Flowers, toys and notes are seen at the site where pharmacist Dimitris Christoulas shot himself in the head because of poverty brought on by the crisis that has put millions out of work, in Athens’ Syntagma square April 27, 2012
(STAFF, REUTERS / April 28, 2012)
WEDNESDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) — More patients and families are using Facebook to seek kidney donations, but it’s not clear if doing do improves the chances of obtaining a donor organ, a new study finds.
Researchers from Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Ill., examined 91 Facebook pages that were seeking kidney donations for patients aged 2 to 69 and found that 12 percent of the pages reported receiving a kidney transplant and 30 percent reported that potential donors had come forward to be tested for compatibility.
One page reported that more than 600 people had been tested as potential donors for a child, according to the study recently presented at a meeting of the National Kidney Foundation.
On kidney solicitation pages where identities could be determined, the researchers found that 37 percent of the pages were created by patients, 31 percent by patient’s children, and 32 percent by other family members or friends of patients.
There was wide variation in the amount of personal information revealed on the pages. Some pages simply asked people to donate, without providing any other information. Other patients offered extensive details about patients who needed kidneys, including medical history, family photos and emotional stories about hospital stays, emergency room visits, financial problems and the difficulties of living on dialysis.
White patients and those with more than 50 posts by other people were most likely to succeed in having people agree to be tested to determine if they were compatible to donate a kidney, said kidney specialist Dr. Alexander Chang, a nephrology fellow at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, and colleagues.
They noted a number of ethical concerns. Three percent of the pages received offers to sell kidneys, mostly from people in Third World countries. Would-be donors typically asked for $30,000 to $40,000. Selling organs is illegal.
Only 5 percent of the pages seeking donations mentioned the risks of kidney donations, and only 11 percent mentioned the associated costs.
“Use of social media could be an effective way to solicit kidney donation, but more study is needed to determine how to do this safely and with enough knowledge to make informed decisions,” Chang said in a Loyola news release.
More information
The National Kidney Foundation has more about kidney transplantation.
– Robert Preidt
SOURCE: Loyola University Medical Center, news release, May 28, 2012
Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
LONDON
Britain’s Treasury on Thursday ditched plans to limit tax relief on donations to charity — the latest reversal on policies outlined in a fast-unraveling annual budget.
Treasury chief George Osborne announced in his March budget that he would limit the amount philanthropists could claim off their tax bill amid concern people were donating only to minimize tax payments.
The government said limiting tax relief to 50,000 pounds ($77,000) or 25 percent of a donor’s income — whichever was higher — would save the Treasure 50 million to 80 million pounds ($77 million to $123 million) a year.
But the cap was condemned by charities and arts groups, who warned it would discourage donations.
Osborne said Thursday that the government had listened and would not impose the limit.
“It is clear from our conversations with charities that any kind of cap could damage donations and, as I said at the budget, that’s not what we want at all,” he said.
It is the government’s third embarrassing reversal in less than a week.
The Treasury on Tuesday scaled back plans to impose a new sales tax on hot savory snacks, and dramatically reduced a proposed levy on the sale of trailers, known as static caravans in Britain.
It previously ditched a planned levy on renovations to churches or other historic buildings.
Ed Balls, Treasury spokesman for the opposition Labour Party, said the budget had become “an embarrassing shambles.”
CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KFVS) -
How are you feeling today? You may be sad to hear Missouri ranks among the worst when it comes to mental health. That’s according to a new study combining data from federal health agencies.
The study listed Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee and Arkansas in the top ten for mental distress.
“It’s gorgeous here,” said Jessica Tygett-Self. “West of here it’s beautiful but the financial part of southeast Missouri is down and there’s a lot of drug problems.”
“Portions of the state may be down but I don’t think that’s true of Cape Girardeau and other areas north of us,” said Scott Shivelbine.
“I don’t think we’re all depressed but a lot of kids feel there’s not a lot to do about here other than go to the park or the movies,” said Seth Little.
Counselors in southeast Missouri say dozens of factors from abuse to genetics can trigger depression. But many people with moderate symptoms complain of economic strain and lack of opportunity.
“They either can’t find a job or the job they have doesn’t pay well,” said Jessica.
