Benefits of Antidepressants May Outweigh Risks for Kids
The benefits of antidepressant medications likely outweigh their risks to children and adolescents with major depression and anxiety disorders, according to a new comprehensive review of pediatric trials conducted between 1988 and 2006. The study, partially funded by NIMH, was published in the April 18, 2007, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Science Update: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/press/ssri-risksbenefits.cfm

NIMH: Scientists Switch Neurons On and Off Using Light—Technique is Valuable New Tool in Brain Research
Researchers have invented a genetically-engineered way to turn the electrical impulses of brain cells on and off with pulses of blue and yellow light — in synch with the split-second pace of real time neuronal activity. The novel technique borrows genes from light-responsive algae and bacteria to unravel the intricate workings of brain circuits with extreme precision. Initial tests in intact mouse circuits and tiny living worms promise new hope for understanding — and eventually treating — psychiatric and neurological disorders. The NIMH-funded research team reported on their findings in the April 5, 2007 Nature.
Science Update, which includes a link to a video file of the researcher discussing this new tool: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/press/lightsswitchneurons.cfm

NIMH: Gene Knockout Unleashes Manic Mouse
Mice engineered to lack a specific gene showed behaviors similar to human mania in a study funded in part by NIMH; they were hyperactive, slept less, appeared less depressed and anxious, and craved sugar, cocaine and pleasure stimulation. The rodents' behavior was more normal after lithium treatment or restoration of a functioning CLOCK protein, which the knocked-out gene codes for. The researchers reported on mouse model of human mania in the March 23, 2007 online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Science Update: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/press/lightsswitchneurons.cfm

NIDA Survey Shows Lack of Substance Abuse Treatment Options for
Offenders—Fewer than 10% of Drug-Abusing Offenders Get the Treatment They Need
Substance abuse treatment services for offenders are not widely available in all phases of the correctional system, according to the first set of findings from a national survey funded by NIDA. The National Criminal Justice Treatment Practices Survey (NCJTPS) provides a picture of existing treatment programs across all correctional settings, including prison, jails, probation and parole offices, and local community correction agencies for juvenile and adult offenders. The survey findings, published in a special issue of the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, question the capability of the adult and/or juvenile correctional system to effectively address drug abuse and associated criminal behavior among offenders.
Press Release: http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/apr2007/nida-02a.htm

NIDA-Supported Study Shows Significant Association between Smoking, Mental Disorders in Pregnant Women, Alert to Healthcare Providers: Research Supports the Benefit of Screening for Mental Disorders in Pregnant Women Unable to Quit Smoking
New research has identified an association between mental disorders and nicotine dependence among pregnant women in the United States, not unlike what has been reported in the general population. The presence of these mental disorders in nicotine addicted pregnant women may make quitting smoking more difficult. Researchers found that 21.7 percent of the pregnant women in the study used cigarettes and among those women, 57.2 percent were nicotine dependent. These results indicate that in the United States an estimated 12.4 percent of pregnant women are addicted to cigarettes. Women with nicotine dependence were more likely to meet criteria for at least one mental disorder compared to those that did not use cigarettes during pregnancy. Significant associations were found for dysthymia (a chronic depressive condition), major depressive disorder, and panic disorder. Published in the April 2007 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology, this study was supported in part by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
Press Release: http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/apr2007/nida-03.htm

Substance Abuse Grant Funding Report Available
The Office of National Drug Control Policy’s Inventory of State Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Activities and Expenditures describes how states spend the funds allocated to them by the SAMHSA's Block Grant Program for substance abuse prevention and treatment services. It also discusses the ways in which states allocate their own funding for these services.
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/inventory/

Patterns and Trends in Nonmedical Prescription Pain Reliever Use: 2002 to 2005
SAMHSA's 2002-2005 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health indicates that the nonmedical use of prescription pain relievers (analgesics) among persons aged 12 or older did not differ significantly among the years between 2002 and 2005. The number of persons who used prescription pain relievers nonmedically for the first time in the past year of the survey also did not differ significantly - - with 2.3 million persons initiating use in 2002, 2.4 million in 2003, 2.4 million in 2004 and 2.2 million in 2005. Combined data from 2002 to 2005 were used to examine the patterns of nonmedical prescription pain reliever use in general and the nonmedical use specifically of oxycodone and hydrocodone products.
http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k7/pain/pain.cfm

Alternatives 2007: Call for Papers and Scholarships Available
St. Louis, Missouri, October 10-14, 2007
Alternatives 2007, the national mental health conference organized by and for mental health consumers and survivors is organized by the National Mental Health Consumer Self-Help Clearinghouse with support from SAMHSA/CMHS. This year's conference, Spanning the Recovery Movement: Consumer Control and Choice, will be held in St. Louis, Missouri from October 10-14, 2007.
The deadline for presentation applications is April 30, 2007. The Call for Papers is available: http://www.alternatives2007.org/
Scholarship applications are being accepted until May 25, 2007. Download an application: http://www.alternatives2007.org/registration.html

