Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Wait Lists For Therapy Are Huge And 'Not Going Away,' Psychologists Say
The Washington Post: A Psychiatry Wait List Had 880 Patients; A Hospital Couldn’t Keep Up
This summer, Massachusetts General Hospital had a staggering 880 people on its wait list for psychiatric services. The list had grown so large that the hospital issued an unusual plea to its physicians: Stop referring psychiatry patients for non-urgent care. “Our triage staff is not able to make any progress in this wait list with the current number of incoming referrals,” the Aug. 18 letter to physicians said. (Zimmerman, 10/29)
The Washington Post: 10 Ways To Get Mental Health Help During Therapist Shortage
A significant number of mental health professionals are not accepting new clients. Others have long waiting lists. The Washington Post asked mental health professionals what advice they would give people who are struggling to find a therapist. About 300 experts from across the country responded with advice on getting an appointment — and tips on what people can do in the meantime to try to help themselves. Here are their recommendations. (Bever, 10/29)
More on mental health and depression —
NPR: Ketamine Lifts Depression Longer With Positive Feedback
Computer games designed to boost self-esteem appear to prolong the antidepressant benefits of the mind-bending anesthetic ketamine. A recent study of 154 people found that those who played games featuring smiling faces and positive messages remained free of depression up to three months after a ketamine infusion, a team reports in the American Journal of Psychiatry. (Hamilton, 10/31)
The New York Times: Young People On TikTok Are Self-Diagnosing
In recent years, discussions about mental health have proliferated on social media, particularly on TikTok, where the format allows for easily digestible, intimate videos that appear in a never-ending algorithmic feed. And for those researching various disorders, it has become increasingly easy to find bite-sized definitions and self-assessment quizzes online. While this bounty of unfiltered resources can serve to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness, there are downsides. (Caron, 10/29)
North Carolina Health News: Suicide Prevention: “Ask A Question, Save A Life”
Twenty-seven years ago on Valentine’s Day, Fonda Bryant had decided to kill herself. She credits a perceptive relative for stepping in and saving her life. Today, Bryant is a certified suicide prevention instructor and begins each hour and a half training by sharing her own story of living with clinical depression as a suicide attempt survivor. (Knopf, 10/31)
If you are in need of help —
Dial 9-8-8 for 24/7 support from the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It's free and confidential.
Also —
San Francisco Chronicle: Ex-Girlfriend Of Suspect In Paul Pelosi Attack Says He Struggled With Mental Illness, Drugs, Believed He Was ‘Jesus For A Year’
The imprisoned longtime partner of David DePape, the suspect in the attack on U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul, said Sunday that mental illness and drug use had caused him to deteriorate so profoundly that he once grew convinced that “he was Jesus for a year.” (MIshanec, 10/30)
