NIMH: Male Veterans Have Double the Suicide Rate of Civilians—New Study Reflects Much Larger Percentage of Veterans Than Previous Studies

Male veterans in the general U.S. population are twice as likely as their civilian peers to die by suicide, a large study shows. Results of the research were published online June 11 in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health and will appear in the July issue.

Science update: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/press/vetsuicide.cfm

NIMH: Gene Variants Linked to Suicidal Thoughts in Some Men Starting Antidepressant Treatment

Some men who experience suicidal thoughts and behaviors after they first start taking antidepressant medications may be genetically predisposed to do so, according to the latest results from the NIMH-funded Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) study. The results were published in the June 2007 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Science update: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/press/perlis_stard_genes.cfm

NIA: Early Results from Alzheimer’s Neuroimaging Biomarker Project Show Promise for Faster Study of Therapies—ADNI Database Now Available to Researchers Worldwide

Alzheimer’s disease researchers may be able to reduce the time and expense associated with clinical trials, according to early results from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), a public-private research partnership organized by the National Institutes of Health. Preliminary results from ADNI show how it might yield improved methods and uniform standards for imaging and biomarker analysis, so these techniques can be employed in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. The project is supported primarily by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), a component of NIH, with private sector support from pharmaceutical companies, other organizations and the Alzheimer’s Association through the Foundation for NIH. In addition to NIA, other federal partners are the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, also part of NIH, and the Food and Drug Administration.

Press release: http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jun2007/nia-10.htm

NIA: Study Finds Mix of Disease Processes at Work in Brains of Most People with Dementia

Few older people die with brains untouched by a pathological process, however, an individual’s likelihood of having clinical signs of dementia increases with the number of different disease processes present in the brain, according to a new study. Among the findings is the observation that the combination of Alzheimer’s disease and cerebral infarcts (strokes) is the most common mix of pathologies in the brains of people with dementia. The implication of these findings is that public health efforts to prevent and treat vascular disease could potentially reduce the occurrence of dementia, the researchers say in the paper. This NIA-funded research was reported in the journal Neurology online on June 13, 2007.

Press release: http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jun2007/nia-13.htm

New SAMHSA Report Provides State-Level Data on Depression

Approximately 9 percent of youths aged 12 to 17, and 7.6 percent of adults aged 18 or older, experienced at least one major depressive episode (MDE) in the past year according to data released by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The new analysis from SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows that among 12 to 17 year olds, rates of past year MDE were among the highest in Idaho and Nevada. The rates were among the lowest in Louisiana and South Dakota.

Press release: http://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/advisories/0706114722.aspx

Full report: http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k7/states/depression.cfm

SAMHSA: Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities Provide Programs to Fit Clients

The vast majority of substance abuse treatment facilities are providing special programs tailored to such clients as adolescents, seniors, post-partum mothers, and people with HIV/AIDS, according to a 2005 survey by SAMHSA. Nearly three-quarters of even the smallest facilities offered at least one special program or group. The most commonly reported special program in the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services in 2005 was for clients with co-occurring psychiatric and substance abuse disorders.

Press release: http://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/advisories/0706140319.aspx

Full report: http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k7/ServicesTX/servicesTX.cfm

SAMHSA Announces FY 2008 Review Priorities for New National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices

SAMHSA announced the agency's Fiscal Year 2008 review priorities for mental health and substance use prevention and treatment programs and practices submitted to its National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices (NREPP). Priority review areas for mental health include fostering consumer and family-provided mental health services; reducing the effects of trauma on the mental well-being of children, adolescents, and adults; promoting employment among those with serious mental illness; integrating or coordinating treatment of mental illnesses with primary care services; diverting adults with serious mental illness and/or children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbances from criminal and juvenile justice systems; developing alternatives to the use of seclusion and restraint for adults with serious mental illness and/or children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbances; or preventing suicide in specific age groups. The notice was published in the June 4 Federal Register.

