country. The review, which appears in the February issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry, examined all studies from 1984 to 1994 relating to treatment with psychotherapy for severe psychiatric disorders and found that much of the potential costs savings are due to reductions in inpatient treatment and decreases in work impairment. Lead researcher Glen Gabbard, M.D., from the Menniger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas, noted "Not only do the results of this review prove the beneficial aspects of providing psychotherapy, but conversely, these studies also indicate that there is a substantial cost in not providing patients with adequate psychotherapeutic support, not only in human terms but also in economic terms."

Also in the February issue of AJP...(Note: Not for publication or broadcast before February 1, 1997)

Page 165 - A study by researchers at the National Institute on Aging indicates that people with higher intelligence have a greater resistance to displaying the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease dementia. (Media can offer their audiences the APA's free Let's Talk Fact About Mental Illnesses pamphlet on Alzheimer's Disease - see "Free Resources for Media," later in this News Briefs.)

Page 231 - A study by researchers at Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute indicates that, provided their other medical and social needs are being met, terminally ill patients are no more likely to grow depressed as they draw nearer to death than are terminally ill patients for whom dying is a more distant prospect. (Media can offer their audiences the APA's Let's Talk Facts About Mental Illnesses pamphlet on Depression - see "Free Resources for Media," later in this News Briefs.)

The text of this news release is available in electronic format to CompuServe subscribers. In CompuServe's Journalism Forum (go jforum), go to the SciNews-MedNews library (section 17), and search for files with the extension ".APA" (e.g. "TIPS0197.APA"). You also are encouraged to visit the "News Stand" area of APA's World Wide Web site at .

Page 239 - A study by researchers in Finland indicates that patients with debilitating and irrational fears of being watched or humiliated while doing something in front of others may suffer from a brain abnormality. (Media can offer their audiences the APA's free Let's Talk Facts About Mental Illnesses pamphlet on Phobias - see "Free Resources for Media," later in this News Briefs.)

MANAGED CARE AND MENTAL HEALTH

"To get the best care, patients must be informed about their own health needs, must understand the details of their insurance plans, and must be willing to fight for what they deserve," says Harold I. Eist, M.D., President of the American Psychiatric Association. A new APA pamphlet, "Managed Care and Your Mental Health: What You Need to Know About Your Managed Mental Illness Insurance Benefits," covers such issues of importance to patients, including: benefits, choosing a psychiatrist, gatekeepers, confidentiality, quality of care, user friendliness of the benefit plan, open communication, and what to do when you're dissatisfied with the plan offered you or with the services provided.

To obtain a copy, contact Gus Cervini, APA Media Coordinator, at (202) 682-6142, e-mail: . You also may offer this brochure free of charge to your readers/viewers/listeners.

In the February Issue of Psychiatric Services

DEFINITIONS OF PARITY FOR MENTAL HEALTH VARY WIDELY (Note: Not for publication or broadcast before February 1, 1997)

Some state parity laws are more equal than others. In its broadest sense, parity means equal insurance coverage of mental illnesses and other medical illnesses. However, parity is more narrowly defined in many states' laws.

Although federal legislation and parity laws in Maryland and Minnesota mandate equal coverage for any mental illness, laws in Maine, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island restrict coverage to "biologically based" or "serious" mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and manic depression. Rhode Island limits coverage to inpatient hospitalization and outpatient medication visits.. Only Maryland and Minnesota laws cover substance abuse treatment.

["Mental Health Parity: Clarifying Our Objectives," pp. 161-164. Direct inquiries to Psychiatric Services, 202-682-6053; fax, 202-682-6189; e-mail, [email protected].]

APA's 150 ANNUAL MEETING MAY 17-22, 1997 IN SAN DIEGO, CA

Psychiatrists, mental health professionals, researchers and educators will convene for the APA's 150th Annual Meeting May 17-22, 1997 in San Diego, CA. The meeting will present the latest findings in psychiatric research into mental illnesses and substance use disorders and include presentations on over 60 topics. Media registration to the Annual meeting is complimentary. Preliminary programs, housing forms, and registration materials will be available in February. For more information contact Gus Cervini, APA Media Coordinator, at (202) 682-6142.

WINNERS OF APA'S 1997 MEDIA AWARDS ANNOUNCED:

The Robert T. Morse Writers Award -- Dallas Morning News, for "Science vs. Stigma: Understanding Mental Illness," by Sue Goetinck, Tim Siegfried

The Robert L. Robinson Electronic Media Award (tie) -- NBC News Dateline, for "Obsession," by Fred Rothenberg -and- Lichtenstein Creative Media, for "Depression: Voices of an Illness," by Jean Sebastian and Bill Lichenstein (radio).

