Psychiatric services : a journal of the American Psychiatric Association
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This study estimated trends in the duration of emergency department visits from 2001 to 2006 and compared duration by presenting complaint-mental health related or non-mental health related. ⋯ From 2001 to 2006, the duration of emergency department visits made by patients presenting with mental health complaints and visits made by all other patients increased at similar rates. However, the longer visits for certain groups of mental health patients suggest that emergency departments incur higher costs in connection with the delivery of services to persons in need of acute stabilization.
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The federal government boosted support for community health centers in medically underserved areas in 2002-2007. This investigation compared trends in behavioral health services provided by community health centers nationwide during the first several years of that initiative with immediately prior trends. ⋯ The behavioral health care safety net has widened through rapid recent growth in the number of community health centers as well as a continuing increase in the proportion offering specialty mental health services.
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This column describes federal and state laws to restrict access to firearms among people with mental illness. The contribution to public safety of these laws is likely to be small because only 3%-5% of violent acts are attributable to serious mental illness, and most do not involve guns. The categories of persons with mental illnesses targeted by the laws may not be at higher risk of violence than other subgroups in this population. The laws may deter people from seeking treatment for fear of losing the right to possess firearms and may reinforce stereotypes of persons with mental illnesses as dangerous.
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Comparative Study
End-of-life care for veterans with schizophrenia and cancer.
This study compared the quality of end-of-life care between veterans with and without schizophrenia who died of cancer in the northwestern United States. ⋯ On most measures, veterans with schizophrenia who died of cancer received comparable or better end-of-life care than veterans without mental illness.
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This study examined emergency department use among Medicare beneficiaries with serious mental disorders. ⋯ Emergency department use was common in the sample. Within each eligibility category, use varied by psychiatric diagnostic category and presence of a substance-related claim.