Press release: http://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/advisories/070605nrepp4737.aspx

SAMHSA Youth Suicide Prevention Funding Announcements

Iowa to Receive Grant Funding for Youth Suicide Prevention, Early Intervention

SAMSHA announced that it anticipates making awards totaling $1.2 million over three years to the state of Iowa to implement the Youth Suicide Prevention/Early Intervention Project. This grant will provide screening, assessment, and referral to early intervention and treatment services for youth suicide prevention within educational settings.

http://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/advisories/070601suicide4712.aspx

South Carolina to Receive Grant Funding for Youth Suicide Prevention, Early Intervention

SAMHSA announced that it anticipates making awards totaling $1,032,663 over three years to the state of South Carolina to implement Project SAFE (Suicide Awareness for Everyone). This suicide prevention program is for youth in schools, colleges, substance abuse systems, mental health programs, foster care systems, and other child and youth support organizations.

http://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/advisories/0705310614.aspx

Committee Formed to Advise FDA on Risk Communication

The FDA has announced the formation of a new advisory committee that will advise the agency on how to communicate to the public the risks and benefits of FDA-regulated products. The agency calls such communication essential to helping consumers and health professionals make informed decisions. The committee will have 15 voting members, including experts and public members not affiliated with FDA.

Press release: http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01648.html

SAMHSA's Building Blocks for a Healthy Future Web Site Redesigned

Building Blocks, a website for parents, caregivers, and teachers of children aged 3 to 6, provides great tips, materials, and ideas for spending time with their children and learning together. The redesigned site features enhanced navigation features and an option for visitors to sign up to receive the Building Blocks Bulletin by e-mail.

http://www.bblocks.samhsa.gov/

NIJ: Mental Health Screens for Corrections

This National Institute of Justice (NIJ) report provides information on two projects designed to create and validate mental health screening instruments that corrections staff can use during intake. Included in the report are questionnaires that accurately identify inmates who require mental health interventions.

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/pubs-sum/216152.htm

CDC: Updated Fact Sheet Summarizes the Cost of Violence in the United States

Violence-related injuries, including suicide, adversely affect the health and welfare of all Americans through premature death, disability, medical costs, and lost productivity. This Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) fact sheet provides information about costs of violence in America, updated estimates of medical and productivity losses, and recommendations for reducing the economic burden of violence.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/CostOfViolence.htm

AHRQ's Annual State Snapshots Highlight States' Gains and Lags in Health Care Quality

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s (AHRQ) State Snapshots provide state-specific health care quality information including strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement. The goal is to help state officials and their public- and private-sector partners better understand health care quality and disparities in their state.

http://statesnapshots.ahrq.gov

ED: Learning Opportunities for Your Child Through Alternate Assessments

The purpose of this booklet from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) is to introduce parents to the school improvement efforts under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and to provide them with the information they need to help ensure their children can benefit from these efforts.

http://www.ed.gov/parents/needs/speced/learning

Web Discussion: Understanding U.S. Suicide Trends, 1985-2004

June 19, 2007, 3:00-4:30pm ET

SAMHSA’s Suicide Prevention Resource Center invites you to participate in its 12th Discussion Series event. Suicide rates in recent years have been characterized as worsening, in decline, and flat. Which is it, and how does one evaluate possible reasons for recent trends? Participants in this web-based seminar will examine trends in suicide rates for various demographic groups, with particular attention to surveillance methods used.

http://www.sprc.org/featured_resources/trainingandevents/disc_series/disc_12.asp

Teleconference: Improving Provider Attitudes, Behaviors, and Practices toward People with Mental Illness

June 20, 2007, 12:00-1:00pm ET

SAMHSA’s ADS Center conducts teleconference trainings on topics related to advancing knowledge about stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness and how to counter it. This training will: 1) explore the sources of stigma generated by providers and the importance of modifying these attitudes to improve treatment outcomes; 2) provide an overview of successful activities that have been conducted to improve cooperation between providers and their patients; and 3) discuss tools for creating an environment that fosters the development of meaningful and effective consumer/provider relationships.

http://www.stopstigma.samhsa.gov/teleconferences.htm

Teleconference: How States are Developing Strategic Financing Plans

June 21, 2007 1:00-2:30 pm ET

This conference call produced by SAMHSA’s National Technical Assistance Center for Children's Mental Health will describe critical financing strategies to build and support systems of care that are being explored in a study conducted by four organizations: the Research and Training Center for Children's Mental Health at the University of South Florida, the National TA Center for Children's Mental Health at Georgetown University, Human Service Collaborative, and Family Support Systems.

