Psychiatric services : a journal of the American Psychiatric Association
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Length of stay (LOS) and boarding in the emergency department (ED) for psychiatric patients have been the subject of concern, given the problems with crowding and excessive wait times in EDs. This investigation examined correlates of LOS and boarding in Florida EDs for patients presenting with psychiatric complaints from 2010 to 2013. ⋯ Extended LOS was endemic for psychiatric patients in Florida EDs.
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Young adults with behavioral health conditions (mental or substance use disorders) often lack access to care. In 2010, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) extended eligibility for dependent coverage under private health insurance, allowing young adults to continue on family plans until age 26. The objective of this study was to analyze out-of-pocket (OOP) spending as a share of total health care expenditures for young adults with behavioral health conditions before and after the implementation of the ACA dependent care provision. The study examined the population of young adults with behavioral health conditions overall and by race and ethnicity. ⋯ The extension of health insurance coverage to young adults with behavioral health disorders has provided them with additional financial protection, which can be important given the low incomes and high debt burden that characterize the age group.
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This study examined the distribution of opioid prescribing across providers and patients and the extent to which concentrated distribution predicts opioid misuse. ⋯ Whereas current policies emphasize reducing opioid prescriptions across all patients and providers, study results suggest that focusing policies on high-volume opioid users and prescribers may be more beneficial.
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Opioid analgesic abuse is a complex and relatively new public health problem, and to date little is known about how the news media frame the issue. ⋯ Findings underscore the need for a concerted effort to reframe opioid analgesic abuse as a treatable condition addressable via well-established public and behavioral health approaches.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Using the WHODAS 2.0 to Assess Functioning Among Veterans Seeking Compensation for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
One of the major changes in DSM-5 was removal of the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF). To determine whether the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) is a suitable replacement for the GAF, this study compared how well the WHODAS 2.0 and the GAF measured functional impairment and other phenomena related to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among veterans applying for financial compensation (service connection) for PTSD. ⋯ The WHODAS 2.0 and IPF are acceptable replacements for the GAF and can be used to assess functional impairment among veterans seeking compensation for PTSD.