Mental Health Association of Nebraska

Psychology of Fear

"A person with standards of judgment that enable him to 'place' or 'give meaning to' a stimulus in an almost automatic way finds nothing incongruous about such acceptance, his standards have led him to 'expect' the possibility of such an occurrence.  Thus a reactionary citizen will believe almost any rumor he hears that casts aspersions on [others] . . . ideas or occurrences which contradict a rigidly established standard of judgment will be discarded, or overlooked."  MSNBC, FOX News?  Nope.  It comes from a study conducted after Orson Welles performed his famous radio broadcast of H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds in 1938.

FORBES Magazine reports that after Proctor & Gamble changed their good-old Pampers disposable diapers into a new model, parents began reporting "chemical burn" like rash on their babies.  When P&G refused to recall the diapers, saying 40 million diapers are changed every 24 hours and one-third of all babies have diaper rash at any given moment, parents used Facebook and other avenues to voice their concerns and suspicions.  To date, no scientific evidence has been produced to prove or disprove the issue, yet the class-action lawsuit process has already started.

It is estimated that between 6 million and 12 million people listened to Welles' radio broadcast.  Today, TV "news" and social networking sites reach billions.  Where public trust once was placed in the "experts," it is now "the impulse of the socially networked mob [where] people see the collective wisdom of the crowd."  To read the FORBES article, click here.

Music video addresses more than just ADHD

Rapper Chill E.B. has posted Ya'all Busted, a music video raising questions around the diagnosis and treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) on YouTube.  The video includes segments featuring noted experts on ADHD discussing the issue at a 1998 National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference.  The NIH website provides a disclaimer that states that given the age of the conference, the information is provided for historic purposes only, and "some of the material is likely to be out of date, and at worst simply wrong."

However, the video raises important issues regarding diagnosis, treatment and medications that can be applied to other mental illnesses:

    "Free your mind from mis-education, misinterpretation yo they tryna control.

    You and me both with dose after dose.

    A comatose and roast ya, enslave the culture.

    Insulin shock 10,000 has to stop.

    Lobotomy cuttin' up brains 11,000 dropped.

    And you wanna know who gansta? Who da dope man?"

For a copy of the lyrics,  click here.

For more information on ADHD, visit NIH's MedlinePlus.

Anti-Stigma PSA from New York's Rockland Psychiatric Center

With the assistance of filmmaker Alicia Salzer, MD and Nikole Cattell, Consumers at New York's Rockland Psychiatric Center have produced a series of public service announcements to raise awareness and reduce stigma around mental illness.  To watch their messages click here.

Suicide Rate Highest in Middle Age

The CDC's National Violent Death Reporting System reports that "the suicide rate, once highest among those older than 80, now tops out among people in the 45 to 54 age group," with 17.6 suicides per 100,000 population.  Children had the lowest rate, at 0.8 per 1000,000, teenagers at 6.9 per 100,000.

Suicides remain the most common cause of violent death, nearly twice that of homicides.  Alcohol was a factor in a third of all suicides, ranking "second behind depression and other mood disorders."

To learn more . . .

Patient Rights v. Provider's Moral Beliefs: The Battle Goes On

Last March we told you about the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and the Nebraska Catholic Conference's attempt to change the ethics language within  Title 172 NAC 155, changes that would allow a psychologist to drop a patient if and when the therapist discovers something about their patient that goes against their religious or moral principles (see Nebraska Board of Psychology votes not to change ethics language).  Unfortunately that wasn't the end of it.  On May 6, 2010, the Board of Mental Health Practice held a public meeting to collect public commit on the language changes that this Board had approved earlier.  Testimony was overwhelmingly against any changes to existing ethics language in  Title 172 NAC 94, and that the clinician's responsibility to cause no harm trumps the practitioner's particular bias and prejudices.  In the middle of the hearing, Dr. Susan Meyeral, PhD, after identifying herself as a current member of the Board and speaking as such, inappropriately chastised those speaking against the proposed changes and argued that the "compromise language" must be allowed to pass (see Letter to Board of MH Practices 5-7-10).

On Tuesday, June 8, 2010, the Board of Mental Health Practice will review the testimony they received during the public hearing, and make their final decision regarding the language changes, and on Monday, June 21, 2010, The State Board of Health will meet and make their decision on this important matter.  In her article published in the Saturday, May 15, 2010, edition of the Lincoln Journal Star, Nancy Hicks reports that Dr. Joann Schaefer, the State's chief medical officer, "can refuse to send on any regulation package that doesn't have compromise language, effectively stopping any licensing board from modifying its rules," thus nullifying any outside involvement in the rule making process.

On May 19, 2010, the Mental Health Association of Nebraska, the Nebraska Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, the Nebraska Association of Marriage and Family Therapy, and the Nebraska Psychological Association sent a  letter to the Journal Star outlining our belief that any changes to existing language within Title 172 NAC 94 or 172 NAC 155 was unacceptable because of the potential for harm to those these professions are sworn to help.

If you have any questions about this important issue, or would like more information on the upcoming meetings or who to contact to voice your concerns, please contact MHA-NE at (402)441-4371.

Patient Voices: A.D.H.D.

NY Times' Patient Voices provides first person accounts of the changes, challenges and rewards patients face as they cope with various health issues.  This week we're featuring the voices of those living with this condition.  To hear their stories, click here.

Postpartum Depression Strikes New Fathers Too

Although usually associated with new mothers, postpartum depression can now affect fathers as well.  In a recently published study, researchers have found that up to 10% of fathers may find themselves dealing with fatigue, lack of sleep, anxiety and stress after the birth of their child, and that "fathers experience the same stresses and the same overwhelming emotions that accompany the life-changing event of becoming a parent."  To read more . . .

Is the Internet the Secret to Happiness?

First it was coffee - one month it's bad for you, then it's OK, and then again bad.  And salt, red meat and peanuts.  I suppose that it's now the 21st century, it's the internet.  In February, the Washington Post reported that excessive internet usage is associated with depression, and in March the Post informed us of the potential problems with mental health professionals checking up on their clients via Google.

Time Magazine now reports that British researchers have found that there is a link between internet usage and over-all well-being.  "Our analysis suggests that IT has an enabling and empowering role in people's lives, by increasing their sense of freedom and control."  In developing countries, the internet gives people access to the outside world and the ability to gain information and form friendships with people they never knew existed.  To read more . . .

Patient Voices: Bipolar Disorder

NY Times' Patient Voices provides "first person accounts of the changes, challenges and rewards patients face as they cope with various health issues," including ADHD, AIDS/HIV, autism, epilepsy, cancer and migraines.  This week we're featuring the segment on bipolar disorder, what it's like to have the disorder, to be labeled "crazy," and how to balance the ups and downs.  To hear their stories, click here.

Ignorance Abounds: Stigma, Discrimination and NIMBY in Minnesota

"Would you want your young children to be exposed to potentially physically or sexually aggressive individuals on a daily basis?  There are laws against sexual predators being allowed this close to children."

A home for sex offenders?  A new jail?  A psych forensic unit next to an elementary school?  Nope.  Just an old folks home that provides safety and necessary care to people living with Alzheimer's.

Neighbors express shock upon learning that this type of facility was being planned in their neighborhood.  What they were hoping for was a new mini-mall with Starbucks and maybe a book store. According to the author, residents don't grasp "that such building are not secured to protect neighborhoods from marauding old people, but to keep wandering dementia patients from endangering themselves."  To read more . . .