DEADLINE FOR 1998 MEDIA AWARDS ENTRIES

The deadline for the 1998 media awards entries is July 31, 1997. Entries for the 1998 media awards must have first appeared in print or first aired between August 1, 1996, and July 31, 1997. For more information about the awards and an entry form, contact Erin Murphy, APA Media Assistant, at (202) 682-6324, e-mail: .

PSYCHIATRIST ADDRESSES DRUG ADDICTION IN NEW BOOK

Psychiatrist Robert L. DuPont, M.D.'s new book, The Selfish Brain: Learning from Addiction offers readers these controversial viewpoints:

- Opposition to needle exchange programs to reduce the spread of HIV.

- Opposition to legalization of drugs for medicinal purposes, specifically marijuana.

- Support of active drug testing in schools and the workplace.

Dr. Dupont asserts that "solutions" such as needle exchange programs and the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes discourage people from confronting addiction in their lives, discourage exploration of the biological roots of addiction, and are the unintended and unfortunate results of the efforts of compassionate, well-meaning people -- efforts which end up only allowing addicts to deny their addiction.

The Selfish Brain: Learning From Addiction is available from the American Psychiatric Press, Inc. For $29.95 by calling (800) 368-5777, order #8686.

NOTE: A complimentary review copy is available to news media by contacting Gus Cervini, APA Media Coordinator, at (202) 682-6142. To interview the author, contact Dr, Dupont at (301) 657-8194.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS:

-- Unless otherwise noted, contact Gus Cervini, APA Media Coordinator, for more information, (202) 682-6142, e-mail: .

--National College Anxiety Disorders Screening Day. NCADSD may be held on campuses on any day during the month of March 1997. Contact Mary Guardino, Director, at (718) 351-1717.

--April 24-30, 1997 -- National TV-Turnoff Week, A project of TV-Free America, recognized by the APA and 44 other organizations. Expected number of participants in 1997's Turnoff: 5 million. For more information, contact TV-Free America at (202) 887-0436, e-mail: . The American Psychiatric Association has expert media speakers on the topic of violence and the media. Contact Gus Cervini, APA Media Coordinator, for referral to these psychiatrists; (202) 682-6142, e-mail: .

--May 1997 -- National Mental Health Month. Contact Patrick Cody, Director of Media Relations of the National Mental Health Association (NMHA), at (703) 838-7528.

--May 7, 1997 -- National Anxiety Disorders Screening Day, a National Mental Health Month event. Contact Mary Guardino, Director, at (718) 351-1717.

--May 17-22, 1997, San Diego, CA -- Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association

--July 31, 1997 -- Deadline for APA 1998 Media Awards entries. Contact Erin Murphy, APA Media Assistant, (202) 682-6324, e-mail: . See also: Announcement of 1997 APA Media Awards winners, below.

FREE RESOURCES FOR MEDIA:

See "Managed Care and Mental Health," above, for a free new pamphlet to offer your readers, viewers, or listeners. There are additional free APA resources you can offer your readers/viewers/listeners. We encourage journalists to offer free copies of APA public awareness materials on mental illnesses and psychiatric issues in society. Free pamphlets you can offer in conjunction with your story include: Alzheimer's Disease, Anxiety Disorders, Childhood Disorders, Coping with AIDS and HIV, Depression, Eating Disorders, Manic-Depression (Bipolar Disorder), Mental Illness: An Overview, Mental Health of the Elderly, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Panic Disorder, Phobias, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Psychiatric Medications, Schizophrenia, Substance Abuse, Teen Suicide, and Choosing a Psychiatrist. Free fact sheets you can offer include: Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT); Gay and Lesbian Issues; Patient/Therapist Sexual Contact; Psychiatric Diagnosis and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition), DSM-IV; Violence and Mental Illness; and When Disaster Strikes. Arranging to offer one of these free items to your readers/viewers/listeners takes just a brief phone call to Gus Cervini, APA Media Coordinator, at (202) 682-6142, e-mail: If you offer one of the items, we will be happy to share with you how many readers/viewers/listeners took you up on your offer, thus giving you a concrete gauge of the impact of your story. APA also offers journalists a free "Mental Illnesses Awareness Guide for Media," which includes background information on mental illnesses and their treatments and a glossary of psychiatric terms. Contact Gus Cervini for a copy.

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For more information on these topics or other areas of interest, or for interviews with sources cited herein (if direct contact information is not already provided above), contact Gus Cervini, APA Media Coordinator, at (202) 682-6142, e-mail: . Journal articles are available in the entirety from the APA Division of Public Affairs.

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The American Psychiatric Association is a national medical specialty society, founded in 1844, whose 42,000 physician members specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional illnesses and substance use disorders. APA objectives include the advancement and improvement of care for persons with mental illnesses through nationwide public information, education, and awareness programs and materials.

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