Depressing News for the Depressed

There’s a lot of buzz about the $35 million dollar government study about the efficacy of anti-depressants.

The results are in and anti-depressants failed to cure the symptoms of major depression in half of the participants. And even more discouraging is this paragraph from today’s Washington Post article about the study:

…the researchers acknowledged, the care provided in the study was exceptional. Intensive monitoring and careful evaluation was provided to all patients. Such services are available today in perhaps one in 10 medical practices. If the patients in this study had received the kind of care that patients receive on average, the researchers said, the remission rate probably would have been significantly lower — perhaps even in the single digits.

Yikes.

Article from the Washington Post

Self Management Training for Bipolar Disorder

The UK group MDF the Bipolar Organisation is offering classes across the UK for people with bipolar disorder. It is the first program of its kind written and run by an independent user-led mental health group. From the website:

The programme aims to teach the individual with bipolar disorder how to recognise the triggers for, and warning signs of, an impending episode of illness. Participants learn to take action to prevent or reduce the severity of an episode.

I’m hoping that if this program takes off we’ll see some similar version across the pond.

Description of the program (programme?)

Charity Care Has Decreased in the Last Ten Years

It has never been easy for the poor to get medical treatment and its not getting easier.

A study released today by the Center for Studying Health System Change found that about two-thirds of U.S. doctors provided “charity care” – down from three-fourths ten years ago. And pediatricians are the least likely to provide reduced-price or free care.

The culprit? An increase in managed healthcare which doesn’t allow doctors the freedom to adjust their prices and more patients, drugs, and diagnoses for the average doctor to deal with.

Article in the Los Angeles Times

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