“You can’t fix poverty,” said Shivelbine. “In the Heartland we all want more jobs.”
“I know a lot of people that are unemployed and hopefully that will change with the new casino coming in,” said Alex McDaniel.
Counselors here also suggest many individuals go undiagnosed and untreated. People we spoke with feel for many, treatment is just too expensive.
“If you make $200 a month you can’t get medical coverage but you can’t live on $200 a month,” said Jessica.
Symptoms of depression include:
Bottom line, doctors say if you’re depressed, anxious or stressed it likely has to do with a lot more than where you live.
“I think this is a great place to live,” said McDaniel.
The people we spoke to who classified themselves as very happy said that was because of good relationships with family and friends and steady income. Missouri has earned points for proactive mental health programs.
Copyright 2012 KFVS. All rights reserved.
LONDON |
LONDON (Reuters) – Behind every suicide in crisis-stricken countries such as Greece there are up to 20 more people desperate enough to have tried to end their own lives.
And behind those attempted suicides, experts say there are thousands of hidden cases of mental illness, like depression, alcohol abuse and anxiety disorder, that never make the news, but have large and potentially long-lasting human costs.
The risk, according to some public health experts, is that if and when Greece’s economic woes are over, a legacy of mental illness could remain in a generation of young people damaged by too many years of life without hope.
“Austerity can turn a crisis into an epidemic,” said David Stuckler, a sociologist at Britain’s Cambridge University who has been studying the health impacts of biting budget cuts in Europe as the euro crisis lurches on.
“Job loss can lead to an accumulation of risks that can tip people into depression and severe mental illness which can be difficult to reverse – especially if people are not getting appropriate care,” Stuckler said.
“Untreated mental illness, just like other forms of illness, can escalate and develop into a problem that is much more difficult to treat later on.”
ACCUMULATION OF RISKS
Youth unemployment in Greece is more than 50 percent and evidence of peoples’ disaffection is becoming more visible.
The sight of groups of youths hanging around the streets getting high on illicit drugs is not uncommon in Athens, while a Greek pensioner who hanged himself in the capital on Wednesday was found with a note saying he had always worked hard but had got himself into debt.
Greece is in its fifth year of recession and the prospects for many are bleak. Economists reckon the austerity measures Greece is battling with – cuts the health minister characterized as being made with a butcher’s knife rather than a scalpel – offer it slim hope of recovery any time soon.
Those who have jobs are being hit with wage cuts or pay freezes, and live in constant fear of being the next employee to face the chop. Research has found this feeling of profound insecurity can do more psychological damage than anything else.
Peter Kinderman, a professor of clinical psychology at Britain’s University of Liverpool, says the mental health impact of all this turmoil will be rapid and dramatic.
“Instead of seeing a slow increase in the epidemiology of mental illness, what we’re seeing is what we predicted – that these economic impacts have rapid significance for our way of thinking about the world,” he told Reuters.
And while economic crises may have mental health effects, mental illness in turn has increasingly significant economic effects – raising the prospect of a vicious cycle.
According to a paper prepared for the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2011, the economic consequences of mental health problems – mainly in the form of lost productivity – are estimated to average between 3 and 4 percent of gross national product in European Union countries.
And because mental disorders often start in young adulthood, the loss of productivity can be long-lasting, experts say.
CRITICAL WINDOW
Stuckler says there is a “critical window” for connecting people in need of psychiatric help to the services that could benefit them, and talks of a “high risk phase” when vulnerable young people haven’t been able to realize what they hoped to do, and then feel like they’re being left behind in a recovery.
“You don’t want them to sink into being chronically unemployed,” he said. “Because that ends up increasing the costs and pressure on the welfare system further down the line”.
In Greece, suicide rates are already rising rapidly, albeit from a low starting point. Suicides rose by 17 percent between 2007 and 2009, and by 40 percent in the first half of 2011 compared with the same period in 2010, according to a report in the Lancet medical journal last year.
And judging from the experience of financial crises elsewhere, unemployment, poverty and insecurity will also lead to upward trends in demand for mental health services just as they are being cut back.