http://gucchd.georgetown.edu/programs/ta_center/tacalls2007.html

Webcast: The Traumatic Experiences of Border and Immigrant Youth

June 28, 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: Treatment and Recovery—Reducing the Burden on the Justice System and Society

July 5, 2007

This Center for Substance Abuse Treatment webcast will look at the relationship between addiction treatment and recovery and the criminal justice system. It will focus on both the practical and economic benefits to society from treating substance abuse and dependence issues surrounding the criminal justice system.

http://ncadi.samhsa.gov/multimedia/webcasts/w.aspx?ID=493

NIMH Annual International Research Conference on the Role of Families in Preventing and Adapting to HIV/AIDS

San Francisco, California, July 25-27, 2007

This NIMH conference is designed to present research findings on family processes and HIV disease. This year’s conference theme is “Responding to the Social Context of HIV Risk: The Role of Families and Support Networks.”

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/scientificmeetings/hivaids2007.cfm

Conference: Research for Native Health—Strengthening Partnerships, Promoting Trust, and Increasing Communication

Denver, Colorado, August 22-23, 2007

The U.S. DHHS' Office of Public Health and Science is hosting this conference to provide opportunities to improve the dialogue between Tribal Nations, academic scientists, government researchers, American Indian community representatives, policymakers, and funders regarding key issues involving human research, ethics, tribal sovereignty, and the role of Institutional Review Boards in tribal decision making.

http://www.omhrc.gov/templates/content.aspx?ID=5042&lvl=1&lvlID=11

AHRQ's 2007 Annual Conference: Improving Health Care, Improving Lives

Bethesda, MD, September 26-28, 2007

AHRQ's 2007 Annual Conference will offer opportunities to learn about the latest AHRQ research ready for use in addressing a variety of clinical and health policy issues. Sessions will feature leading experts active in research and implementation projects aimed at improving quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of care. Registration is free but space is limited.

http://www.blsmeetings.net/2007ahrqannual/

The Office of Minority Health Announces the Availability of FY 2007 Funding for Two Grant Programs to Eliminate Health Disparities

Both programs are designed to support activities that address, and will subsequently eliminate, racial and ethnic health disparities through community-level activities that promote health, reduce risks, and increase access to and utilization of preventive health care and treatment services. Applications for both programs are due July 11, 2007.

The Community Partnerships to Eliminate Health Disparities Demonstration Grant Program will support community-based programs that implement activities through collaborative arrangements among minority serving community-based organizations, health care facilities, and other community entities. This program is intended to ascertain the effectiveness of collaborative community-based interventions, implemented at the grassroots level, on reducing health disparities among racial and ethnic minority populations, and demonstrate the effectiveness of the collaborative partnership approach in developing, implementing and conducting demonstration projects in high-risk minority communities, reducing social, cultural and linguistic barriers to health care and implementing/adapting existing promising practices/model programs for targeted minority communities.

http://www.omhrc.gov/templates/content.aspx?ID=5104&lvl=2&lvlID=1

The State Partnership Grant Program to Improve Minority Health seeks to facilitate the improvement of minority health and the elimination of health disparities by addressing data needs, partnership development, systems development, health areas (e.g. asthma, heart disease and stroke, adult immunization, infant mortality, mental health, obesity and overweight) and workforce diversity.

http://www.omhrc.gov/templates/content.aspx?ID=5103&lvl=2&lvlID=1

U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) Homeless Outreach Projects & Evaluation

http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?oppId=14445&mode=VIEW

SSA Youth Transition Demonstration Program

http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?oppId=13921&mode=VIEW

NIH Program Announcements (PAs)

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

Behavioral and Social Science Research on Understanding and Reducing Health Disparities (R01)

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-07-379.html

Behavioral and Social Science Research on Understanding and Reducing Health Disparities (R21)

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-07-380.html

NIH Request for Applications (RFAs)

[Full listing of NIH RFAs at http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/index.html ]

Summer Institute Program to Increase Diversity in Health-Related Research (SIPID) (R25)

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-HL-07-012.htm

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