November 2009

Dear U.S. Medicine Reader,

Our November issue will continue to focus on the issues of greatest importance to our U.S. Medicine readers, as well as this month, the subject of Depression.

In the aftermath of the tragedy at Fort Hood, it has been reported by the Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs that Fort Hood leaders have set up a Grieving Center at the Spiritual Fitness Center within the Resiliency Campus that is being staffed 24 hours a day with chaplains and Military Family Life counselors to help anyone in need.

Since the massacre, the Spiritual Fitness Center has doubled the number of chaplains and Military Family Life counselors on duty to ensure there are enough to meet with all of the people who feel that they would benefit from counseling according to Maj David Waweru, chaplain and on-site coordinator of the Spiritual Fitness Center.

We at U.S. Medicine extend our sincere condolences.

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“Clinical Focus” November - U.S. Medicine

Depression, and comorbid conditions that include the diagnosis of depression, are an enormous issue in the United States, and no less so in Tricare. According to a September 2008 report, the most recent from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics, the estimate is that in any 2-week period, 5.4% of Americans aged 12 years or older, or more than 1 in 20, are depressed.

The scope of the issue is no less pronounced in patients treated in Tricare. According to a recent study, screening rates for depression and PTSD and rates of mental health treatment were considerably higher among those VA outpatients than among similar patients in primary care in the private sector. According to a recent article published by the American Psychiatry Association, “Screening rates of depression and PTSD and rates of mental health treatment were considerably higher among the VA outpatients (in their study) than among similar patients in primary care in the private sector.” Similar trends exist in the DoD and IHS.

We estimate that more than 30% of our readers treat patients for depression, and are confident that the projection may be on the conservative side. Please tell us your opinion. We value your input.

Ken Senerth
Editor, U. S. Medicine

NOVEMBER ISSUE

SPECIAL SECTION: FOCUS ON DEPRESSION

Stress of War May Be Affecting the Mental Health of Teenagers of Military Parents
More...

CDC Explores the Relationship Between Diabetes and Depression
More...

VA Research Proves Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Helpful in Treating PTSD
More...

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TELL US YOUR OPINION

What percent of your patients are being treated for depression or a comorbid condition involving depression? And are they being treated adequately? Please e-mail us at editor@usmedicine.com

LATE BREAKING NEWS

Researchers reported in the Wall Street Journal that males at age 40 have a one in eight chance of suffering sudden cardiac death over the course of their lives. It is estimated that approximately 300,000 experience sudden cardiac death. Dr Muriel Jessup, a cardiologist from the University of Pennsylvania who headed the program committee for the American Heart Association, characterized the findings as “fairly astonishing data."

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE NOVEMBER ISSUE OF U. S. Medicine

H1N1 Update from Senate Committee
The good news is that the virus has not experienced any widespread mutation, so the targets used in the current vaccine are still viable and efficacious. On the other hand, problems on the production line significantly hampered vaccine creation in the early stages, resulting in fewer available vaccines.
Read More

Legislators Express Concern Regarding Environmental Hazards
Legislators focused much of their attention on ongoing environmental hazards, like the burn pits being utilized throughout the combat theater. Read More

Mobile Telehealth Units Evolve from Need Among Beneficiaries in Rural Areas
The DoD is planning to increase access to mental health services for beneficiaries living in rural areas through telehealth mobile units. The telehealth mobile units will be outfitted with video teleconferencing equipment that will allow beneficiaries to access telebehavioral health services from providers in a different location Read More

Hospital Partnership Conduct Annual Drill to Test Their Ability to Respond to Disaster
For the last 5 years, the entities in the partnership—NNMC, Suburban Hospital/Johns Hopkins Medicine, and the National Institutes of Health—have joined together for an annual drill on the grounds of NNMC to test their ability to respond to a major disaster. The partnership began in 2004, and links military, federal, and private mass casualty medical response efforts within the National Capital Area Read More

Ken Senerth
Editor, U.S. Medicine
39 York Street
Lambertville, NJ 08530

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November 2009