What's new in child and youth mental health, behavioral health, Wraparound and Coordinated Care?
Tune into what's new in wraparound, coordinated care and behavioral health. Here are some top stories:
1. Health IT interoperability needed to improve team-based care coordination
The Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange recently released a new report that demonstrates health IT's role in closing large care coordination gaps across the healthcare continuum. The study shows that automated data exchange is critical, because it will allow providers to deliver and coordinate care and manage payments while working to improve patient outcomes. Greater education and communication will help providers and systems of care overcome these challenges.
“Many providers are unable to seamlessly access or share patient health information electronically with other organizations,” the report says. “As a result, they are unable to efficiently identify patients in need of healthcare services or deliver services according to evidence-based guidelines in a timely manner. Not closing these gaps in care significantly affects the quality and cost of care by contributing to adverse patient outcomes and inappropriate care.”
2. May 5th is the National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day!
This year, SAMSHA's National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day will take place on Thursday, May 5 at 7 p.m. EST in Washington, D.C. This year's theme is "Finding Help, Finding Hope," and the event, held at The George Washington University School of Media & Public Affairs Jack Morton Auditorium, will explore how communities can improve access to behavioral health services. The National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day aims to explore new ways to better support and improve outcomes for children, youth and young adults who experience mental and behavioral health challenges or substance abuse disorders.
3. Study shows that parents with autistic children who have more community support, have better health outcomes
Under 2% of the population is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These disorders are not only challenging for the children and youth who experience ASD, but can have a tremendous impact on the child's parents, family members, and caregivers. Parents consistently report higher stress levels, caregiving burden and depression when compared to parents who raise children with typical development.
The Concordia University researchers surveyed 56 healthy parents, who were asked to report their sources of formal social support, provided from healthcare or social services providers; and informal social support, provided through friends, family and the community. They were also asked to self-rate their health and recent somatic symptoms, and submitted blood samples to test for inflammation.
The study demonstrated a correlation between greater community-based social support and lower levels of inflammation - a precursor to a wide range of chronic illnesses.
4. NIH-funded study shows social media use contributes to depression in youth
A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine shows that the more time young adults spend using social media, the more likely they are to suffer from depression. They study's results were published in the April issue of the Depression and Anxiety journal.
"Because social media has become such an integrated component of human interaction, it is important for clinicians interacting with young adults to recognize the balance to be struck in encouraging potential positive use, while redirecting from problematic use," said senior author Brian A. Primack, M.D., Ph.D., director of Pitt's Center for Research on Media, Technology and Health.
Dr. Primack's team analyzed data from 1,787 adult participants, between ages 19 and 32, living in the U.S. On average, participants reported that they use social media 61 minutes per day and visit various social media accounts 30 times per week. More than 25% of the sample were classified as having high depression indicators.
