Rare Disorder Causes Voice Blindness
Phonagnosia, also known as “voice blindness,” is a disorder that allows a person to hear every characteristic of someone else’s voice, including whether it is male, female, young, old, or happy or sad. The only thing a phonagnosic can’t recognize is who the voice belongs to, according to an article in The Boston Globe. Read: Rare Disorder Causes Voice Blindness.
Massachusetts Passes Law to Protect Health Care Workers
On July 2, 2010, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed a law that will increase penalties for those who assault nurses and other health care workers. The law was passed in response to the increase in workplace violence in health care settings. Read: Massachusetts Passes Law to Protect Health Care Workers.
Risk Associated With Antibiotic Usage Among Dementia Patients
A recent study suggests that providing antibiotics to treat pneumonia in individuals with dementia may cause them to experience increased pain, depression, anxiety, and agitation, according to an article in The Boston Globe. Read: Risk Associated With Antibiotic Usage Among Dementia Patients.
Mexico Schools Teach Students Safety
Schools in Mexico are teaching students “shootout drills” as drug-related violence in the country continues to increase. Shootouts between government and gunmen have taken place in several school zones in recent months as the government has cracked down on drug cartels. Read: Mexico Schools Teach Students Safety.
Adderall Usage on the Rise Among College Students
Student use of Adderall is increasing on college campuses, according to a recent article in The Kansas State Collegian. Adderall is a prescription-strength stimulant used to manage Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Read: Adderall Usage on the Rise Among College Students.
Louisiana Passes Restraint and Seclusion Guidelines
The Louisiana State Board of Education is required to prepare and adopt guidelines regarding the use of restraint and seclusion of students with disabilities after H.B. 405 was passed in June. Read: Louisiana Passes Restraint and Seclusion Guidelines.
Suppressed Emotions Can Affect Social Interactions
We are attuned to others’ emotions because through their observation, we learn something about them, according to an article in The New York Times. Scientists have just begun to study what is referred to as “emotion regulation,” according to the article. Read: Suppressed Emotions Can Affect Social Interactions.
Massachusetts Youth Experts Develop Position Statement on Restraint and Seclusion
The Massachusetts Statewide Youth Experts held a series of youth-only forums in late 2009 to develop a position statement on restraint and seclusion prevention. The participating youth had experienced restraint and seclusion in different settings, including mental health, child welfare, juvenile justice, and school. They used their experience to create a statement with proposed reasons, practices, and values to prevent the use of restraints and seclusions. Read: Massachusetts Youth Experts Develop Position Statement on Restraint and Seclusion.
Hospitals Report Rise in Patient Delirium
Hospitals are reporting an increase in the number of patients who are affected by hospital delirium, according to a recent article in The New York Times. Delirium, which results in hallucinations, disorientation, and psychotic thoughts in patients, usually affects those over age 70. The cause is unknown, though believed triggers include infections, surgery, pneumonia, and other procedures that spur anxiety. Other possible causes include some medications, interrupted sleep, and isolation. Patients are usually in intensive care or post surgery. Read: Hospitals Report Rise in Patient Delirium.
Staten Island Opens Mental Health Court
Defendants will have a chance to complete a court-ordered treatment program instead of serving jail time in a new mental health court recently opened in Staten Island, New York. The court is designed for defendants who have been indicted for offenses related to a persistent mental health problem, but those charged with DWI, arson, gun possession, sex crimes, homicide, or other extremely violent crimes are not eligible. Defendants must also plead guilty to be eligible. In addition, the district attorney may ask for the crime victim’s input before defendant is considered. Read: Staten Island Opens Mental Health Court.
South Carolina Hospitals Provide Remote Treatment With Telepsychiatry
The South Carolina Department of Mental Health began piloting a system to provide patients with remote consultations through a secure interactive system in areas where mental health resources are scarce.
Previously, these patients were held in small guarded rooms in hospital emergency departments until they could receive evaluations, sometimes for days at a time. Read: South Carolina Hospitals Provide Remote Treatment With Telepsychiatry.
UN Seeks to End Shock Treatment at Boston Area School
At the Judge Rotenberg Center, a school for students suffering from severe emotional and psychiatric behaviors, including autism-like disorders, skin shock is a treatment that can be administered after court and parent approval. Read: UN Seeks to End Shock Treatment at Boston Area School.
Missouri Updates Law With Seclusion and Restraint Policy
Missouri law (RSMo 160.263) has been updated to require school districts in the state to develop a policy on the use of seclusion and restraint. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education was directed to develop a model policy. By July 1, 2011, each local board of education for each district must adopt a written policy that addresses restrictive behavioral interventions. The policy must include definitions of restraint, seclusion, and time-out; a description of circumstances under which restrictive behavioral interventions may be used; requirements associated with interventions, such as time limits and training requirements; and documentation associated with use of restraints. Read: Missouri Updates Law With Seclusion and Restraint Policy.
Georgia Schools Pass Ban on Seclusion, Limit on Restraints
The Georgia State Board of Education passed a ban this week that no longer allows the state’s schools to place students in solitary confinement. It also limits the use of restraint for use only when the student is an immediate danger to himself or others, and is not responsive to other de-escalation techniques. Read: Georgia Schools Pass Ban on Seclusion, Limit on Restraints.
Studies Suggest Link Between Parent Smoking and Kids’ Weight and Behavior
Recent studies show a connection between parents who smoke and their children, who weigh more and misbehave more than other children. The results of the studies were published in the July issue of Pediatrics. Read: Studies Suggest Link Between Parent Smoking and Kids’ Weight and Behavior.
Police Officers Undergo Mental Health Training Course
Police officers from several police departments in Massachusetts are now better equipped to handle crisis situations they encounter as a result of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training they recently received from the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) of Berkshire County. Read: Police Officers Undergo Mental Health Training Course.
Cyberbullying a Growing Concern for Schools
Schools around the country are confronted with challenges on whether and how to deal with students and online bullying, according to a recent article in The New York Times. “Cyberbullying,” an evolving term which can encompass anything from mean text messages to sexual harassment through social media sites like Facebook, has affected one in five middle school students, according to a 2010 study conducted by the Cyberbullying Research Center. Read: Cyberbullying a Growing Concern for Schools.
College Campuses Face Academic Bullying
At the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) conference, held recently in Washington, DC, academic bullying was addressed as an increasing concern in higher education workplaces, according to an article in Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine. Read: College Campuses Face Academic Bullying.
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