RESEARCH WEEKLY: October Research Roundup
Research Roundup is a monthly public service of the Office of Research and Public Affairs. Each edition describes a striking new data point about severe mental illness and summarizes recently published research reports or developments.
DATAPOINT of the month
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Only one in four women with serious mental illness receive breast cancer screening.
With prevalence rates of breast cancer nearing 20% of women in the United States, preventative mammography screens are becoming ever more important. However, women with serious mental illness are significantly less likely to receive these life-saving tests, according to a research study published early last year. Only 26.3% of women with serious mental illness had received breast cancer screening in the past year, more than 17 points fewer than the national average of 43% for women in the same age group.
RESEARCH of the month
Social determinants of health, such as socioeconomic status or education level, have significant effects on an individual's long-term health. People with serious mental illness are more likely than the general population to live in persistent poverty, which has significant impacts on their lives and ability to achieve recovery. New research published this month in Psychiatric Services suggests that mental health agencies should incorporate financial literacy programs to enhance financial management skills for people with serious mental illness. The authors write that these programs should offer encouragement and support in developing financial goals to make financial wellness more achievable for individuals.
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Earmarked taxes for mental health services.
Many communities have considered or implemented earmarked taxes to help fund mental health services. Policies vary greatly between communities and there is little guidance to those that are considering these strategies as a solution to increase mental health care funding, according to a column published online this month in Psychiatric Services. Authors compare the 1% income tax placed on household incomes that are over $1 million in California to the county opt-in 0.1% sales tax in Washington state. Different evaluations of both strategies are provided, including a study in Los Angeles County that suggests that tax-funded mental health services increased mental health service utilization and that the income tax improved drug court outcomes in King County, Washington. The authors write that there is an important role for implementation research to further study earmarked tax policies and their impact on improving outcomes for people with mental illness.
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Treating negative symptoms in schizophrenia through direct current stimulation.
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia, such as blunted affect, lack of social interest or severe apathy, are often the most debilitating in daily functioning and quality of life. They are referred to as negative symptoms because they are emotions and behaviors that are lacking, as oppose to the positive symptoms of schizophrenia, hallucinations and delusions, that are additions to a person's thoughts and behaviors.
Results from a clinical trial on transcranial direct current stimulation suggest this treatment is a safe, affordable, and effective add-on treatment for the debilitating negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Transcranial direct current stimulation is a noninvasive technique that increases or decreases targeted brain cell activity through weak direct currents delivered via electrodes placed on the scalp. The researchers found that twice-daily treatments over a ten-day period were effective in eliminating negative symptoms within six-weeks after the treatment began. Of the 100 individuals enrolled, no adverse side-effects were reported. The study authors suggest that the results of the trial warrant further research and optimization of this technique for treatment for people with schizophrenia.
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Elizabeth Sinclair
Director of Research
Treatment Advocacy Center
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Research Weekly is a summary published as a public service of the Treatment Advocacy Center and does not necessarily reflect the findings or positions of the organization or its staff. Full access to research summarized may require a fee or paid subscription to the publications.
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The Treatment Advocacy Center does not solicit or accept funds from pharmaceutical companies.
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