Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Military Suicides Up 15% In 2020
USA Today: Military Suicides: Deaths By Suicide Spike 15% In 2020 From 2019
Suicide among U.S. troops increased 15% in 2020 from the previous year, a troubling trend that has defied Pentagon initiatives to prevent service members from taking their own lives. In 2020, 580 troops died by suicide compared with 504 in 2019, according to figures confirmed Wednesday night for USA TODAY by congressional and Defense Department sources. The sources were not authorized to speak publicly about the figures, which the Pentagon plans to release on Thursday. In 2018, there were 543 suicide deaths among troops. It's not clear why there was a decrease in 2019 followed by a jump in 2020, according to the Defense Department official. (Vanden Brook, 9/29)
In news about mental health and addiction —
Roll Call: House Group Unveils Bipartisan Mental Health, Addiction Legislative Plan
A bipartisan group of 144 House lawmakers plans to unveil their agenda Wednesday for expanding access to mental health care and combating the growing drug epidemic after overdose deaths hit new highs, CQ Roll Call has learned first exclusively. The group plans to announce its agenda of 66 bills and one resolution during a midday Wednesday news conference. The 48-page bipartisan blueprint outlining the group's legislative goals includes 12 policy subcategories including prevention, treatment, rural and underserved communities, workforce development, first responders, interdiction, children and families, veterans, prescribing, education, health care access and health parity. (Raman, 9/29)
NPR: California May Be First State To Try Treatment That Pays Meth Users Not To Use
When Billy Lemon was trying to kick his methamphetamine addiction, he went to a drug treatment program at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation three times a week and peed in a cup. If it tested negative for meth, he got paid about $7. "For somebody who had not had any legitimate money – without committing felonies – that seemed like a cool thing," says Lemon, who was arrested three times for selling meth before starting recovery. The payments were part of a formal addiction treatment called contingency management, which incentivizes drug users with money or gift cards to stay off drugs. At the end of 12 weeks, after all his drug tests came back negative for meth, Lemon received $330. But for him, it was about more than just the money. It was being told, good job. (Dembosky, 9/30)
Axios: Mikese Morse's Case Highlights How Florida Fails Those With Mental Illness
After 13 years of living with mental illness and three years battling in court, Mikese Morse is finally getting mental health treatment. The cost: another man’s life. Mikese’s saga illustrates how Florida treats those in need of involuntary mental health care — as criminals, relying on cops and courts to solve problems that need medical intervention — with potentially tragic results. (San Felice, 9/30)
In other mental health news —
Insider: Van Life Can Cause Isolation, Mental Health Struggles: Experts
Licensed psychologist and crisis response expert Diana Concannon, PsyD, who is dean of the California School of Forensic Studies at Alliant International University, told Insider that van living is an attractive option for many because of rising housing costs and the dramatic increase in remote work-life options resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. But along with the freedom, the financial benefits, and the potential for a viral Instagram account, diving into van life can also be challenging, in particular when it comes to mental health. (Dodgson, 9/28)
WAVY.Com: Virginia Beach Councilman Proposes Grant For Mental Health Worker Recruitment
Virginia Beach Councilman Michael Berlucchi is proposing a $200,000 grant to the Hampton Roads Workforce Council to address recruitment and retention of mental health care providers in the City of Virginia Beach. Berlucchi believes action must be taken on the mental health crisis in Virginia and the impact it has had in Virginia Beach throughout the pandemic, according to a news release. He believes this program will improve access and delivery services to residents of Virginia Beach who experience mental illness. (Hazzard, 9/30)
The New York Times: Judge Frees Britney Spears From Father's Control
For more than a decade, Britney Spears bristled behind closed doors at the court-approved control her father, James P. Spears, held over her life and fortune. Now, for the first time since 2008, Ms. Spears, 39, will be without her father’s oversight, a Los Angeles judge has ruled, as the singer moves toward terminating her conservatorship altogether. (Coscarelli, Jacobs and Day, 9/29)
CNN: Monica Lewinsky Details Mental Health Struggles She Endured During Clinton Affair Scandal
Monica Lewinsky reflected on the mental health struggles she endured in the 1990s amid the scandal surrounding her affair with then-President Bill Clinton, detailing in a new interview the toll it took and how she has reclaimed her story in the years since. Lewinsky, a former White House intern, told CNN's David Axelrod on an episode of "The Axe Files" podcast released Thursday that the investigation into the scandal, which captured the nation's attention for years and eventually led to Clinton's impeachment, caused her to have suicidal ideations. (Cole, 9/30)