“Some people can be very profoundly affected … and end up unhappy and depressed for very long periods for time,” said Kinderman. “And I suspect some of the casualties in an economic downturn may undergo such fundamental changes in the way they understand themselves and the world, that that way of thinking will last.”
Peter Lloyd Sherlock, professor of social policy at Britain’s University of East Anglia, suggests looking to history for lessons. He points out that in Argentina, which experienced a dire financial downturn from 1999 to 2002, there was a 40 percent increase in consultations in mental health facilities in 2002, according to government data, and there was also a sharp increase in prescriptions of antidepressants.
Previous research has found that people who fall into unemployment and poverty have a significantly greater risk of mental health problems – and men are at especially increased risk of mental illness, suicide or alcohol abuse during hard times.
Evidence cited in the WHO report suggests the more debt people have, the more likely they are to have mental disorders.
“If the Greek economic woes were to continue for 10 years or more, probably the most important overall effect on mental and physical health will actually be a big increase in inequality,” Lloyd Sherlock said.
DO DEPRESSIONS ALWAYS BREED DEPRESSION?
But does economic depression always mean more psychological depression?
Not necessarily.
Public health experts point to some countries, such as Sweden and Finland, which in times of crisis managed to avoid increases in mental illness and suicide rates by investing in employment initiatives to help get people back on their feet.
In the early 1990s, Sweden underwent a severe bank crisis which sparked a rapid rise in unemployment, but suicide rates were broadly unaffected. In contrast, Spain, which had multiple banking crises in the 1970s and 1980s, saw suicide rates rise as unemployment rates did.
Some experts say a key differentiating factor was the extent to which resources were budgeted for social protection, such as family support, unemployment benefit and healthcare services.
Looking ahead to what he hopes may be less fragile financial times for Greece, Kinderman sounds an optimistic note. While there’s a risk of long-term psychological problems for some, he says, evidence also suggests the majority of people can bounce back if and when economic prospects brighten.
“If you have economic recovery, many people could spark back up into a more optimistic and more self-assured frame of mind relatively quickly,” he said. “The message for politicians is get the bloody economy right and we’ll start functioning again.”
(Editing by David Holmes)
May 31, 2012 6:07 pm
U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer
George Osborne bowed to political pressure and scrapped
proposals to include charitable donations in a cap on tax
relief, his third U-turn over a budget measure this week.
The cap, limiting tax relief to 50,000 pounds ($77,000) or
25 percent of income, had sparked protests from charities that
warned they could lose a significant part of their income.
The climbdown came three days after Osborne reversed a
plan to levy value-added tax on hot takeaway snacks such as
Cornish pasties and charge the full 20 percent rate on mobile
homes. The reversals are a setback for Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative-led government, which is losing support
as austerity measures intended to balance the budget hit voters.
Announcing the decision today, Osborne said that any kind
of cap could have “potentially damaged” charitable giving.
“We’re going to focus all our efforts on keeping Britain safe
in the gathering storm” in the euro region, he told
broadcasters. The cap on reliefs is due to begin in 2013.
Since the budget on March 21, the government has been in
talks with charities and donors to discuss the proposal. More
than 1,000 philanthropic groups backed a Charities Aid
Foundation call for the government to rethink.
“We are delighted that the government has responded to the
challenging calls from philanthropists and charities across the
country and taken the bold decision,” CAF Chief Executive
Officer John Low said in an e-mailed statement. “We realize
government is responding to truly exceptional financial
circumstances and is having to make tough decisions about public
finances.”
The cap was also opposed by academic institutions,
including the University of Oxford, which raised more than 1.25
billion pounds in its most recent fundraising drive.
Conservative lawmaker Zac Goldsmith said he was “ashamed” at
the plan.
The restriction was introduced to stop wealthy individuals
using unlimited reliefs to pay lower tax rates than ordinary
workers. The decision to exempt charitable giving may cost the
Treasury about 10 million pounds.
In other policy shifts this month, Justice Secretary Ken Clarke watered down proposals to have court evidence from
security agencies heard in secret and the Defense Ministry
ditched its plan to equip its aircraft carriers with a catapult
and arrester-wire system, opting for a cheaper solution using
jump jets.
