Ranking America's Mental Health: An Analysis of Depression Across the States
Satellite Newsfeed Notification
WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 /PRNewswire/ --
Details: Depression is a devastating illness that affects more than 19million Americans. Despite its prevalence, depression often goes undiagnosedand untreated. Ranking America's Mental Health is a first-of-its-kind studyexamining the statistical relationship between a variety of access-to-caremeasures and mental health outcomes for depression. Mental Health America willunveil the findings of this study and present a ranking of depression acrossthe states.
Mental Health America created two different rankings of the states: oneshowing the state rankings of depression and one showing the state rank interms suicide rates. The depression rankings were based on the percent ofadolescents and adults with depression, the percent of adults with seriouspsychological distress and reported mental health days. The data come fromnationally representative surveys conducted by the United States government.
State Rankings and more information about the study is available atwww.mentalhealthamerica.net
The state rankings of depression status were correlated with statisticallysignificant access-to-care measures. The study found the following 5 factorsto be associated with better depression status and lower suicide rates:
Mental health resources: The more mental health professionals per capitain a state, the lower the suicide rate.
Barriers to treatment: The fewer people reporting that they could notafford healthcare, the lower the suicide rate and the better the state'sdepression status. In addition, the fewer people reporting unmet mentalhealth care needs, the better the state's depression status.
Mental health treatment utilization: The more people receiving mentalhealth treatment, the lower the suicide rate.
Socioeconomic issues: The more educated the population and the greater thepercentage with health insurance, the lower the suicide rate. The moreeducated the population, the better the state's depression status.
Mental health policies: The more generous a state's mental health paritycoverage (meaning the state provide health insurance coverage for mentalhealth and substance abuse problems similar to general health coverage),the more people receive mental health services.
About the reports: The research looks at data from 2002-2006 and wasconducted from July to November 2007. The report compares depression levelsand suicide rates in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and uses theinformation to highlight solutions to improve states' mental health status."Ranking America's Mental Health: An Analysis of Depression Across the States"was supported through an unrestricted educational grant from WyethPharmaceuticals.
Satellite Feed/Pathfire Package will include
-- Dr. David L. Shern, Ph.D., President and CEO, Mental Health America,
will present the key findings of the study, with additional remarks
from Dr. Reef Karim, UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, and Dr. William
Halal, Ph.D., mental health consumer advocate.
-- Graphics - including US Map of Most Depressed States and Most Mentally
Healthy States.
SATELLITE TIMES AND COORDINATES: Trouble Number for all feeds:202-662-7594/7555
ALL FEEDS: C-band, Galaxy 26, Transponder 13 - Orbital Slot: 93 W - D/L:3960 (V) 3 Feeds: Thursday, November 29, 2007
2:00 to 2:30 p.m. ET & 5:00 to 5:15 p.m. ET
Friday, November 30, 2007
10:00 to 10:15 a.m. ET
PATHFIRE DIRECTIONS: In the DMG Content Provider Panel Select New, VideoNews Feeds, VNF Provider A. Select the Tab Mental Health Association; Locate7ND022, Slug "Report Reveals Links Between States' Mental Health Status...
Mental Health America (formerly known as the National Mental HealthAssociation) is the country's leading nonprofit dedicated to helping allpeople live mentally healthier lives. With our more than 320 affiliatesnationwide, we represent a growing movement of Americans who promote mentalwellness for the health and well-being of the nation.SOURCE Mental Health AmericaDavid Steiner of NDM, +1-586-552-1829, for Mental Health America
