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Research Highlights Archive: Mental Health
2009 — 2008 — 2007 — 2006 — 2005 — 2004 and Prior
2009
Research Highlights represent a selected portion of RAND Health research. For more, browse all RAND Health research.
Do adults get adequate care for depression in Medicaid? — November 20, 2009
Racial minorities and individuals who had an inpatient psychiatric stay for depression are markedly less likely to receive adequate depression treatment in Medicaid.
Coping with both depression and chronic pain — November 17, 2009
Depression treatment improves mental health and reduces chronic pain.
What constitutes "meaningful use" of electronic medical records (EMRs) for mental health care? — November 12, 2009
In Congressional testimony to the Health Information Technology Policy Committee of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, a RAND expert examines how meaningful use of EMRs should be defined for psychiatry and behavioral health.
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More health information technology research
Measuring the effectiveness of psychotherapy — November 11, 2009
A patient questionnaire is a promising approach for assessing psychotherapy in quality improvement interventions.
What is "usual care" for depression? — November 9, 2009
Many depressed patients are receiving recommended psychotherapy but better tools are needed to monitor and improve the quality of usual psychotherapeutic care.
Why do some kids cope better with maltreatment? — November 4, 2009
Well developed social and problem solving skills, greater ability to adapt, and positive peer relationships help to protect some children from the harmful consequences of being mistreated.
Improving minority youth outcomes for depression — October 29, 2009
Quality improvement interventions may help to reduce disparities in mental health outcomes for youths from racial and ethnic minority groups.
Social marketing: a promising strategy for promoting uptake of interventions — October 27, 2009
This study found that social marketing, which applies marketing techniques to promote behavioral change, is a promising approach for promoting implementation of evidence-based interventions in integrated healthcare systems.
How fathers' supportiveness for children affects mothers' mental health — October 26, 2009
This paper focuses on the trajectories of mothers' perceived supportiveness from a biological child's father and their mental health status five years after the birth.
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Helping depressed teens has multiple payoffs — October 10, 2009
Depression hampers teens' functioning at school, at home, and among their peers.
Training addiction counselors to deliver depression therapy — October 9, 2009
Individuals with alcohol and other drug (AOD) disorders frequently suffer from depression. Training AOD counselors to deliver cognitive-behavioral therapy for depression would increase substance abusers' access to needed mental health services.
Depressed teens may acknowledge they have a problem but many are not yet ready to seek treatment — September 28, 2009
Depressed teens in primary care settings who say they are ready for treatment are much more likely to receive it.
Adolescents overestimate their chance of dying soon — September 14, 2009
Adolescents report an exaggerated sense of mortality; estimates are higher for youth who report direct threats, such as an unsafe neighborhood.
Programs to improve depression care for youth have long-term benefits — September 9, 2009
A collaborative approach to improving depression care for youth in primary care reduces the likelihood of severe depression 18 months after the program ends.
Strengthening the personal networks of homeless women — July 13, 2009
About two-thirds of homeless women have relationships that are low-risk and supportive, although tenuous. The women need help to strengthen these relationships.
Integrating treatment for substance abuse and mental health disorders — June 29, 2009
Clients, counselors, and administrators view a cognitive behavioral treatment for co-occurring disorders as useful and acceptable
Mental health history and gender disparities in insomnia — June 3, 2009
Gender disparities in insomnia symptoms may be driven by higher prevalence of affective disorders among women.
How teenagers and parents view care for depression makes all the difference — May 28, 2009
Evidence-based care for adolescent depression is available, but both teens and parents report barriers to seeking care, including worry about what others think and cost and access to care.
Mental health issues remain for returning vets — April 26, 2009
Efforts are being made to increase access to mental health care for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, but many challenges remain, include veterans' reluctance to seek care, insufficient mental health workforce capacity and competency in evidence-based practice, and inadequate support for improving care.
A better measure of depression among substance abusers — April 20, 2009
The BDI-II and the PHQ-9, two common measures of depression, are appropriate to use with individuals who are also substance abusers. The PHQ-9 may be better for measuring depression among substance abusers than the BDI-II because the PHQ-9 is more sensitive, shorter, easier to administer, and has no per-administration cost.
Fifth graders who experienced discrimination are more likely to have mental health problems — April 14, 2009
Perceived racial/ethnic discrimination is not an uncommon experience among fifth-grade students and may be associated with a variety of mental health disorders.
Disparities in use of fifth graders' use of mental health care. — April 14, 2009
Black and Hispanic children are less likely than white children to use mental health care services; the disparity for black children remains even after taking into account both sociodemographic characteristics and their mental health need.
Pain heightens anxiety — April 10, 2009
VA patients with moderate-severe pain are at high risk for psychological distress, which often goes unrecognized.
Providing help for traumatized students — April 2009
Many students have been exposed to trauma, but mental health clinicians are a scare resource in schools. A pilot program that can be implemented by teachers and school counselors holds promise for expanding access to care and warrants full-scale evaluation.
People in poor health less likely to be prepared for disaster — March 18, 2009
People who report fair/poor general health and probable serious mental illness are less likely to say they have disaster supplies in their household and an emergency communication plan.
Depressed patients have higher health care costs--except for mental health care — March 5, 2009
Medicare beneficiaries with depression in fee-for-services plans have higher total health care costs than those without depression, except for specialty mental health care, which accounted for less than 1% of total healthcare costs.
Nurses' professional collaboration involves complex political dynamics — February 27, 2009
This study of interprofessional work relations within a Canadian mental health team revealed the complex political dynamics underlying nurses' efforts to establish and maintain their professional autonomy.
Symptoms of depression can generate conflict just when the depressed person needs support — February 16, 2009
Women who report higher levels of depression are more likely to report greater interpersonal conflict and fewer supportive interactions. In part, their depressive symptoms may cause others to reject them.
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