Two weeks ago, Osborne pledged 30 million pounds to the
Church of England in compensation for adding VAT to the cost of
alterations to listing buildings.
Ed Balls, finance spokesman for the opposition Labour
Party, condemned the budget as an “embarrassing shambles” and
urged Osborne and Cameron to review their plan to cut the top
rate of income tax.
“With Britain pushed into a double-dip recession by the
government’s mistakes, we urgently need a change of course on
economic policy,” Balls said in a statement. “David Cameron
and George Osborne are not just out of touch — their judgment
is now increasingly in question.”
Labour expressed anger at the timing of the recent
announcements, during a week when Parliament is not sitting.
Today’s move also came as Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who is
facing pressure over his relationship with News Corp. at the
time he was adjudicating on its bid for British Sky Broadcasting
Group Plc, testified to a U.K. media-ethics inquiry. Television
news channels broke off their live broadcasts of the hearing to
cover the charity tax announcement.
Andrew Tyrie, the Conservative lawmaker who heads
Parliament’s Treasury Committee, said the policy U-turns meant
Osborne may find it harder to hold to future budget pledges.
“Whatever the measures, it will be more difficult next
year, with vested interest groups now encouraged to press for
concessions,” he said in a statement. “The chancellor will
need to set out the principles underpinning his budget and make
clear he will stick to them.”
To contact the reporter on this story:
Andrew Atkinson in London at
a.atkinson@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story:
James Hertling at jhertling@bloomberg.net
BERKELEY, CA–(Marketwire -05/31/12)-
Diabetes Advocates, a non-profit organization which includes the leading names in diabetes social media advocacy, wants to help people with diabetes learn more about their increased risk of depression. May was Mental Health Awareness Month. Through the month the Diabetes Advocates shared information on depression and diabetes on their site at http://diabetesadvocates.org/.
This new resource shares the studies which show increased risk of depression for diabetes patients, and steps that they and healthcare providers can take to reduce those risks. As May comes to an end, Diabetes Advocates members are featuring information on their website that focus on the mental health issues related to living with diabetes.
“Depression is a serious mental health diagnosis for anyone, but for individuals with diabetes, depression is especially dangerous,” said Diabetes Advocate Lee Ann Thill, MA, ATR-BC, LPC. Thill, an individual with type 1 diabetes for more than 30 years, is a licensed art therapist and professional counselor in Pennsylvania whose specialty is working with diabetes patients who have mental health concerns.
“Symptoms of depression may include changes in appetite, decreased interest and motivation, fatigue and loss of energy, and difficulty with concentration and decision-making, all of which can adversely affect diabetes management by making it more difficult to exercise, make healthy dietary choices, and follow through with other medically-necessary daily activities like taking medication and checking blood sugars,” said Thill. “People who are depressed are more prone to self-destructive behavior, which for someone with diabetes, often manifests itself in not following through with diabetes management.”
“In the short term, this can exacerbate and prolong depression, as well as contribute to elevated blood sugar levels. Longer term, diabetes that goes unmanaged as a result of depression increases the risk of developing diabetes complications and early mortality. The bottom line is that the serious consequences and risks that characterize each of these illnesses become more severe when an individual has both, so diagnosis and treatment are imperative in order to minimize their effects,” Thill said.
Research indicates that the prevalence of depression in people with diabetes is twice that of the general population, and is confirmed by a 2001 meta-analysis of research on depression in adults with diabetes in the American Diabetes Association journal Diabetes Care. A 2002 study, also from Diabetes Care, showed that patients with co-morbid diabetes and depression had increased health use and expenditure.
“We want to encourage patients with diabetes and their loved ones to talk to their healthcare providers if they suspect depression,” said Thill. “We also want to advocate for improved depression screening by healthcare providers for diabetes patients. Diabetes patients are more likely to be seen by doctors than those without diabetes, so medical care providers are in a prime position to not only screen and refer for treatment if needed, but also educate patients about their increased risk for depression, just as they educate about diabetes patients’ increased risk for eye, kidney and nerve damage. People who are mentally healthy are more likely to follow through with their diabetes management, which is key to good medical outcomes for people with diabetes,” Thill said. “As Diabetes Advocates, our goal is to help people with diabetes be healthy and happy!”