Conference Call: Screening and Assessment -- What Are the Next Steps?
April 19, 2007, 1:00-2:30PM ET
This conference call produced by SAMHSA’s National Technical Assistance Center for Children's Mental Health will highlight several steps in the early identification process for young children who may have emotional/ behavioral delays. One state will share the screening process it is using across agencies and another state will discuss the use of DC 0-3R instead of the DSM for assessment. Participants will also hear about the relationship between CAPTA (Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act), Part C and mental health as opportunities for building effective early identification and intervention.
http://gucchd.georgetown.edu/programs/ta_center/tacalls2007.html

Teleconference: Addressing the Trauma Treatment Needs of Children Who Are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing and the Hearing Children of Deaf Parents
April 26, 2007, 2:00-3:30 PM ET
This call is a part of SAMHSA’s National Child Traumatic Stress Network Culture and Trauma Teleconference Series.
http://www.nctsnet.org/nccts/nav.do?pid=ctr_top_train_tele_culsched

Webcast: Helping Families Find Recovery
May 2, 2007
This Center for Substance Abuse Treatment webcast will examine how foster care programs, family drug courts, mutual support groups, community-based organizations, and other services are helping families walk the road to recovery together.
http://ncadi.samhsa.gov/multimedia/webcasts/w.aspx?ID=491

Health Observance: National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day
May 8, 2007
The second annual National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day allows SAMHSA, and the initiatives and communities it supports, to promote positive youth development, resilience, recovery, and the transformation of mental health services delivery for children and youth with serious mental health needs and their families. Awareness Day raises awareness of effective programs for children's mental health needs, demonstrates how children's mental health initiatives promote positive youth development, recovery and resilience, and shows how children with mental health needs thrive in their communities. More information about participating in this day is available at the Awareness Day website along with frequently asked questions and planning tools and materials in English and Spanish.
http://systemsofcare.samhsa.gov/nationalawareness/materials.aspx

Conference: Drug Abuse and Risky Behaviors—The Evolving Dynamics of HIV/AIDS
Bethesda, MD: May 8-9, 2007
This National Institute on Drug Abuse meeting will provide a broad understanding of the multiple ways that drug abuse and addiction affect HIV/AIDS and how research can inform public health policy. Presentations will focus on the successes, research challenges, and opportunities for addressing the evolving HIV/AIDS pandemic. http://conferences.masimax.com/riskybehaviors/index.cfm

Regional Consumer/Survivor Meeting
Chicago, Illinois, May 10, 2007
The Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) is sponsoring this regional meeting to:
1) identify needs, issues, and concerns of people with mental illnesses; 2) gather input and suggestions for CMHS activities; and 3) facilitate networking to foster mental health systems transformation. Limited-seating is available for the one-day meeting and will be on a first-to-register basis. There will be representatives from Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin participating in the meeting.
http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/consumersurvivor/listserv/040407.asp

Webcast: The Financial and Medical Benefits of Treatment for Health Care Providers and Insurers
June 6, 2007
This Center for Substance Abuse Treatment webcast will examine the insurance and health care benefits and options for individuals seeking treatment or individuals already in recovery from addiction to drugs and/or alcohol. In addition, the show will examine the cost benefits to health care providers and insurers of investing in treatment for substance abuse and mental health disorders, and will provide tips for screening, diagnosing, treating, or referring a patient with a substance use disorder.
http://ncadi.samhsa.gov/multimedia/webcasts/w.aspx?ID=492

SAMHSA to Fund 15 National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative Grants
SAMHSA is soliciting applications pending the availability of FY 2007 funds for two categories of grants under the National Child Traumatic Stress (NCTSI) Initiative. The NCTSI Initiative is composed of categories of centers designed to address child trauma issues by creating a national network of grantees who work collaboratively to develop and promote effective community practices for children and adolescents exposed to a wide array of traumatic events:
• Treatment and Service Adaptation (TSA) Center grants, Category II under this initiative, will provide expertise on specific types of traumatic events, population groups and service systems as well as support the specialized adaptation of effective treatment and service approaches for communities across the country.
• Community Treatment and Services (CTS) Center grants, Category III under the NCTS initiative, will implement and evaluate effective treatment and services in community settings and youth-serving service systems as well as collaborate with other network centers on clinical issues, service approaches, policy, financing and training issues.
Applications are due: May 15, 2007 for TSA grants and May 18, 2007 for CTS grants
More information: http://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/advisories/0704110629.aspx

Hispanic Health Services Research Grant Program
http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?oppId=13349&mode=VIEW

NIH Program Announcements (PAs)
[Full listing of NIH PAs at http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/index.html]

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