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Click
here to listen to State of Mind: America 2003 (10.3MB downloadable MP3)
Across
the nation, the public mental health system is in crisis.
The
latest news is alarming:
* Maine slashes $14 million from mental health services for children.
* Arizona reduces substance abuse treatment by $15.5 million.
* Connecticut, without notice, cuts off health care to 30,000 poor
people.
including 7,000 children.
* Oregon runs out of money to pay for psychiatric medications, and
eliminates coverage for methadone treatment and outpatient addiction
services.
* Massachusetts forces doctors to prescribe older, less expensive
medicines for
psychiatric conditions instead of the medications that are the most
effective.
This special The Infinite Mind broadcast event,
with host Dr. Fred Goodwin, was taped live at The Carter
Center in Atlanta, Georgia. State
of Mind: America 2003 examines
the impact of major mental health budget cuts in states throughout
the country, and the threat they pose to the well-being of some
of the most vulnerable and fragile Americans, as well as the real
cost to society. Also, African Americans and Depression,
and Mental Health Treatment by Family and Primary Care Physicians.
With guests including Rosalynn Carter and former Surgeon General
Dr. David Satcher, performance by Oscar-nominiated singer/songwriter
Aimee Mann and reading by acclaimed
author Meri Nana-Ama Danquah.
State of
Mind: America 2003 features:
Introduction:
Former First Lady Rosalynn
Carter
Read Mrs. Rosalynn
Carter's introduction
Listen
to Mrs. Rosalynn Carter's introduction
Special in-depth report on the Crisis in Mental Health Funding
Reported by Rebecca
Roberts of public radio's
The World.
Read
Rebecca Robert's special report
Listen
to Rebecca Roberts special report
Discussion One: The
Crisis in Public Funding
Featuring Dr.
Thomas Bornemann and
Dr.
David Pollack.
Our nation is facing dramatic cutbacks in mental health care in
states throughout the country. Maine just slashed $14 million in
mental health services for children, Oregon ran out of funding for
psychiatric medications, and Connecticut, without notice, terminated
health care for 30,000 people, including 7,000 children. The public
mental health system represents half of all dollars spent on treatment,
and cares for some of the most vulnerable, psychologically and medically
fragile Americans. The broadcast will examine the impact of cutbacks
in public mental health care.
Read
more about and listen to discussion on "The Crisis in Funding"
Meri
Nana-Ama Danquah
reads from her book "Willow Weep for Me: A Black Woman's Journey
Through Depression"
Read
from her book, "Willow Weep for Me."
Listen
to Meri Nana-Ama Danquah read from her book "Willow Weep for
Me."
Buy
the book "Willow Weep for Me."
Discussion Two: African
Americans and Depression
Featuring
Dr. Quentin Ted Smith
and Mrs.
Doris Smith.
African Americans face significant barriers to receiving appropriate
mental health services, including stigma, distrust of the medical
profession, lack of minority providers, and the high cost of care,
particularly for those without health insurance. We will hear from
Mrs. Doris Smith, whose only son died by suicide, about the devastating
consequences of untreated depression. She and Dr. Quentin Ted Smith
(no relation) will also discuss changes they would like to see in
the mental health care system and outline the elements of successful
outreach programs for the African American community.
Listen
to and read more about "African Americans and Depression"
Aimee
Mann
Oscar and Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter performs
"Humpty Dumpty"
Read
the text of the song
Listen
to Aimee Mann perform "Humpty Dumpty"
Discussion Three: Mental
Health and Primary Care
Featuring Dr.
David Satcher and
Dr.
Benjamin Druss.
Fifty percent of people with mental illness are seen only in primary
care. At the same time, about half the people who show up in a primary
care doctor's office with depression are not correctly diagnosed.
Given these figures, we'll discuss what needs to change to ensure
proper diagnosis and treatment for all people with mental illness.
Issues covered include intrinsic problems in the primary care system
(including appointments that are too short to assess a patient's
psychological state), education and training for primary care doctors,
and potential new systems for delivering services, such as collaborative
care.
Listen
to and read more about "Mental Health and
Primary Care"
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The Infinite Mind is
supported in part by major underwriting from the John D. and Catherine
T. MacArthur Foundation, the National Institute of Mental Health,
and the Nonprofit Finance Fund. Additional underwriting in the form
of unrestricted educational grants from Eli Lilly and Company and
Bristol-Myers Squibb. Major underwriting for State of Mind: America
2003 was provided in the form of an unrestricted educational grant
from Solvay Pharmaceuticals. Additional support was provided by
Tom and Edwina Johnson, The J. B. Fuqua Foundation and the Turner
Foundation.
The
Infinite Mind is non-profit production of Lichtenstein Creative
Media, in association with the New York Foundation for the Arts
and WNYC/FM.
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