ABOUT DIABETES ADVOCATES
Diabetes Advocates is a not-for-profit program run by the Diabetes Hands Foundation. The program combines the resources of its members to do activities to better educate the public about all aspects concerning diabetes. For more details, visit:
http://diabetesadvocates.org/c/depression-and-diabetes/
Contact information:
Diabetes Hands Foundation
510-898-1301
PR@diabeteshf.org
CRYSTAL LAKE – At its first emergency meeting since one of the county’s largest and oldest behavioral health agencies announced its collapse, the McHenry County Mental Health Board discussed options for clients of Family Service and Community Mental Health Center.
The board at a public hearing Wednesday night heard impassioned pleas from Family Service clients, employees and other mental health care providers. There were at least 150 people at the meeting, many telling their experiences with Family Service. Others pleaded not to be forgotten.
“We want to be your voice, that is so important,” the Rev. Jim Swarthout, a Mental Health Board member, told one client. “We will be your voice, we will be your face. I promise you that.”
The Mental Health Board has ideas to fill service gaps in the wake of Family Service’s closure. But with the announcement only late last week that North Central Behavioral Health System would pull out of a service agreement with Family Service, the board was short on specifics.
Members have identified providers that potentially can pick up the services in Family Service’s absence, including Pioneer Center, Youth Services Bureau, Family Alliance, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Thresholds and others.
And the overwhelming response from these social services agencies was: We’re up for the challenge.
“We’re poised and ready to provide services to transition individuals’ care, knowing the time is now to collaborate and strengthen relations to meet this situation and avoid crisis,” Pioneer President and CEO Patrick Maynard wrote in a statement.
While they appear ready to take on larger case loads, additional clients could further financially strain the agencies.
“I’ve been very frank with the providers, asking them how fast can they build capacity without putting themselves in a position of further instability,” Mental Health Board Executive Director Sandy Lewis said. “The last thing we need is another agency in a situation where they need cash-flow assistance or see themselves [with] cash-flow issues.”
Referring clients to other providers is likely to cause confusion, delays in treatment and additional demand on already overextended agencies. Of particular concern is the expected demand by crisis patients.
DALLAS, May 31, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –
A new prescription discount card is being introduced in Dallas County that will save area residents an average of 45 cents on the dollar for their prescription drugs while helping the Humane Society of Dallas County fulfill its mission of offering abandoned animals the compassion and respect they deserve.
The new prescription discount cards are free to the public and available at
www.DallasCountyRx.com . They’re being introduced in Dallas County and other communities around the United States by AxiaRx, of Bradenton, FL. They can be used at many local pharmacies, including national retail chains such as Walgreens, CVS, Tom Thumb, Walmart, Kroger, Savon and others.
Similar prescription discount cards are available here and in many areas of the United States. What sets the Dallas County Rx card apart from those programs is a donation is made to the Humane Society of Dallas County each time a card is used to save money.
“We receive hundreds of surrendered dogs and cats each year and supporting our no-kill pledge is very costly. These donations will be a big help in supporting these animals we serve, particularly since they’ll come directly to us,” said Sandra Mustafa, shelter director of the Humane Society of Dallas County. “That means all of the money can be put to use helping the animals.”
“Nearly one in every three Dallas County residents – over 670,000 people – are without insurance according to the latest U.S. Census results,” said David Smith, President of AxiaRx, which operates the DallasCountyRx.com service offering the Humane Society donation program. “This program has the potential to help many residents afford their prescription medications while at the same time providing thousands of dollars in donations to rescue, rehabilitate and adopt pets throughout the county.”
Saving examples include generic Ambien, approximately 72% off retail rates when using the card, Fluticasone, a seasonal allergy spray, 49% off, and popular brand drug Avodart receives about a 29% savings at retail pharmacies. Over 50,000 drugs are available for a discount.
The Dallas County Rx card works in partnership with local pharmacies, not drug companies, to provide deep discounts to large groups of people. The pharmacies benefit because card users buy their prescription drugs locally, not by mail order. Nearly 4,100 retail pharmacies in Texas participate and 62,000 nationwide.
SOURCE AxiaRx
Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved
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