Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Youth Suicide Rates Up In States Where Gun Ownership Is High, 10-Year Study Finds
KCUR: Youth Suicide Rates Are Higher In States With High Gun Ownership, According To A New Study
Rates of youth suicide are higher in states with high gun ownership, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Researchers studied 10 years of teenage suicide rates and found that gun ownership "is a factor that really is highly predictive for what the youth suicide rate is going to be," said Dr. Michael Siegel, a professor at the Boston University School of Public Health and one of the paper's authors. (Bandlamudi, 1/14)
The Star Tribune: Sexual Abuse Allegations From 15 Years Ago Leads To License Revocation For Minneapolis Psychologist
The discovery of alleged sexual abuse of a teenage patient 15 years ago has prompted the Minnesota Board of Psychology to revoke the license of a Minneapolis psychologist — even though he has since retired and his license has expired. The board order, issued last month, prohibits Herman Thompson, 70, from practicing psychology in the state. Records show he was accused of multiple sexual incidents from 2003 through 2005 with a male teenage patient who had suffered a childhood of parental abuse, behavioral problems and multiple foster care placements. (Olson, 1/17)
Richmond Times-Dispatch: Va. Senate Passes Bill To Bar Death Penalty For Seriously Mentally Ill
State senators passed a bill Thursday to bar the death penalty for the seriously mentally ill. The same bill was tabled last year to be studied by the Virginia State Crime Commission. But the commission didn’t address it, and the legislation sponsored by Sen. Barbara Favola, D-Arlington, now heads to the House of Delegates after passing the Senate 23-17. (Wilson, 1/17)
Des Moines Register: Mental Health In Iowa: Rural Hospital Strives To Keep Psychiatric Unit Open
St. Anthony Regional Hospital's leaders couldn't bring themselves to do what eight other rural Iowa hospitals have done in recent years: Shutter their psychiatric unit. The Carroll hospital's board nearly pulled the plug several years ago. The inpatient mental-health program was losing money, and it struggled to keep psychiatrists and other professionals on staff. (Leys, 1/17)
Houston Chronicle: UTHealth Plans To Build New Mental Health Hospital
The campus is a joint project with the Texas State Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). It is being funded by $125 million from the state that the 2017 Legislative Budget Board approved and sent to Gov. Gregg Abbott with the goal of improving mental health care statewide. Stephen Glazier, the chief operating officer of the UTHealth Harris County Psychiatric Center and future COO of the new campus, explained that the name for the hospital comes from the continuing care that UTHealth and HHSC aim to provide once it opens, giving their patients better health. (Maness, 1/17)
