Information related to managed care, behavioral health, Medicare, sustainability, and other administrative issues

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Issues Public Health Advisory on Cautions for Use of Antidepressants in Adults and Children

On March 22, 2004, the FDA issued a Public Health Advisory that provides further cautions to physicians, their patients, and families and caregivers of patients about the need to closely monitor both adults and children with depression, especially at the beginning of treatment or when the doses are either increased or decreased. The FDA is continuing to review available clinical trial data for pediatric patients with depression and other psychiatric disorders to determine whether there is evidence that some or all antidepressants increase the risk of suicidality in children.

To read the complete article, visit   http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/2004/ANS01283.html .

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Important News for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Grant Applicants

Each year, SAMHSA, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, announces numerous funding opportunities through which States, tribes, community- and faith-based organizations, and others can apply for grants. This year, many new funding opportunities will be available. SAMHSA has produced a short Webcast that provides an overview of the grants application process and directs interested parties to the latest information on its discretionary grants. Anyone interested in applying for a SAMHSA grant is encouraged to view this program to ensure that he or she is clear on the latest application procedures and critical requirements. SAMHSA's goal is to have every grant application qualify for review, and this brief Webcast provides important information that every applicant needs to know.

To view the Webcast and obtain additional related resources, visit http://grantstraining.samhsa.gov/ .

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More Than 380,000 Children Diagnosed With Multiple Mental Health Problems

According to the first study to provide reliable, national estimates of young children's use of mental health services, almost one-third of the 1.3 million children in the U.S. mental health system (388,635) have been diagnosed with two or more psychiatric disorders, a condition that makes them significantly more difficult and expensive to treat. The older the children, the more likely they were to have co-occurring disorders and a broader range of problems, the study found.

Complete details can be found in the Winter 2004 Issue Brief of the Rutgers University Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research (Vol. 3, No. 1). To view the Issue Brief, visit http://www.ihhcpar.rutgers.edu/downloads/winter2004.pdf .

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New Estimate of the Economic Burden of Depression: Getting Treatment Doesn't Break the Bank

This report provides an estimate of the economic burden of depressive disorders as of 2000. Although the number of people suffering from depressive disorders in the United States remained relatively stable from 1990 to 2000, the overall treatment rate increased by over 50 percent. As a result of successful outreach and a shift toward less costly forms of treatment, the annual direct cost per treated patient decreased substantially, from approximately $4,100 in 1990 to $3,300 in 2000. The economic burden—adjusting for inflation—rose just 7 percent. The current cost is roughly $83 billion. Lower direct costs per treated case seem to imply greater value obtained for only slightly more expenditures.

For the complete article, visit http://www.ag-inc.com/pa_healthcare.htm and click “Money Can't Buy Happiness . . .” ( Business & Health, April 15, 2004).