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Thousands of military personnel have been dismissed for
"personality disorders" since the war in Iraq began.
The
military says the soldiers had pre-existing mental conditions that it
is not responsible for treating. But soldiers, their families and
veterans' groups counter that the mental condition is post-traumatic
stress disorder caused by their experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Daniel
Zwerdling says if a soldier's medical unit diagnoses him with PTSD, the
treatment could last months and make the military liable for the
soldier's disability benefits. But if the soldier is diagnosed with a
personality disorder — a condition that predates his military service —
then the treatment would only last a couple weeks and the military
would not be liable for the disability benefits.
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Among elderly patients
who have recovered from an episode of major depression, maintenance
treatment with antidepressant drugs is superior to placebo in
preserving the improvements in health-related quality of life,
according to a recent report.
"Depression is one of the major causes of decline in the
health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) of elderly persons," write
Dr. Alexandre Y. Dombrovski and colleagues, in the Journal of the
American Geriatrics Society.
The researchers, from University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
examined the effectiveness of antidepressant maintenance therapy
with paroxetine and interpersonal psychotherapy in retaining the
gains in HR-QOL achieved during initial short-term treatment in
patients 70 years or older with depression.
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A review of thousands of patient records has turned up a previously
unknown risk associated with a popular weight loss operation — suicide.
In bariatric surgery, the stomach is made smaller so as to speed
weight loss. The risk of dying from bariatric surgery is about 1
ipercent, most studies show, and complications strike up to 40 percent
of patients. In addition to being overweight, these patients often have
health problems like diabetes and heart disease, so it’s no surprise
they also have higher death rates from natural causes.
But a review of nearly 17,000 weight-loss surgeries performed in Pennsylvania from 1995 to 2004 has yielded a surprising finding. Of
the 440 deaths in the group, 16 were due to suicide or drug overdose,
according to the University of Pittsburgh researchers who reviewed the
data. Based on the suicide rate in the general population, no more than
three suicides should have occurred in the group, the study authors
say. More troubling is the fact that another 14 of the drug overdoses
that were reported likely include some suicides, suggesting that the
real suicide rate was even higher. “There is a substantial excess of
suicide deaths, even excluding those listed only as drug overdose,'’
the researchers noted.
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The House on Monday urged health agencies to expand research into postpartum depression
problems that affect up to one-fifth of new mothers and can, if
untreated, lead to more serious psychoses. Democrats also accepted a GOP-backed
provision that approves a National Institutes of Mental Health study
into the psychological consequences of abortions.
The bill passed 382-3 and now goes to the Senate.
The measure encourages the NIMH, as well as the Health and Human Services secretary and the National Institutes of Health,
to aggressively pursue ongoing studies into postpartum depression and
carry out a national campaign to increase awareness of the issue. It
authorizes the spending of $3 million for these purposes.
With increased attention on the issue, said bill sponsor Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., "no longer will postpartum depression be dismissed as mere 'baby blues.'"
In a compromise reached with Rep. Joseph Pitts,
R-Pa., an anti-abortion leader, the bill also includes a nonbinding
sense of Congress endorsing studies into mental health issues related
to abortions and miscarriages.
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A House committee yesterday advanced legislation requiring employers
to provide the same insurance coverage for mental illness as they do
for other medical services, a move insurers warn would lead to higher
medical expenses for businesses.
The House Energy and
Commerce Committee passed the bill 32-13, sending it to the floor. A
competing bill was approved last month by the Senate, which the health
insurance lobby and the Bush administration strongly support.
President
Bush has indicated he is in favor of parity for mental health care
coverage, but hasn't pledged to sign either version of the legislation.
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